Rangers first-period dysfunction becoming sudden problem

The Rangers got off to such strong starts at the beginning of the season that the team didn’t give up a single first-period goal until their seventh game.Over their past seven contests, however, the Blueshirts have allowed a combined nine first-period goals while scoring only five.The high level of energy they had at puck drop earlier this season has steadily slipped, most recently resulting in a two-goal deficit by the first intermission on the way to a 6-3 loss to the Kings on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.“The biggest thing for me was I didn’t love the start,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the loss.

“I just didn’t think, from a mindset standpoint, I don’t think we had enough guys that were ready to play from the drop of the puck.So we’ve got to fix that fast.

The onus is on each individual to get himself ready for when the puck drops.It wasn’t everybody, but we just didn’t have enough.”After giving up two goals on the first two shots he faced, veteran goalie James Reimer heard sarcastic applause from the MSG crowd for making his first save in a red, white and blue sweater.The very first Kings goal came off a Drew Doughty leading feed to Taylor Ward, who split Rangers defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson for a breakaway goal.Sullivan ended up splitting Durzi and Pettersson later in the game after they were on for the Kings second goal as well.Durzi took some shifts next to Alberts Smits, while Pettersson skated alongside Braden Schneider.“It was an accumulation of events over time,” Sullivan said of what led to the decision.

“We felt as a coaching staff, for the first probably seven or eight games, Marcus and Durz were a pretty solid pair for us.They get hard minutes, they get a lot of D-zone starts against top players.

That pair has been pretty solid for us.I thi...