Mika Zibanejad shared his thoughts after the New York Rangers' 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. He pointed out that the team started well but struggled in the second period. He also felt the team couldn't push back after the Hurricanes took control.
"Our start was good. First period was pretty good," Zibanejad said. "(In the) second period, we gave them too much time, too much space, and spent way too much time in our defensive zone."
"They took advantage and there wasn't really much of a push (from us). At the end, we had some chances. (Overall) a good start, and then we put ourselves behind," Zibanejad added.
The Rangers took the lead early with Jimmy Vesey’s goal just 17 seconds into the game. However, the Hurricanes responded in the second period as William Carrier scored to tie the game and Jack Roslovic then put Carolina ahead on the power play.
Despite 28 saves from Igor Shesterkin, New York couldn't hold Carolina back. The Hurricanes outshot the Rangers 16-8 in the second period. The team from New York couldn’t stop Carolina’s pressure, and the Hurricanes scored again in the closing minutes to secure the 3-1 win.
New York Rangers coach Peter Laviolette critiques team's second-period struggles in loss to Hurricanes
NYR coach Peter Laviolette also explained that his team struggled in the second period. He felt the Rangers didn’t move the puck well enough, failing to "get the puck to the next level."
“We didn’t get the puck to the next level in the second period,” Laviolette said (via NHL.com). “I thought the battles went their way. One goal on the power play, one with a guy coming out of the box, and that’s the difference in the game. I thought they were better than us in the second period.”
Both Zibanejad and coach Laviolette agreed that the team performed poorly in the second period. New York has struggled with consistency and needs to close out games better to avoid more losses.
The New York Rangers have a record of 16 wins, 16 losses, and 1 overtime loss. They are 9-7 on the road. The Rangers will next face the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. The Devils have a record of 22 wins, 11 losses, and 3 overtime losses with a 10-6-3 record at home.
