The New York Rangers haven’t had a three-game winning streak in the NHL since late-November. As they looked on track to secure three straight wins, the Broadway Blueshirts let their lead over the Montreal Canadiens slip away, and ultimately fell in overtime. After the game, star Adam Fox dropped a powerful message to the locker room, including head coach Peter Laviolette.
The Rangers cannot assert themseves back in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs mix. Though they are definitely trending in the right direction lately, they still seem to be lacking the final piece to their puzzle.
Perhaps that may be acquired through a trade, or perhaps the solution is inside the building, but something is missing for Laviolette‘s team to officially utter the phrase: “We are back”.
Following a very disappointing 5-4 overtime loss against the Montreal Canadiens, in a game where the Rangers squandered four different leads, Fox sent a very sincere admission to his teammates and coach Laviolette.
New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) on the ice during warmups before a game against the Anaheim Ducks played on December 14, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
“We’re playing a lot better hockey and points are good, I think it’s more frustrating when you have the ability to get the two and kind of let that slip away,” Adam Fox stated, via The New York Post. “That’s where the frustration is. It’s always good to get points, I think that’s important, but down the road those extra points are going to be big.”
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All the help they can get
The Rangers are four points behind the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. Although the team has found a new rhythm in the second half of the season, boasting a 6-1-3 record over their last ten games, New York remains a step behind in the postseason race, and the points they’ve lost are proving costly.
“It’s tough to leave the points on the table when we’re looking for points, but I thought the guys gave everything especially under the circumstances,” Peter Laviolette said postgame, via The New York Post. “We could’ve put the game away then, as well. It didn’t bounce our way. Two point-blank chances in overtime, that didn’t go our way, either.”
Blockbuster trade froze
Over the weekend, the NHL universe halted as a blockbuster trade between the Rangers and Vancouver Canucks could’ve gone through, ending the season-long drama in the Canucks’ locker room. However, the trade fell through, and J.T. Miller stayed in British Columbia, at least for the moment.
Head coach Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers speaks with the media prior to the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden on November 30, 2024 in New York City.
According to reports and sources close to The Athletic, the Rangers were set to send center Filip Chytil, defenseman Ryan Lindgren, and some future assets—including a first-round pick—in exchange for Miller.
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Moreover, Vancouver had planned to sit Miller during their matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, but as trade talks stalled, Miller played. Whether the Rangers will continue their pursuit of the former forward remains to be seen, but it’s clear that GM Chris Drury is not shying away from making a splash in the market.
