The Rangers try to rebound from a horrific defensive performance yesterday against the Kraken tonight versus the Blackhawks. Igor Shesterkin, following the birth of his daughter yesterday, will be between the pipes.

Rangers lineup today vs. Blackhawks:

Panarin-Trocheck-Lafrenière
Kreider-Zibanejad-Smith
Cuylle-Chytil-Kakko
Edström-Carrick-Berard

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Schneider
Jones-Mancini

Shesterkin
Quick

Scratches: Vesey, Mackey, Brodzinski

Jimmy Vesey and Jonny Brodzinski were on ice late this morning during the optional skate, along with Connor Mackey and Urko Vaakanainen. Brett Berard, who missed the last few games with his shoulder injury, is in the lineup while Vesey is out tonight.

The "soft tampering" charges filed by Senators owner Michael Andluaer has to be one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. The quotes from Larry Brooks never say he spoke directly to someone in New York management, Plus, no one would go on record to say that and create possible issues. Vincent Mercogliano reported a week before that if Tkachuk ended up being available, the Rangers would be interested as he is likely at the top of the target board. Why was that not tampering but what Brooks wrote was?

If the Rangers forwards don't get in sync with the defensemen, New York will never get out of their own way. That's through the neutral zone and in their own zone. Peter Laviolette’s system is man to man, which requires a lot of switching. Up 3-1, the switches stopped, and the handoffs were in name only. This left players wide open in the slot., Add in a lack of hustle from the O to the D zone, which we saw on Shane Wright's tally, and it was not that surprising that Seattle capitalized repeatedly.

Defense requires effort. It requires hustle and guts and stick-to-it-tivenss, all of which was lacking yesterday. Offense is fun, defense takes work. But if you don't defend and your goalie doesn't stand on his head, you don't win. For three periods Friday and a period-plus yesterday, New York was better. Then they reverted to their prior ways and we saw the end result.

Tonight should be a win. A defensive effort like yesterday and that will be in severe doubt. The same can be said for Buffalo on Wednesday. LA and Srt. Louis will be tougher tests, but New York certainly has the talent to defeat each. But the question is where will the breakdowns come and will they be from the same cast of culprits as usual?

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