Takeaways from the Rangers’ 5–2 loss to the Devils in Preseason Game 5

The New York Rangers have lost their penultimate preseason matchup to the New Jersey Devils by a score of 5–2. The Rangers now sit at a disappointing record of 1-4, with the preseason concluding tomorrow night against the Boston Bruins.

Tonight’s game was quite underwhelming, as the Rangers were handed their third straight loss. It is just preseason, so there should be no signs of panic just yet, but the Blueshirts must quickly get their act together by opening night.

In a game filled with ups and downs, there were a handful of both positive and negative takeaways for the Rangers.

Slow starts are hurting the Rangers early on

The Rangers seem to have a consistent issue with beginning games at a slow pace. Tonight, the Devils brought a much higher level of speed and intensity than the Rangers in the first period, eventually putting the Blueshirts down by two goals just over seven minutes into the game.

This is an issue that head coach Peter Laviolette has made note of, as he’s expressed his anger a handful of times throughout the preseason. This problem can not continue in the regular season. Teams that take an early lead often win the game, and the Rangers can not risk falling behind in the Metropolitan Division. It will be a close race for the division title, and the Blueshirts must collect every win possible.

With the preseason concluding tomorrow night against Boston, Laviolette must teach his players a lesson quickly. Unlike Gerard Gallant, Laviolette needs to hold his players accountable. Poor performances must come with repercussions rather than ignoring the issue. This is not a skill-based problem, but one caused by effort and dedication to the game.

The power play will begin to improve with increased practice time

Heading into tonight’s game, the Rangers had gone scoreless on special teams through four games. That ultimately changed tonight with a goal from Adam Fox, which can be attributed to the Rangers finally beginning to practice the power play this week. Fox’s goal came with a beautiful assist from Artemi Panarin, indicating that he too is finally beginning to gain momentum.