The New York Rangers started their three-game road trip on a sour note, losing 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
By the second period, the Rangers found themselves down 2-0 and were more or less chasing the game throughout most of the contest.
In an attempt to spark offense and mount a comeback, Sullivan elevated Jonny Brodzinski, who scored a goal in the second period, on a line alongside J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad.
Meanwhile, Cuylle was brought back down to the third line with Noah Laba and Conor Sheary. Sullivan also slotted Vincent Trocheck onto the team’s first power play unit in place of Cuylle.
“I made a switch to Mika's line just because I didn't think they were getting much, so I was trying to effect a little bit of change,” Sullivan said. “The power play, we've talked about a particular look depending on what kills look. When Bread goes to his strong side on his forehand, Mika's on that backside with his one-timer... It was more about the setup than it was – put it this way, it wasn't performance-based.”
The Rangers’ lack of offensive production was not their biggest concern.
It was special teams play that truly led to the Rangers’ downfall. The Golden Knights scored two power-play goals, as the Blueshirts couldn’t seem to contain their potent man advantage.
The penalty kill has been a weakness for the Rangers all season long, and specifically recently. They’ve allowed nine power-play goals over the past 10 games.
“They got some of their best chances on their power play… I think we got to pressure more,” Sullivan said of what the Rangers need to do to solve their penalty-kill woes. “I just feel like there's a lot of hesitation in their game right now. We've got to get back on our toes and putting pressure on people. I thought we had opportunities to pressure tonight, we didn't. And so that was part of it for sure.”
The Blueshirts also just need to get more production out of their top-six forward unit, and it all starts with the captain.
Everybody knows what Miller brings to the table in terms of the intensity he displays on a night-to-night basis.
However, his offensive production has been underwhelming through the first 21 games of the 2025-26 season, recording just four goals, six assists, and ten points.
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Miller is his own harshest critic, and he voiced his disappointment in himself after New York’s loss in Las Vegas.
“At some point you look in the mirror,” Miller said. “Speaking on behalf of myself, I certainly expect a hell of a lot more production than what I have. I've never really gauged my game on points, and I said that a lot. Typically, when I bring my game, the points come. That being said, this year, it seems like nothing's really going in the net. We've got a big enough sample size that 25% of the season is gone, and we're in a lot of 1-goal games.
“If I can raise my personal standard and lead the team a little bit better production-wise, I think our outcome in these games are going to change. So it's making me frustrated. It's hard to control that…Trust me, it's on my mind, but same time, come a long way, in a sense, of not getting wrapped up in that s–t.”
The Rangers will have an opportunity to steer their way back in the right direction on Thursday night against the Colorado Avalanche.