Rangers are finding it hard to stop the rot

Rangers are finding it hard to stop the rot

The Rangers’ 4-2 defeat to the Mighty Bruins was an afternoon affair, but they played like strangers in the night. Understandably, the turmoil of the last week has affected their performance, with the team playing short and missing their top two left defensemen while integrating Patrick Kane into the lineup.
Despite the cap-related machinations to obtain No. 88, the suspension to K’Andre Miller, and Ryan Lindgren’s injury, the team’s results have been disappointing, with the Blueshirts losing six of their last eight games (2-5-1).

There are 21 games left to play, and while it is not a crisis, it is time for the team to leave the extraneous issues behind and focus on their game. The Panarin-Trocheck-Kane unit looked like a combination in its second game together, with Panarin forcing one pass after another in Kane’s direction, but their success rate was lower than Zach Wilson’s on a bad day. There were too many turnovers, not just by them but by a lot of players.

Alexis Lafreniere may have been the club’s most effective forward, scoring both of the Rangers’ goals while elevating his physical play. The first power-play unit is undergoing a radical transformation, and the team seems to have no idea where to go or what to do with Kane’s addition to the equation. Zibanejad acknowledges that it is a major adjustment and that they need practice time.

Adam Fox’s game has been uncharacteristically pedestrian lately, and Miller’s return is expected to strengthen the lineup. The Rangers need to settle down and focus on winning. They have two days off and two days of practice ahead of a three-game trip to Montreal, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh, starting with the Canadiens on Thursday. The team should return to normal, which includes winning.


»Rangers are finding it hard to stop the rot«

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