NEW YORK — The New York Rangers had the NHL’s best record last year. Now, 27 games into this season, they are mired in the middle of the pack with eight losses in their last 10 games.
Three days after trading captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim, the Rangers lost for the second straight day — 2-1 at home to the league-worst Chicago Blackhawks. This time, the underperforming squad heard boos multiple times from the crowd at Madison Square Garden where New York has lost eight of 15 games this season.
“We’re not feeling great about that – for sure,’’ said Artemi Panarin, New York’s leading scorer who was held without a point by his former team. “We’ve got to play better so we don’t hear that anymore.”
The Blackhawks — who hadn’t won a game away from home in more than five weeks — played a solid road game featuring crisp execution, stout defense and minimal mistakes. The Rangers took 30 shots and managed just a short-handed goal by Will Cuylle against backup goalie Arvid Soderblom, who came in 1-6-1.
It was the second-straight game New York was beaten by a second-string goaltender following a 7-5 loss to Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer in a game in which they squandered a 3-1 lead.
“The execution was off all night. Could be fatigue. Could be mental. Could be anything,’’ Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said after the Blackhawks skated off with just their ninth victory in 28 games. “Regardless, it’s unacceptable. We’ve got to be better than that. You’re not going to win hockey games if you can’t execute.”
The Rangers started 12-4-1 but are 2-8-0 since winning 4-3 at Vancouver on Nov. 19. Trouba and his $8 million annual salary were sent away, creating cap space but leaving them without a true physical force on defense.
New York’s star goaltender Igor Shesterkin — whose eight-year, $92 million contract extension was announced — is 9-10-1 with six losses in his last seven decisions.
Laviolette emphasized that his team’s leadership group — now minus Trouba — will have to step up for the Rangers to rise in the standings.
“The only answers are going to come from that room,’' Laviolette said. ”We’ve got to be better than we were tonight.”
For 33-year-old forward Chris Kreider, the most senior Ranger, a potential answer exists in the bringing the right mindset and producing sustained effort. New York visits Buffalo before returning home to face the Los Angeles Kings.
“We have get back to work and show we can play the right way,’' he said. “And we have to do that for 60 minutes.”
