There’s no way out for the New York Rangers—they’re shoulders-deep in a hole with no exit in sight. No matter how the lineup looks, the adjustments to the special teams, or any change coach Peter Laviolette makes, the end result remains the same. Chris Kreider was a healthy scratch for the Tri-State Challenge against the New Jersey Devils, yet the Rangers left The Rock with an even worse image than when they arrived—and that’s saying a lot.
The Rangers are extremely grateful for the upcoming NHL‘s three-day break over Christmas. Not because they earned it, but because they desperately need it. New York was expected to be a contender for a Presidents’ Trophy repeat, yet they are at risk of finishing the day dead-last in the Metro Division.
The tables have turned dramatically in the Big Apple. What used to work no longer does, and Laviolette’s attempts to fix the broken pieces are only creating bigger fissures. Against the Devils, Chris Kreider served as a healthy scratch in hopes of changing the tune in the locker room and show no big name is exempt from being sidelined.
Regardless, the move backfired. The Rangers shot themselves on the foot once again. The Devils ragdolled their neighbors, handing them a humiliating 5-0 defeat and pushing them even further into their hole. Fans in NYC hope this was the team’s rock bottom—at The Rock, ironically—but this season has shown they can always sink to new lows. After the game, Laviolette addressed the decision to sideline Kreider, sending a straightforward statement to the team.
“If I have messages for the rest of the room, I’ll tell them myself,” Laviolette discarded his decision being a means of sending his players a message, via Vince Z. Mercogliano. “At the end of the day, we’re not playing a brand that we need to play in order to be successful. [Chris Kreider’s] a guy that we count on to help deliver that. For me, those conversations aren’t easy, but that’s the decision that I made today.”
Players voice frustration on yet another pathetic loss
Morale is at an all-time low in Manhattan. The last outing against New Jersey was embarrassing in every sense of the word. The Rangers were shutout for the second time in four games, and handed their 13th loss in the last 17 outings.
The locker room at Madison Square Garden has been through a lot this season, yet to no avail. Former captain Jacob Trouba was shipped away as if he was a Regular Joe, Kaapo Kakko was traded shortly after speaking up, and the players have been put on sale by GM Chris Drury who stated “the Rangers are open for business.” If the puck had bounced the Rangers’ way, all these issues might have been overlooked. But it didn’t, and they are taking their toll on the players.
“We’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror here and come back really hungry, because this is just not winning hockey we’re playing right now,” Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren stated. “It’s miserable for us. It’s miserable for the fans. It’s time to figure it out.”
“Every game it feels like it has to happen that night,” Vincent Trocheck commented. “Just seems like we get down early or we get down at any point in the game and we just fold. That can’t happen.”
“Enjoy” might not be the most fitting word, but at least the Rangers won’t endure the holiday break as miserably as they did in their last few games. They will get back on the ice on December 28 when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on the road. Fans in the Big Apple hope a trip to sunny Florida is just what the team needs to snap their slump.