Rangers Recap: Another home loss

Another home game, another home loss. Another unfortunate story of the 2024-2025 season for the New York Rangers. What was a great start–jumping out to a 3-0 lead 11 minutes into the game–quickly broke down and became the same sloppy defense we’ve been accustomed to these last few months. So I guess the process in Chicago was just because it was against Chicago. With a record of 8-9-2, the Rangers are certainly not home cooking at all. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. What an absolute mess this season.

Though the team was very lackluster defensively, allowing 40 shots against again, Jonathan Quick did all he could to keep them in the game. No goalie is safe with how porous the Rangers are defensively, as odd-man rushes, lack of communication, and bad positioning and reads have all led to inopportune chances against, and most times in the back of the net.

Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick are the best tandem in the league, I will swear by that, the sheer volume they face speaks to that. But they can’t do much when the Rangers are this bad. The shooters are too good and the talent is too deep.

On the bright side, the Rangers offense looks a little bit better these last few games. Mika Zibanejad is making plays, the Artemi Panarin-Vincent-Trocheck-Alexis Lafreniere line looks good, the Filip Chytil line (assuming Chytil isn’t out long term) gets chances nearly every game, and the Sam Carrick line is deep enough that they can score from time to time. They are supposed to score, and it looks like they are finally getting over the hump.

Where the Rangers need to focus their attention is simple and fundamental defending. The neutral zone play needs to be more aggressive, there’s too much stick waving, and not enough body on puck carriers to separate the puck from the opposition. Those aggressive defensive plays just aren’t there consistently this season.

This is what the Rangers are, unfortunately. The will need to outscore opponents, even with the best goalie duo in the NHL. The goalies can’t do it all, and it looks like the magic number is 5 goals to have a shot at winning. May as well focus on that.