PITTSBURGH — There was hardly a reason for the Rangers to agonize over their third regulation loss of the season and their first in over a month against the Stars on Monday night, when they fumbled a two-goal lead and drifted from their game that has served them so well to start the season.
As quickly as their 11-game point streak was built, however, it just as easily can snowball the other way.
The Rangers, who sit on a mere four-point cushion in first place in the Metropolitan Division, cannot afford to get swept in the opposite direction with an uptick in competition ahead on the schedule.
“I think for us the focus has really been on each individual game,” Chris Kreider said after the loss Monday night. “So it’s obviously frustrating for us right now thinking that we had an opportunity to come away with points having a lead. Definitely some learning moments for us.”
Facing division opponents in the next two games, the Penguins and the Flyers, the Rangers will then face Eastern Conference foes in the following three contests in the Bruins, Sabres and Red Wings. Buffalo and Detroit will be rematches against teams the Blueshirts clobbered 5-1 and 5-3, respectively.
The Penguins may have unveiled an extensive injury report on Tuesday, but since the Rangers’ seven-game triumph over Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2021-22 playoffs, there’s always been a little more intensity to the matchup.
Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that they will likely be without two of their top wingers against the Rangers on Wednesday night.
Rickard Rakell is expected to be out “longer term” and was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, while Bryan Rust is being evaluated for a lower-body injury.
Third-pair defenseman Chad Ruhwedel is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Pierre-Olivier Joseph is also out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
They will somehow be even more depleted than the Rangers, who are still without Adam Fox and Filip Chytil.
Though that doesn’t mean Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the Penguins won’t pose a challenge.
Amid all the injury news, the Rangers should expect a desperate Pittsburgh team that’s looking to make up ground in a standings race in which they’ve already fallen behind.
That is the burden a team like the Rangers, whose 25 points are tied for fourth in the NHL, will carry so long as they stay atop the league.
The second-place Flyers, off to a much better start than many anticipated, will fight tooth and nail to close the gap with the Rangers.
And when the Big Bad Bruins come to town this weekend, the Rangers are going to have their hands full with the NHL points leader.
Considering where the Rangers are this early on in the season, Monday’s loss — just their fourth of the season — only alleviated the pressure that comes with riding a long point streak.
One tough loss shouldn’t sound off alarm bells.
Two in a row, however, can mean more as the standings continue to take shape.
The Rangers are still in a comfortable spot, but that can change quickly.
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