Preview: Ducks Battle First-Place Rangers Tonight in New York | Anaheim Ducks – NHL.com

The Ducks continue their tour of New York City tonight at Madison Square Garden, facing off with the first-place New York Rangers.
PUCK DROP: 4:00 P.M PT | TV: BALLY SPORTS SOCAL | DUCKS STREAM | NHL GAMECENTER
Anaheim’s four-game eastern trek got off to a disappointing start Wednesday night on Long Island, as a late power-play chance for the Ducks quickly became a shorthanded game-winner for the Islanders.
“We sleepwalked through the first period and kind of got traction as the game went on,” head coach Greg Cronin said. “I thought we played a solid third period, and we just fumbled the power play at the end.”
“Slow first period, and I thought we battled back hard,” added winger Ross Johnston after his first game back against his original NHL team. “Turned it into a 50-50 game with five minutes left and they capitalized. We can’t be giving up goals on the power play. Lately, we’ve been shooting ourselves in the foot and finding ways to lose games. We have to tighten it up and find a solution.”
The loss was Anaheim’s fourth in a row, all by a single goal if you excuse the empty-netter in a 4-2 loss to Winnipeg last week. The Ducks now sit 10-18-0 on the season, last in the Pacific Division.
“We have to find a way to keep that lead in the third period,” forward Sam Carrick said. “That’s on us as players. It’s not good enough. We’ll learn from it and move on to the next one.”
That next one comes tonight in Manhattan against the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers, who enter play tonight with a 9-3-0 record on home ice but fresh off a 7-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“This is where you learn about yourself and you learn about what it takes to ultimately continue to be successful,” first-year Ranger Blake Wheeler told media postgame. “They’re lessons you have to go through throughout the year. I mean, nobody goes through the season unscathed, without having stretches that maybe don’t go their way. I think it’s a great learning opportunity for our team.”
The loss was the Rangers third in their last four games after opening the season in 18 of their initial 23 matchups.
“Based on the first period, they were better than us,” New York coach Peter Laviolette said. “We didn’t give ourselves the best chance to win.”
The Rangers (19-7-1, 39 points) sit just one point behind Boston for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

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