Given all of the challenges that the New York Rangers have faced thus far this season, having a 6-3-0 record is something everyone would have signed up for.
However, they are coming off their worst performance of the season. The Rangers were destroyed by the New Jersey Devils in their last time out, losing 7-1. A late miscue near the end of the first period snowballed, with the Devils piling it on early in the second.
Dylan Garand was removed from the game after giving up four goals. His replacement, Spencer Martin, didn’t fare much better, surrendering three goals in the ugly loss. It was certainly not what New York was hoping for, but every team has a few bad outings during a marathon regular season.
However, the woeful performance was enough for the Rangers to plummet in the NHL power rankings done by Sean Gentille and Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic (subscription required). The drop, however, was not warranted.
Rangers drop multiple spots in NHL power rankings
Gentille placed New York at No. 11, while Luszczyszyn had them at No. 8. That culminated in them landing at No. 10, dropping from No. 4 in last week’s edition of the power rankings. An argument could have been made that No. 4 was too high for them to be ranked, but dropping six spots feels excessive.
It was the second largest drop of any team in the rankings, with only the Winnipeg Jets falling further. They dropped seven spots, going from No. 7 down to No. 14.
What makes the change in ranking for the Rangers wrong is that two of the teams they have beaten recently are still ranked ahead of them. The Utah Mammoth, whom New York defeated on Oct. 4 by a score of 4-2, is No. 4 in the power rankings.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are ranked No. 5. They have only two losses this season; both are courtesy of the Rangers at Madison Square Garden by a combined score of 9-2. One of those wins, a dominant 4-1 performance, occurred only two days ago.
Yes, the loss to New Jersey was an ugly one. Being defeated 7-1 by any team is far from ideal, but that is the first loss the team has suffered since opening night against the Boston Bruins without a goalie suffering an injury mid-game.
Against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 9, New York lost 3-1, but that was the game in which Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending lower-body injury. Garand was called off the bench to replace him and saved 11 out of 12 shots in relief, but shouldered the loss.
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