The New York Rangers have struggled to find their footing on the ice, succumbing to a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks in a game that showcased the team's vulnerabilities.
Despite the announcement from management earlier this week regarding a retooling of the roster under Chris Drury's leadership, the Blueshirts' energy and execution were lacking. Coach Mike Sullivan noted that the team has been hampered by outside noise since last season, which added to their woes.
The Rangers came out strong, capitalizing on some extended zone time early in the game to take an early lead through Matthew Robertson's first goal of the season. However, they struggled to maintain momentum, and the Ducks' pressure ultimately wore them down.
A series of poor puck management decisions allowed the Ducks to score several goals, including two power-play tallies that put the Rangers in a 3-2 hole. The visitors' inability to secure the equalizer proved costly, as Anaheim sealed the win with a late insurance goal.
Sullivan attributed the team's woes to a lack of puck management, stating that poor decision-making led to opportunities for the Ducks to create offense. "One of the simplest ways to beat yourself is not managing the puck appropriately," he said. "If you do, you give teams opportunities to create easy offense."
The coach acknowledged that his team has been carrying themselves with a professional approach, but notes that time will tell if clarity on management's direction brings about a renewed sense of purpose. For now, the Rangers remain winless in their last nine games, and they'll need to regroup ahead of the Olympic break.
Despite the announcement from management earlier this week regarding a retooling of the roster under Chris Drury's leadership, the Blueshirts' energy and execution were lacking. Coach Mike Sullivan noted that the team has been hampered by outside noise since last season, which added to their woes.
The Rangers came out strong, capitalizing on some extended zone time early in the game to take an early lead through Matthew Robertson's first goal of the season. However, they struggled to maintain momentum, and the Ducks' pressure ultimately wore them down.
A series of poor puck management decisions allowed the Ducks to score several goals, including two power-play tallies that put the Rangers in a 3-2 hole. The visitors' inability to secure the equalizer proved costly, as Anaheim sealed the win with a late insurance goal.
Sullivan attributed the team's woes to a lack of puck management, stating that poor decision-making led to opportunities for the Ducks to create offense. "One of the simplest ways to beat yourself is not managing the puck appropriately," he said. "If you do, you give teams opportunities to create easy offense."
The coach acknowledged that his team has been carrying themselves with a professional approach, but notes that time will tell if clarity on management's direction brings about a renewed sense of purpose. For now, the Rangers remain winless in their last nine games, and they'll need to regroup ahead of the Olympic break.
. I get that new management is trying to shake things up, but it's like they're still finding their rhythm on the ice 
. They were doing alright at first, but then started making some mistakes and the other team took advantage of them 
. The coach said it's just puck management, but it sounds like a bit more than that 
. I hope they can figure it out soon, 'cause nine games without a win is a bit rough 
. Maybe when everyone gets back from the break, things will be better?
. They start strong, but then can't keep it up. And yeah, I agree with Coach Sullivan, poor puck management decisions are killing them 
. Like, if they just kept the puck in their zone, none of those easy goals for the Ducks would've happened 
. It's not like they're getting destroyed or anything, but they need to tighten it up ASAP 
. The Olympic break can't come soon enough for this team... I think we'll see a few changes on the roster after that retooling announcement 
i feel like theyre getting a bad rap here everyone's expecting miracles from drury and the team but theyre still humans making mistakes on the ice 
gotta respect that they're trying to retool the roster under new leadership though 
coach sullivan's right about puck management though poor decision making does kill u in hockey 
hopefully the blueshirts can regroup and get back on track after the olympic break 
another day, more struggles for the Blueshirts 
rangers are like that one friend who always shows up late to hangouts but never leaves 
coach sullivan's words on puck management ring true tho, but it's not just about individual mistakes, teams get caught up in a cycle of poor decision-making 
and yeah, outside noise from last season still affects them 
meanwhile, the ducks just chillin' out scoring goals like they're 16 
rangers need some serious regrouping time before olympic break 
. It's like they're trying to gift-wrap their opponents' goals for them. And Sullivan says it's all about poor decision-making? Yeah, sure, but I'm calling foul here... or should I say, conspiracy 
?