WASHINGTON — The New York Rangers find themselves on a challenging path, and center Mika Zibanejad considers the question of how to maintain a positive outlook amid a string of losses to be a pivotal issue.
“What’s our choice?” Zibanejad questioned following the Rangers’ 7-4 defeat to the Washington Capitals on Saturday. “Are we really going to say, ‘This season is over?’ No, that’s not an option for us.”
The Rangers’ predicament has persisted for more than a month now, raising more questions than solutions. With 16 losses out of their last 21 games, the team has plummeted from a strong playoff position in mid-November to a tie for the bottom of the Metropolitan Division with the Islanders.
Filip Chytil, who joined Zibanejad on the scoresheet during the game against the Capitals, acknowledged the need to keep pushing forward. “You can’t let yourself get down just because you’ve lost,” Chytil mentioned. “Eventually, things will change for the better. Last season, we won the Presidents’ Trophy, and we are capable of playing good hockey. We just need to find a way to turn it around, even if we’re unsure when that will happen.”
The clock is ticking for the Rangers.
In an effort to revive the team’s fortunes, General Manager Chris Drury has already made a couple of significant roster adjustments. He traded away captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks on December 6 after the defenseman accepted the trade due to the looming possibility of being placed on waivers. Additionally, Drury shipped winger Kaapo Kakko to Seattle on December 18, bringing an end to the 2019 second overall pick’s rocky tenure with the franchise.
Although head coach Peter Laviolette might not be solely responsible for the struggles of his star players like Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, and Adam Fox, his position could be at risk, especially since coaching changes are often a last resort in these situations. Laviolette expressed his frustration after the game, indicating that the team started well but faltered defensively as the match progressed.
“It’s a mix of several factors,” Laviolette explained. “It’s not exclusively about our power play; we gave up four goals even at even strength. We scored four but allowed four, and that’s simply too many.”
The Rangers’ current downturn is surprising considering they not only clinched the Presidents’ Trophy as the top team in the NHL last season but also reached the Eastern Conference Finals with almost the same lineup. Since their three-game winning streak from November 14 to 19, the team has not managed to win consecutive games, taking them from playoff hopefuls to a desperate effort to salvage the season.
“The mindset is crucial,” Fox stated regarding the importance of maintaining confidence. “Post-Christmas, we have been playing better hockey. The points may not reflect it, but we still have to tighten up on defense and eliminate those breakdowns that our opponents are capitalizing on.”
Team morale still appears to hold strong as players express their belief in one another’s ability to reverse this streak of poor performance.
“We must keep working hard, from the top of the organization down,” Zibanejad emphasized. “That’s the only way forward for us. It might be a tough road ahead and won’t change overnight, but if it were easy, everyone would succeed. We face a challenge, and we have to embrace it while keeping up the hard work. We don’t have any other options.”
