{"id":10356,"date":"2025-11-15T03:42:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T03:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/key-takeaways-after-rangers-explode-for-7-goals-in-road-win-over-lightning-2\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T03:42:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T03:42:06","slug":"key-takeaways-after-rangers-explode-for-7-goals-in-road-win-over-lightning-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/?p=10356","title":{"rendered":"Key takeaways after Rangers explode for 7 goals in road win over Lightning"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Key<\/p>\n

It appears the dam burst, allowing the New York Rangers to score a flood of goals this week. Two days after putting up a six spot in their first home-ice win of the season, the Rangers surpassed that total in a 7-3 road victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Vincent Trocheck and Will Cuylle each scored twice, and Artemi Panarin dished out four assists to lead a varied and high-powered Rangers attack. Eleven New York skaters made their way on to the score sheet, with Alexis Lafreniere, J.T. Miller, and Will Borgen also scoring goals.<\/p>\n

Igor Shesterkin made 33 saves, including 26 in the final two periods, for the Rangers (9-7-2), who are an NHL-best 8-1-1 on the road. Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed goals on the first three shots he faced and finished with only eight saves on 13 shots over two periods for the Lightning, who had won seven of their previous games. Jonas Johansson stopped six of seven shots in the third period.<\/p>\n

Though neither coach \u2014 Mike Sullivan of the Rangers, nor Jon Cooper of the Lightning \u2014 probably agrees, the first period was wildly entertaining. There were seven goals scored on 18 combined shots, and the Rangers skated into the first intermission with a 4-3 lead.<\/p>\n

Cuylle scored a power-play goal just 1:09 into the game and the Rangers never trailed the rest of the way. Mika Zibanejad picked off a a cross-ice Nikita Kucherov pass in the neutral zone moments later, and the Rangers scored off the ensuing rush. Zibanejad zipped a pass to his left and Miller chipped the puck past Vasilevskiy to make it 2-0 at 3:31.<\/p>\n

The Lightning got a rush goal themselves at 6:04, when rugged forward Scott Sabourin wired a left-circle shot over Shesterkin\u2019s glove. But 64 seconds later, Lafreniere restored New York\u2019s two-goal lead by scoring his fourth goal \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 off the rush.<\/p>\n

Zemgus Girgensons snuck a rebound short side past Shesterkin for his third goal at 13:59 to cut the Rangers lead to 3-2. But the Rangers had an answer again, when Borgen scored his first off the season, a wrist shot from between the circles that went off a defenseman\u2019s leg and changed direction up and over Vasilevskiy at 16:20.<\/p>\n

It was that kind of night for the two-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender.<\/p>\n

Yet, before the wild opening period ended, the Lightning cut into the Rangers lead again. This time Jake Guentzel scored on a short-handed breakaway at 17:32.<\/p>\n

The scoring pace settled down in the second period, though the Rangers were badly outplayed early on. The Lightning recorded six shots in the opening six minutes of the period and added two more on a power play soon after.<\/p>\n

Late in the period, the Rangers capitalized when Vasilevskiy lost his footing moving right to left to challenge Trocheck off the rush. As the Lightning goalie fell to the ice, Trocheck slid his first goal of the season under Vasilevskiy to make it 5-3 at 18:19 of the second period.<\/p>\n

Trocheck scored again, 5:03 into the third, and Cuylle potted his team-leading sixth goal into an empty net with 2:11 left to play<\/p>\n

The Rangers will try to keep this offensive explosion going Saturday, when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets<\/p>\n

It\u2019s safe to say that Panarin is on a serious heater. After a slow start offensively this season, the Breadman has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past four games, coinciding with\u00a0<\/p>\n

Panarin followed that up with a brilliant offensive display in Tampa. He made a pretty feed to set up Lafreniere\u2019s goal, and an even more impressive pass to spring Trocheck on his first goal of the night. Bread also had a pair of secondary helpers, and a prime scoring chance of his own on the doorstep that he misfired on.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t look now, but Panarin took over the Rangers scoring lead Wednesday. He\u2019s got 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 18 games, after leading the Rangers in scoring each of the past six seasons.<\/p>\n

Shesterkin allowed three goals on 10 first-period shots, but shook that off in a big way. He didn\u2019t allow a goal and was simply outstanding the final two periods, stopping all 26 shots he faced.<\/p>\n

It all began in the first period, though. Shesterkin absolutely robbed Gage Goncalves on the doorstep following a brilliant back-door pass from Kucherov less than a minute after the Lightning pulled to within 3-2. It just may have been a game-altering save. Two minutes later, Borgen\u2019s goal made it 4-2 Rangers. Who knows if that scoring sequence even happens if Goncalves ties the game 3-3?<\/p>\n

And Shesterkin was the difference in the second period, when the Rangers were on their heels much of the time. Shesterkin was under fire in the third period, but stopped all 14 shots in an impressive finish to even his record at 6-6-2 this season.<\/p>\n

