Without Mike Sullivan behind the bench, the New York Rangers lost once again on home ice. This time, the Detroit Red Wings walked into Madison Square Garden and escaped with all two points in the NHL season. After the game, captain J.T. Miller dropped a strong wake-up call.
It’s been a common theme all season long for the Rangers in the NHL. Good times don’t last long for Miller and the Broadway Blueshirts, and the fanbase in New York City can’t take any more letdowns. Following the 2-1 defeat against Original Six rivals, the Red Wings, the captain didn’t mince words on his postgame admission.
“Today wasn’t good enough,” J.T. Miller bluntly admitted after the loss, via NHL.com. “They outplayed us. If wasn’t for [Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick] that game could have been wide open.”
Rangers struggle at MSG again
For the seventh time in nine home outings, the Rangers scored one goal or fewer. Their shortcomings in Manhattan are becoming impossible to ignore. With each new disappointing night in NYC, the pattern looks less like a slump and more like a harsh reality. Something is wrong with the Rangers, who have now been outscored 27–13 by visiting teams at Madison Square Garden, carrying the weight of a 1–7–1 home record.
Mike Sullivan at the White House after the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2016 Stanley Cup
Contrary to almost every other team, the Blueshirts would be much better off spending their season on the road, where they are 9-1-1. Without Sullivan, who took a personal leave, the Rangers performed just like they have accustomed fans to do on home ice, and the Red Wings took advantage to improve to 11-7-1 in the 2025-26 NHL season.
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Home bitter home
Fortunately for Miller and the Rangers, their schedule now gives them a chance to escape The Big Apple. Beginning a three-game road trip out West—with visits to three contenders in the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Utah Mammoth—New York has an opportunity to reset and get back in the win column before returning to the city that never sleeps, where nightmarish outings continue to haunt them in the world’s most famous arena.
