BOSTON – The odds were stacked against the Rangers from the start.
Suiting up 16 skaters instead of the usual 18 due to a combination of injuries, a suspension and cap constraints, the Blueshirts might not have even been able to defeat the NHL-leading Bruins at full strength, let alone two players short.
Still, this was no cake-walk for the Bruins, who are now sitting on a 15-point cushion at the top of the NHL after handing the Rangers a 4-2 loss Saturday afternoon at TD Garden.
More stock would’ve been put into this game against Boston if the Rangers dressed their full lineup.
Without two of their top defensemen, Ryan Lindgren (upper-body injury) and K’Andre Miller (final contest of a three-game suspension), as well as fourth-liner Tyler Motte (upper-body injury), the Rangers were at a clear disadvantage.
That didn’t come through in the Rangers play as much as it was expected to. The Bruins, who have now won 10 straight games, are just a force of nature.