The losses are piling up for the Rangers, and frustration is mounting.
Falling to the worst crew within the NHL, the Blackhawks, 2-1 Monday evening at Madison Sq. Backyard, the Blueshirts hit a brand new low in a season that’s solely 27 video games previous however has seen extra chaos than most organizations do in years.
Heck, there may be a tampering investigation this week.
It has not accomplished the Rangers’ on-ice product any favors, however the disconnect started method earlier than president and common supervisor Chris Drury’s leaked commerce memo, Jacob Trouba’s harsh exit to Anaheim and Ottawa’s accusations concerning The Submit’s report of the crew’s curiosity in Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
The Rangers have been shackled by self-inflicted errors time and time once more.
An absence of physicality, drive and cohesion has constantly hindered their competitiveness.
There hasn’t been a spark to their sport in method longer than they’d presumably prefer to admit.
That is who the Rangers have been for nearly all of this season.
Coincidentally, the Rangers hadn’t misplaced to the Blackhawks since Trouba chucked his helmet on the ice out of frustration on Dec. 3, 2022.
They may’ve used a little bit of that — even only a morsel — to revive what has been a torpid lineup.
The Islanders now have an opportunity to drag forward of the Rangers (two video games in hand) into fourth place within the Metropolitan Division standings in the event that they beat the Kings on Tuesday evening on Lengthy Island.
Breaking a 1-1 tie constructed within the first interval, Blackhawks wing Taylor Corridor completed a 2-on-1 rush with Connor Bedard to regain the lead for his crew on the 6:16 mark of the center body.
Corridor led each groups with two factors in an brisk efficiency beneath the pinwheel ceiling of MSG.
The identical ceiling that induced Rangers followers’ boos to soar across the decrease bowl.
The Rangers had generated a large number of Grade-A possibilities earlier than the Blackhawks capitalized on a Mika Zibanejad turnover to strike first within the opening interval.
Coughing the puck up behind the Rangers web on a weak try and rim the puck across the boards, Zibanejad gave it up proper to Corridor, who zipped a move throughout the zone to Tyler Bertuzzi for the 1-0 lead.
Zibanejad continues to appear like a shell of himself.
The Swedish heart has at all times been revered for his defensive sport, however it has been a weak level for him this season along with the offensive struggles.
Two giveaways, two pictures on objective and a minus-one ranking proved to be Zibanejad’s last stat line Monday evening.
On the Blackhawks’ first energy play, nevertheless, the Rangers evened the rating at one-all with a shorthanded objective.
Sam Carrick attacked the online with the puck earlier than Will Cuylle cleaned up the rebound for the primary shorthanded objective of his NHL profession.
