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Rangers-Kings Stanley Cup Game 1: What went wrong? – Metro US

Rangers-Kings Stanley Cup Game 1: What went wrong?

Benoit Pouliot Benoit Pouliot got the game started off on the right foot. But it went downhill after a 2-0 start.
Credit: Getty Images

The Rangers fell to the Kings, 3-2, in overtime on Wednesday to get the Stanley Cup Final started.

It’s just one game, but the Rangers have some areas to correct if they are going to get one of two games in Los Angeles. Game 2 is Saturday night at 7 p.m. on NBC.

What went wrong …

1. Fire gone out

The Rangers looked like the far superior team in the first 15 minutes of the game, but were anything but for the rest of the contest. The Blueshirts were outshot by an astounding 20-3 margin in the third period alone. The Kings finished with 16 more shots on goal in the game.

2. More nothing

The power play has been a problem all postseason for the Rangers. They were 0-for-3 in Game 1 and rarely even got much in the way of chances. In fact, they got better chances on a few short-handed opportunities, including Hagelin’s goal in the first period.

3. Speed trap

Going into the series, the battle between the Kings’ size and the Rangers’ speed was earmarked as the biggest battle to watch. Early on, as the Rangers jumped out to their 2-0 lead, the speed looked deadly. Hagelin’s goal was reminiscent of Chris Kreider’s success against P.K. Subban. But the physicality of the Kings began to wear on them as the game continued.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.