The play might have been more of a reflex than anything, but for Kevin Shattenkirk and the Rangers, it’s a fitting snapshot of how the first seven games of the season have gone.
With the Rangers holding on to a 4-3 lead with just about a minute left in regulation Tuesday, Penguins winger Patric Hornqvist brought a puck down out of the air with his hand and it trickled right of the net to Sidney Crosby.
Had Crosby played the puck, it would have been blown dead for a hand pass. Instead he waited over it and baited Shattenkirk into getting a stick on it, allowing Crosby to flip a backhander off Henrik Lundqvist and into the net to tie the game, which the Penguins won in overtime 5-4.
“When Hornqvist brought it down, I think it might have even hit Marc [Staal’s] stick. So when I saw it, I thought he got a touch on it, which is why when I went to Crosby and I see him there on the goal line, I just go stick on puck. That’s just a natural thing to do as a defenseman,” Shattenkirk said Wednesday after practice. “He makes a very smart play. As soon as I’m about to touch the puck, I realize what he’s doing, leaving it, and realize at that moment that it’s a hand pass. But it’s a little bit too late.
“It’s a tough break. It’s one that when things are going well for us, it probably ends up in our favor. … But right now, those are some of the bounces that we’re getting.”
Seven games into a four-year, $26.6 million contract, Shattenkirk has provided mixed results for the Rangers. The defenseman has tallied two goals and four assists and has helped solidify the power play, but he also owns a minus-6. Part of the problem is team-related. Shattenkirk has been on the ice for three empty-net goals against — a symptom of the team being behind in so many games to this point.
Both Shattenkirk and coach Alain Vigneault said they believe the 28-year old is rounding the corner after a tough first five games. Shattenkirk pointed to playing too tentatively and trying to overthink as he assimilates into a new system.
“The last two games, my game has been much better,” Shattenkirk said. “Mistakes are going to happen defensively, for sure, and I think our ability to recover from them is important, but I like the way that Marc and I have been playing lately.”
The New Rochelle native may be putting too much pressure on himself to deliver right away, and the team’s 1-5-1 start can’t be helping. But Vigneault sees that mindset as a positive.
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“He analyzes his game the right way and he’s very demanding on himself,” Vigneault said. “There’s an adjustment period that goes with any new player on a team. So he’s going through it. … I want him to continue to be demanding on himself and to put that pressure on himself. He wants this team to succeed and that’s what I want in other players – I want guys that want to be accountable and help the team win.”
The coaching staff has been pushing Shattenkirk to get up in the play more since his partner, Staal, generally stays back as the last line of defense. Vigneault said he sees Shattenkirk getting better both with and without the puck.
It’s all part of an adjustment period Shattenkirk hopes he can look back on later this season and know he’s better because of it.
“I think if we look at the negatives, we’re going to be in this hole for a long time,” Shattenkirk said. “Teams go through this in March, they go through it in January. You never know when your dip is going to come. Unfortunately ours has happened early, so it’s hard to have some positive things to fall back on. When we come out of it, we’re going to be a stronger team for it if we learn lessons.”