After successful the Presidents’ Trophy with the NHL’s finest file in 2023-24 and reaching the Japanese Convention Remaining, the New York Rangers entered this season with Stanley Cup expectations.
Almost midway by means of the season they’re failing to fulfill these expectations in a shocking approach.
With Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Nashville Predators, the Rangers have now misplaced 11 of their previous 14 video games, sit on the skin of the Japanese Convention playoff image and are simply 15-15-1 on the season.
It additionally may solely be the beginning of a fair larger slide.
Not solely are the Rangers enjoying extraordinarily poor hockey, their upcoming schedule is an absolute gauntlet of video games that can function eight of the following 12 on the street and have them go up towards among the league’s finest groups.
These subsequent 12 video games are towards Dallas, Carolina, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Florida, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Dallas, New Jersey, Vegas and Colorado.
The one crew in that group of video games that isn’t presently in a playoff spot is Chicago, whereas 9 of these video games are towards groups presently within the top-10 within the league in factors share.
The Rangers are already a crew in turmoil, having traded their former captain — Jacob Trouba — with a locker room that appears to be on edge given the way in which Trouba and veteran ahead Barclay Goodrow have been pressured out for the reason that finish of final season regardless of having no-trade clauses.
Even with their success a 12 months in the past, the Rangers nonetheless had some enormous flaws that snuck beneath the radar, particularly relating to their defensive zone play and 5-on-5 play. These flaws have been masked by elite goaltending and a dominant energy play. This season the goaltending has not been fairly as elite (it’s nonetheless superb, nonetheless) and the ability play has dropped from the top-five all the way down to the center of the pack. With out these two areas to spice up the crew up, the issues are solely getting magnified.
There has additionally been virtually nothing carried out to handle these flaws.
Now the competitors is simply going to get more durable.
Head coach Peter Laviolette and common supervisor Chris Drury ought to take into account themselves on the recent seat, whereas Trouba may not be the one participant that’s about to move out of city.
That is speculated to be a Stanley Cup contending crew. As a substitute it’s a crew that could be a mess and doesn’t appear to have the solutions on how one can repair it.
