Daily Report – 3/19/25
Here is today’s report:
Rangers
The Calgary Flames lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-6 on Monday night before touching down in New York City at 3 AM. Despite being the NHL’s lowest-scoring team, they were two points out of a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the New York Rangers had their best win of the season on Saturday night before falling short to Edmonton at home on Sunday. They were clinging to a one-point lead in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race, but with fewer games remaining than their closest opponents, each upcoming matchup would be extra important.
But not Tuesday’s game against Calgary. Somehow, that game was an exception.
After getting out-shot 14-5 in a 2-1 first period against the league’s lowest-scoring team, the Blueshirts refused to step up their game. Then went on to lose to Calgary 2-1 and with it, their Eastern Conference Wild Card spot. They got outshot 35-13 and out-attempted 56-37. They also got out-chanced 33-14, and nearly 50% of Calgary’s scoring chances were of high danger.
This Rangers performance was utterly unacceptable. It was jarring, given the team’s improvements since 2025 began. As Steve Valiquette aptly stated postgame, “That was the most tragic game I can remember ever covering since I started here in 2004.” But the most frustrating aspect of this loss was the lack of idiosyncrasy. Not when every game for the rest of this season is as crucial as a playoff game. Entering this season, the hope was the Rangers had finally learned the importance of prioritizing defense over offense. Physicality over mechanics. It quickly became clear that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. The simplest explanation for why the Rangers haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1994 is that they have always gotten out-hustled in the biggest moments.
In its four years together, the current Rangers core has failed to win a Stanley Cup. In some games – like Game 3 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. New Jersey and Game 5 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals against Carolina – their weaknesses have eclipsed their strengths. Those games flipped – or nearly turned – their respective series around. Former Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant once said that in the biggest moments, talented teams lose to whoever works harder. There’s a reason why there hasn’t been a Stanley Cup-winning team with a 100-point scorer since 2009 and why a President’s Trophy-winning team hasn’t won the Cup since 2013. In hockey, it’s physicality – not finesse – that wins championships. And this Rangers has never been physical enough.
Physicality is more than just a philosophy; it’s a commitment. It’s an umbrella term used to describe a hockey team that forechecks heavily and allows few high-quality scoring chances. Such teams also rank among the league’s best in wins and scoring chances. Carolina finishes atop the Eastern Conference every season because they are committed to forechecking. As a result, they get the most out of each of their players and lead the NHL in offensive zone time per game. Meanwhile, the Rangers consistently over-pass the puck around the offensive zone. They check too much with their sticks instead of their bodies. And they take too many penalties because their pace of play is broken. Artemi Panarin is only productive in the regular season because in the playoffs, opposing defensive units shut him down while the rest of the Rangers core wilts in distress. Throughout the last two decades, the Rangers have been generally successful in the postseason because of their goaltending, not their skaters.
This is why the Rangers’ future of physicality lies in JT Miller’s hands. And Will Cuylle’s. And Matt Rempe’s. And Gabe Perreault’s. If the 2024-25 Rangers fail to make the playoffs – after quitting on their franchise, their fans, and each other – big changes will be made on Broadway. And they begin with the head coach.
After last night’s loss, Laviolette told the media, “[The compete] was not there. There was nothing there. [Calgary was] faster than us, they got to the ice quicker than us, they were more ready.” I’m confused. How were the Calgary Flames – who got slaughtered in Toronto on Monday night and arrived in New York at 3 AM yesterday – “more ready” for last night’s game than the Rangers? How is that possible?!
When asked if his team played hard enough, Artemi Panarin replied, “It looked like no.”
After the Rangers fell to Florida in last year’s Eastern Conference Final, Larry Brooks wrote an article proclaiming that it’s time for the Rangers to move on from their core. This season, we saw Jacob Trouba get traded to Anaheim and JT Miller return to New York. The proof is in the pudding. Chris Drury will dismantle the core after this year.
Isn’t it amazing how one loss can rekindle so many questions?
Knicks
Tonight at 8 PM (7 PM CDT), the Knicks will visit the San Antonio Spurs (MSG).
The Knicks will be without Jalen Brunson tonight, but Mitchell Robinson continues to shine bright on both ends of the ball. In Monday’s game against Miami, he received extended minutes, notably playing alongside Karl-Anthony Towns in a fearsome big-man pair.
“I’ve been working on my body,” Robinson told the New York Post last week. “Coming back from an ankle injury after 10 months? I move pretty damn good.”
Robinson looks meaner and leaner than ever before. Those are useful qualities for a top NBA defender.
The Knicks last played San Antonio at the Garden on Christmas, winning 117-114. Mikal Bridges recorded a season-high 41 points, and OG Anunoby had an impressive defensive performance against Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama is currently out for the season with a blood clot.
Last Wednesday night, Bridges rekindled his offensive prowess for the first time since Christmas Day, hitting a clutch buzzer-beater game-winning three-point shot for the Knicks in Portland. He also scored a team-high 28 points against Miami on Monday night while Josh Hart recorded his eighth triple-double to tie Clyde Frazier for the most in a single Knicks season. He seeks another strong performance tonight on both sides of the ball.
Schedule
8:00 PM (7:00 PM CDT): NYK at SA; MSG
