The New York Rangers suffered a tough 2-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, marking their third home loss in December. The defeat dropped the Rangers to a 14-11-1 overall record, with a 7-6-1 mark at home. Despite their struggles, the Rangers remain in a good spot inside the conference.
The game started with promise as Will Cuylle scored a late first-period goal on a snap shot assisted by Sam Carrick to tie the game at 1-1. However, the Blackhawks found the net in the second period and held the lead for the remainder of the game. The Rangers struggled to generate offense, failing to score in the final two periods and leaving fans at MSG frustrated.
Head coach Peter Laviolette addressed the crowd’s boos after the loss, acknowledging the disappointment. “It’s frustrating, so I get it. And deservedly so,” Laviolette said. “When your pace should be at a high level and your execution should be at a high level, I get it. It’s frustration.”
Laviolette was critical of his team’s performance, noting that while the first period showed some promise, the execution fell apart as the game progressed. “The second and third periods, the effort dipped, and the execution got worse,” he said. “We’re not going to win hockey games if we can’t execute. Tonight, we couldn’t even make 5-foot passes.”
Laviolette Calls for Accountability
The coach mentioned that improvements need to come from within the team. “The only answers are going to come from that room,” Laviolette said. He pointed to the lack of leadership and urgency, particularly in the final period, as areas that need immediate attention. “We’ve got to be better than we were tonight,” he added.
Laviolette also suggested that mental fatigue could be a factor but made it clear there are no excuses for their lackluster performance. “It could be mental, could be fatigue, but regardless, it’s unacceptable,” he said.
Kreider on the Team’s Sloppy Play
Rangers captain Chris Kreider echoed Laviolette’s frustrations, calling the game “sloppy” and pointing to a lack of execution as a major issue. “We didn’t play fast from the start. We weren’t executing, and that leads to turnovers,” Kreider said. He also noted the team’s failure to generate quality chances, especially in the third period.
The Rangers will look to bounce back on December 11 when they face the Buffalo Sabres on the road. They’ll need to address their issues quickly, as the Sabres handed them a lopsided 6-1 loss at MSG in November.
