N.Y. Rangers: Coach Quinn Returns With Mixed Results

From the desk: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

RETIRE #4 ALREADY!!!

Adam Fox has now registered points in ten consecutive games.  The streak ties a Rangers record shared by (among others) Ron Greschner and Brian Leetch.

In fact, Fox has 18 points over his last ten games with two goals and 16 assists.

The sophomore blueliner finished his rookie season with 42 points and a plus-22 through 70 games and placed fourth in the Calder voting.  This season, Fox to date has notched four goals and 29 assists through 36 games.  His 33 points presently are the second-most points by a defenseman this season behind Victor Hedman.  Saturday's game also marked the seventh time this season he's registered multiple points in a game.

Making his NHL and Rangers debut, Vitali Kravtsov generated three shots on goal while participating in 14 shifts during 10:45 minutes on ice.  He joined fellow Rangers' first-round draft pick Filip Chytil, K'Andre Miller, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere.

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Buffalo is the lone NHL team still with single-digit victories and own a league-worst minus-46 point differential.  Saturday's win over the Rangers was only their eighth this season for their still league-worst 22nd points of the season - six points behind the Ducks and seven behind the Red Wings.

But the Rangers apparently never received the memo.  In two straight games against the worst team in the league, the Rangers fail to win either during regulation time.

Artemi Panarin opened the scoring at 10:02 of the first period with a power-play goal on feeds from Fox and Chris Kreider.  Panarin's second goal of the night came at 17:52 of the second period, assisted by Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox.

Buffalo's Casey Mittelstadt tied the game the first time at 13:01 of the first.  In the third period, Artemi Panarin got beat in the defensive end, which led to Victor Oloffson's game-tying goal at the 16:19 mark.

Joining Panarin with a minus-one for the game were Kaapo Kakko, Ryan Strome, K'Andre Miller, and Jacob Trouba. 

After a scoreless overtime, Buffalo's Linus Ullmark outlasted Igor Shesterkin in the shootout.

The Rangers were 4-2 in Coach Quinn's absence.  Mika Zibanejad scored 16 points while Coach was away; twelve of those points came in two games against the Flyers.  They are now 2-1-1 since Coach Quinn's return, and Zibanejad has notched just one point.

Otherwise, the Rangers' centermen came up empty once again with just five shots on goal and no points.  Pavel Buchnevich had more shots on goal than the Rangers' centers combined.

Chris Kreider is no different.  The erratically effective forward is averaging just two shots per game.  But I put that more on David Quinn and his inability to establish a team identity.  With just under a half-season left, Kreider might very well reset his career-high in goals.  Just imagine Kreider spending more time shoving bodies in front and cleaning up rebounds.  Apparently, Quinn can't.

At one point, Quinn paired Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko with Pavel Buchnevich.  I don't mind the line, per se, but I'm getting tired of his inconsistencies and constant reactive line changes.   

Yeah, I'm looking at the guy calling the shots.