The Rangers were flat out terrible last night. Just inexcusably terrible on what should have been a celebratory night. The team mustered just 9 total shots on goal, matching a franchise low from 1955. Igor Shesterkin faced 33 shots against a desperate Ottawa Senators team barely in the playoff picture. Worst of all, the Rangers couldn’t lift up their teammate celebrating his 1,000th game.
This collection of players is just so catastrophically bad, that there is no way this could get any worse right? At the time of this article, the Rangers now sit 31st in the NHL, where they could stay given Vancouver’s 15 point cushion on last place. It’s still a lottery so nothing is guaranteed, but perhaps hoping Chicago, Calgary, and St. Louis keep winning isn’t the worst thing in the world.
Instead of focusing on the game, let’s talk about how the Rangers absolutely nailed the ceremony for Zibanejad’s 1000th game, against the team that drafted him no less (perhaps there was more to that one random healthy scratch?). There have been many great memories over the last decade and they hit pretty much every meaningful note during the ceremony with highlights from the playoff runs and great regular season performances. In some ways, it felt like a precursor for perhaps having his number retired, should he remain in New York for the rest of his career. Perhaps him and Chris Kreider on the same night?