Here are some takeaways from the Rangers' 2-1 loss to the Blackhawks.
The New York Rangers have reached a new low, losing 2-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night.
Throughout the entirety of the game, the Rangers just seemed to get worse and worse.
While New York generated a multitude of high quality scoring chances, their lackluster defensive play allowed Chcigaco to escape the first period tied 1-1.
From the start of the second period until the final buzzer sounded, the Blackhawks dominated and the Rangers lost any sort of momentum they may have had.
Chicago took a 2-1 lead early in the second period off of a Taylor Hall goal and the Rangers did not show they were hungry to climb back in this game.
New York played without a sense of urgency and were completely dysfunctional at both ends of the ice.
As time went on, the fans began to boo, something that has become a common occurrence at Madison Square Garden for the Rangers.
“It’s frustrating, I get it and deservingly so,” Peter Laviolette said about the boos from the crowd. “When your pace should be at a higher level, when your execution should be at a higher level I get it, it’s frustrating.”
There was just an overall lack of effort displayed by the Rangers and at this point, the Rangers are running out of excuses.
“It’s hard to answer 100 percent what is happening,” Artemi Panarin said. “I don’t know what to say.”
The Rangers traded their captain, Jacob Trouba, on Friday and now the team has a big void to fill in terms of leadership in the locker room.
That gaping hole Trouba’s departure left is yet to be filled.
“No, not yet,” Laviolette said on whether certain players have grabbed control of the locker room. ”I believe that there’s been some positive signs inside the room, not tonight. Tonight, for me, I thought the intention in the first was good, the execution was off and both slipped in the second and third.”
Chicago currently slots at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, so losing to that team in your house is unacceptable for the Rangers as they need to find a way to get back on track quickly.
“The only answers are going to come from that room,” Laviolette said. “We've got to be better than we were tonight."
The Rangers will be back in action on Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres.