This was an opponent the young and rebuilding Rangers appeared to match up well against. Then the Rangers took two big hits, one was the suspension of spark plug, Brendan Lemieux and the other was the loss of their starter, Igor Shesterkin before the puck ever dropped.
Things got worse one minute into the opening period of the first game. Former Ranger, Brady Skjei took out Jesper Fast with a hit and the Rangers best defensive forward was gone. He was replaced in game two by Steven Fogarty, but now some important lineup decisions loom for David Quinn.