Rangers downed by Kings – Do. Not. Panic.

The Rangers preseason means nothing. Bring on Thursday.

In another one sided preseason game, the Rangers were out of luck in Las Vegas as they lost 5-1 to the LA Kings including conceding the first goal inside 15 seconds. Jon Quick made 22 saves while the Kings scored two goals on the powerplay.

On a night of few bright spots, JT Miller continued to play catch up after missing preseason time as he scored the Rangers lone goal. Given his pro experience and strong play in the preseason Miller is a strong candidate to be one of the kids to stick around to start the season. At the very least Miller has made plays been noticeable and used his body effectively. The two goals in three games are almost a bonus.

Don’t draw too many conclusions from the preseason. The Rangers have had a horrible preseason but have suffered from the absence of key players, multiple injuries, incorporating a new system all the while looking at a host of young prospects that will give the organisation great insight down the line. If that wasn’t enough the club are bracing themselves for a nine game road trip as the Garden gets its final touches. For Vigneault and his staff this preseason was all about familiarisation – nothing more, nothing less.

Worth noting is that before the Rangers’ monster regular season of ‘11-12, they had a losing record in the preseason. Meanwhile the Blue Jackets who finished last in the league that year had a winning preseason record. In short, preseason results usually mean nothing.

The Rangers now have a handful of days to incorporate Derek Stepan, get some hits on Ryan Callahan and to make their final roster decisions. A few days together, without the distraction of preseason games, will serve the Rangers well as they get used to Alain Vigneault and his system.