Entering the 2024-25 season, there was still optimism for the New York Rangers. Coming off a record-breaking Presidents’ Trophy season that included a trip to the Conference Finals, they were expected to remain near the top of the league as a playoff contender. However, that hasn’t happened.

Following a promising 12-4-1 start buoyed by Igor Shesterkin’s hot start, they’ve lost nine of twelve since mid November. In many aspects, it was the goaltending of both Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick that were largely responsible for the good start. In many of the wins, the team defense broke down by allowing high danger scoring chances. But the goalies delivered the big saves to mask the problem.

That included less than impressive victories over the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators. A 6-1 blowout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 7 at home exposed them. The Sabres used their superior team speed and skating to explode for four goals in a lopsided second period to chase Shesterkin. While it wasn’t a particularly good showing for the Rangers starter, the biggest issue was the lack of attention to details in the defensive zone. The Blueshirts looked old and sluggish against a younger opponent.

Following a 6-3 defeat to the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 12, they won three in a row against the San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, and Vancouver Canucks. Despite that, there was growing concern about how they were playing. None of those wins were overly impressive. They held on to beat the Sharks on Nov. 14. Then, they needed a brilliant performance from Quick to shut out the Kraken on Nov. 17. They held on to beat a shorthanded Canucks, who were missing J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser on Nov. 19.

Five-Game Losing Streak through Thanksviving

With the team showing ominous signs, they were unable to step up in competition when they concluded a four-game Northwestern road swing in Alberta. Head coach Peter Laviolette called them out after a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Nov. 21. The final score was generous. For large stretches, the Flames dominated the Rangers at five-on-five. Aside from a pair of goals from Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle that came 16 seconds apart late in the second period to tie the score, there wasn’t much to write home about. A lackadaisical third followed, with Connor Zary notching the game-winner with less than nine minutes to play.

Despite Laviolette voicing his displeasure, they were even more uncompetitive in a dizzying 6-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Quick was victimized for six goals on 40 shots. Oilers superstar duo Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had a field day against the Rangers by combining for three goals and two assists. That included McDavid flying in for a highlight reel goal. On the play, he and Draisaitl came in on a two-on-one. With only rookie Victor Mancini back defending, McDavid patiently waited for Mancini to go down before tucking a forehand in past a helpless Quick.

When they returned home, things only got worse. Facing the St. Louis Blues after they hired Jim Montgomery, the Rangers were no match for a motivated opponent. Despite Cuylle getting his second of the game to tie it up, the third period was all Blues. They outscored the Blueshirts 3-0 to pull away for a 5-2 win on Nov. 25.

Their third straight defeat came on the heels of team president and general manager Chris Drury sending a memo to 31 other NHL GMs that the Rangers were open for business. He made both Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider available. It caused a ripple effect through the locker room. Drury then held a damage control meeting to try to calm things down prior to the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Nov. 27. Although they were more competitive, they still dropped their fourth in a row.

After Thanksgiving, they gave another flat performance in a 3-1 loss to the Flyers on Nov. 29. In a game on national TV, the Rangers were lethargic. Shesterkin did his best by making 32 saves to keep them in it. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. The five-game losing streak through Thanksgiving spelled doom.

Drury Forces Trouba to Accept A Trade

Following a less than impressive 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on the final day of November, the Rangers lost handidly to the Devils 5-1 at home. Despite showing some positives in the defeat, with better play at even strength, the defensive breakdowns resulted in a blowout loss to their bitter Hudson rival on Dec. 2.

What followed was predictable. With a four-day layoff before their next game, a desperate Drury forced Trouba to accept a trade. Threatening to put the Rangers captain on waivers, like he successfully did to blindside Barclay Goodrow over the summer, Drury gave Trouba until 2 PM to decide. The lame duck captain chose to go to the Anaheim Ducks in a deal that allowed Drury to dump the remainder of Trouba’s salary through 2025-26. That came to fruition on Dec. 6.

When he spoke to reporters via a Zoom conference call, Trouba admitted that how things were handled affected his play. It became a distraction. Despite a strong relationship with teammates inside the locker room, it was difficult on Trouba. That was understandable. He had his name muddied by Drury, who leaked the info to the press. It wasn’t the best way to handle things. But that’s the cost of doing business. It was cut throat.

Following a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins that same night, one wondered if maybe moving on from Trouba helped the team’s mindset. They gave a much better all-around effort. But it came against a flawed opponent that no longer is considered a playoff contender.

Bad Losses Begin to Mount

As well as they played in the victory over the Pens, the Rangers were unable to sustain it. Instead, the bad losses began to mount. Facing the Kraken, they fell apart in the second period a week ago. A 3-1 lead turned into a 4-3 deficit. The lackluster defense and poor coverage allowed the Kraken to score five consecutive goals to build a 6-3 lead.

Despite goals from K’Andre Miller and Lafreniere that made things interesting, the Kraken got an empty netter to hand the Blueshirts a 7-5 loss on Dec. 8. A day later, they managed to lose to the league’s worst team. The Chicago Blackhawks came into MSG and edged the Rangers 2-1. That was the lowpoint. It was their eighth loss in ten games.

After hanging on to beat the Sabres 3-2 in an uneventful game on Dec. 11, they were no match for the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, Dec. 14. Playing without Miller (upper-body injury), the Rangers were even worse. In fact, it was the worst game they’ve played to date. Defense was optional. So was checking.

The Kings got goals from Alex Turcotte and Warren Foegele in a lopsided first period. The only positive was the play of Shesterkin. He kept them within reach. However, it fell apart quickly in the second. LA got goals from Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault over a 2:18 span to break the game open. Kempe and Danault scored 24 seconds apart. On each goal, there were lousy breakdowns. Even with the Rangers having players back, they made it was too easy.

Shesterkin was chased. He gave up five goals on 21 shots. He was blameless. How putrid was the play in front of him? Following Quick replacing him, MSG’s Joe Micheletti ripped into the team’s effort. He and Sam Rosen didn’t hold back in their criticism. Neither did Brian Boyle. It was well-deserved.

A Season Spiraling

The Rangers now sit outside the playoffs. With a 15-13-1 record, they have 31 points through 29 games. A season is spiraling. With the quality of the opponents getting better, it’s anyone’s guess if they can turn it around.

They’ll visit the Blues later tonight. Aside from visiting the underwhelming Nashville Predators this Tuesday, Dec. 17, they have the Dallas Stars and then return home next week for the Hurricanes on Dec. 22. The final game before the Christmas break is at the Devils.

Entering Sunday, they sit a point behind the surging Ottawa Senators for the second wildcard. The Philadelphia Flyers are also ahead of them by a point. But they’ve played one more game than the Senators and two more than the Rangers. By no means are they out of it. However, unless they start to play better hockey, things could unravel quickly.

In less than a month, the Rangers went from having one of the league’s best records to falling back with other mediocre teams jockeying for playoff position. The good news is that they still have plenty of time left to right the ship. But as Boyle pointed out on yesterday’s postgame on MSG Radio, that means that they can’t continue to play the way they have.

When the effort is being questioned, it begs the question what the team psyche is. Their character is on the line. If they keep losing games, that’ll determine what move Drury makes next.

Laviolette Not To Blame

While it’s easy to point to Laviolette for the Rangers’ dramatic fall, it comes down to the players. A core that still features Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, and a very vocal Vincent Trocheck should be able to lead by example. That means playing more inspired hockey.

Following losses, Laviolette has been consistent in referencing that the answers are in the locker room. He isn’t wrong. This is a nucleus that has burned through enough coaches. David Quinn was replaced by Gerard Gallant. After an impressive first season that saw him guide the team to within two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, he lost the room in 2022-23. They went out in a wimper against the Devils in the seventh game of the first round. Gallant was dismissed.

In came Laviolette. A more hands on coach, he allowed for more line consistency. His best move was sticking Lafreniere with Panarin. Eventually, Trocheck replaced Filip Chytil (concussion) to form a potent scoring line. They were considered the best offensive line last season. It was the impressive play of that cohesive trio that carried them to the league’s best record. The Rangers again made it all the way to the sixth game of the Conference Finals before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Here we are a year later. Once again, it feels like the players have tuned out another coach. There’s no doubt that the chemistry has been off since the start of the season. Even when they were winning games, it wasn’t without getting outplayed and outchanced by opponents. More often than not, they get outshot and don’t carry the play at five-on-five. A necessity to be successful. Especially with teams figuring out the power play.

Has Laviolette been as patient with this group? No. He even broke up his best line to try to get Zibanejad going. It backfired. Even worse, Lafreniere hasn’t played well since signing a contract extension. He hasn’t been as noticeable. When he has, it’s for the wrong reasons due to his defensive play. Even Panarin’s play has suffered. He’s making the same mistakes he did under Gallant two years ago. Unlike Gallant, Laviolette hasn’t called out his biggest star. That’s what did Gallant in.

Moving Forward

At this point, it feels like the season is lost. It isn’t. Including tonight’s game, there are 53 games remaining. It’s up to the Rangers to move forward.

Right now, every player must be accountable. What can they do to start helping the team get out of this funk. Plenty. Even their leading scorer is a minus player. Panarin has 36 points. Even he would admit that he can play more consistently at both ends. During this stretch, he’s been more available following games. He’s shown the right attitude.

If they do turn it around, it starts with Zibanejad. He has six goals and 21 points. His minus-15 is the worst on the team. Lafreniere is right behind him with a minus-13. Ironically, his numbers are similar, with nine goals and 20 points. Both are in the top five in team scoring. By comparison, Cuylle who ranks third with 22 points, is tied with Kaapo Kakko for a team best plus-10. Most of that success has come while playing alongside Chytil. Since returning to the lineup on Nov. 30, he hasn’t played as well. He is a key player.

Chytil’s speed and skill make him a scoring threat. The fastest skater on the roster, he can quickly transition from defense to offense. He’s got two goals in seven games since coming back. Prior to the mysterious upper-body injury he sustained on an accidental collision with Miller on Nov. 14, Chytil was playing well. It was the consistent play of his line that were dominating shifts. Although they’ve slowed down, they’ve outscored opponents 13-2 at five-on-five. That’s by far the best goal differential on the team.

Skating without Miller for a second consecutive game, the Rangers will need better defense. While Laviolette will lean heavily on Fox and Lindgren, he’ll also play Braden Schneider often at even strength. After a good start to the season, Schneider’s play has slipped. Since being separated from Zac Jones, he hasn’t been as effective. A strong player, Schneider hasn’t used his body enough to let opponents know where he is. That’s something that must change.

Far too often, opponents find it easy to play against the Rangers. They have to change the narrative that they’re soft.

It’ll be interesting to see how they respond to another brutal loss. It’s the third set of back-to-backs. The Rangers are 1-1 in the second game. We’ll see if they’re up to the challenge.