Not only did the Lightning score their first short-handed goal of the season \u2014 a beauty by Guentzel on a clean breakaway \u2014 but the home team\u2019s lineup was, to be honest, short-handed. The Lightning played without their top two defensemen \u2014 and two of the more reliable defenders in the League \u2014 with Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh each sidelined by injury. Forward Anthony Cirelli missed his second straight game and Dominic James landed on injured reserve.<\/p>\n

It only got worse when forward Brandon Hagel was steamrolled by Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy in the first period and didn\u2019t return to the game. To add insult to injury, the Rangers scored their third goal, with Soucy picking up an assist, on the ensuing rush the other way.<\/p>\n

Five of six Rangers defensemen recorded at least one point Wednesday. Adam Fox led the way \u2014 no surprise there \u2014 with two assists; he has 12 helpers and 15 points in 18 games. But how many of you had Borgen scoring his first goal since March 20 of last season on your Bingo card?<\/p>\n

Urho Vaakanainen played his 200th NHL game and had the primary assist on Trocheck\u2019s second goal. Vladislav Gavrikov had the secondary assist, setting Panarin off in full flight, on Trocheck\u2019s first goal. And Soucy leveled Hagel to start the rush the other way that Lafreniere finished with his third goal in the past four games.<\/p>\n

Braden Schneider? He had to settle for three hits and three blocked shots.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to be better, plain and simple. There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn\u2019t acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/em> \u2014 Alex Tuch<\/strong>, Buffalo Sabres Forward<\/p>\n

Buffalo Sabres fans, brace yourselves: change is coming<\/strong>. After yet another brutal defeat \u2014 a 5-2 loss to Utah followed by a 6-2 drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche \u2014 it’s clear that this team is nowhere near the contender they were supposed to be this season. And for fans who\u2019ve waited 14 years for a playoff spot, the latest string of losses is a hard pill to swallow. With Buffalo\u2019s record now at a dismal <\/p>\n

Sabres in Crisis Mode: A Season on the Brink<\/strong><\/p>\n

The loss to the Avalanche capped off a disastrous five-game losing streak, with <\/p>\n

The truth is, the Sabres have been in this situation for far too long<\/strong>. The fans are fed up, and even the players are starting to admit what\u2019s been painfully obvious: <\/p>\n

The End of the Line for Adams and Ruff?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At this point, there is no denying that accountability must fall on both GM Kevyn Adams<\/strong> and head coach Lindy Ruff<\/strong>. The Sabres have shown no meaningful improvement under their leadership, and this latest collapse only reinforces the fact that change is overdue<\/strong>. Adams and Ruff have had more than enough time to get the job done, but after so many failed seasons, it\u2019s clear that the status quo is no longer an option for Buffalo.<\/p>\n

As Tuch<\/strong> stated, “There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now.”<\/em> The Sabres have been left behind in a rapidly advancing NHL, and with another playoff-less season on the horizon, it\u2019s time for ownership to act.<\/p>\n

The Roster Shake-Up: Who\u2019s Safe and Who\u2019s Not?<\/strong><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just the front office and coaching staff that needs to change. With this current Sabres team showing no signs of getting it together, nearly every player on the roster is at risk<\/strong>. Tage Thompson<\/strong> and Rasmus Dahlin<\/strong> are the clear exceptions, both standing out as cornerstones of the franchise. But for everyone else, it\u2019s now or never. No one\u2019s job is safe, especially after this latest stretch of embarrassment.<\/p>\n

The Sabres need to shed their past<\/strong> \u2014 and that means moving out players who aren’t contributing to the rebuild. It\u2019s a painful reality, but every player needs to be held accountable<\/strong> for this team’s continued failure. It\u2019s no longer about potential or promises \u2014 it\u2019s about delivering results<\/strong>, and if you\u2019re not part of the solution, you\u2019ll be part of the problem.<\/p>\n

Buffalo\u2019s Road to Redemption: How to Fix the Sabres?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, what now for Buffalo? The road to redemption starts with tough decisions. Kevyn Adams<\/strong> will need to make bold moves to reshape the roster, bringing in fresh talent to bolster the lineup. The Sabres\u2019 defense needs a complete overhaul, and the goaltending situation is looking more desperate by the day. The team can no longer afford to let mediocrity slip by \u2014 it\u2019s time to build a playoff-caliber team<\/strong>, and the clock is ticking.<\/p>\n

This won\u2019t be an easy fix, but with the right moves, Buffalo could finally<\/em> start to dig itself out of this hole. The fans deserve a competitive team, and the Sabres owe it to themselves to deliver.<\/p>\n

Can the Sabres Turn It Around?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no sugar-coating it \u2014 the Sabres\u2019 current path is not sustainable. Another year of misery for Buffalo fans will simply not do. As the Sabres face the harsh reality of their worst season in recent memory, one thing is clear: the status quo cannot continue<\/strong>. The front office and coaching staff need to make bold, immediate changes. The future of the Buffalo Sabres depends on it.<\/p>\n

The time for change is now \u2014 and for the first time in years, it feels like the Sabres have no choice but to start fresh.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It appears the dam burst, allowing the New York Rangers to score a flood of goals this week. Two days after putting up a six spot in their first home-ice win of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t