NHL News: Vincent Trocheck urges Rangers teammates to step up after blowout loss vs Devils

The New York Rangers are stuck in a downward spiral. The Blueshirts have lost six of their last seven outings and now sit closer to the bottom than the top of the Metropolitan Division standings. After the disheartening 5-1 defeat to the New Jersey Devils, Vincent Trocheck sent a powerful message to the rest of the team.

New York was embarrassed at home by none other than historic rivals, the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers came into the 2024-25 NHL season with sky-high expectations, but those now seem to be fading further into the rearview mirror.

It’s clear the Blueshirts are going through a rough patch. These aren’t their true colors, however, they need to regroup and find their mojo again. It won’t happen magically overnight, though.

Vincent Trocheck believes the team must go the extra mile and put in a bigger effort. On that note, he issued a very strong wake-up call to his teammates in The Big Apple.

Vincent Trocheck #16 of the New York Rangers looks on during the first period against the Florida Panthers in Game One of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 22, 2024 in New York City.

“Everyone in here has to play a little bit out of their comfort zone,” Trocheck stated, via NHL.com. “Obviously, what we’re doing right now isn’t working so it’s going to take something different.

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“Guys that are usually playmakers and scoring goals have got to chip it in and grind it out. Guys that aren’t usually hitting have to start hitting. We’ve got to play out of our comfort zone. We’ve got to dig our way out of this.”

Over the last 10 games, the New York Rangers hold a 4-6-0 record, one of the league’s worst during this stretch. The best producer over the last 10 outings is third-liner Will Cuylle who amasses four goals and five assists.

Laviolette’s statement on recent performances

It’s clear as day that something’s off within the Rangers. Whether the answer lies inside the locker room, outside it, or in the higher offices, remains unclear. Head coach Peter Laviolette knows his seat is heating up with every frustrating loss to direct opponents.

However, he remains confident in his players and is aware they can turn the season around. He made his thoughts clear after the loss to New Jersey at Madison Square Garden.

“We gotta win hockey games. We’re a good hockey team,” Laviolette said, via NYRangersInsider. “Right now, we’re not playing very good hockey. We need to be better and those are things that are in our control. Those answers are in the room. Those are the answers that we need to figure out as a group”

The Rangers will have some extra days to prepare for their matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 6.