Struggling Rangers still searching for answers after rout by Devils
Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin stands in front of the net after New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored his second goal in the second period of an NHL game at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
GREENBURGH – At this point, no one in a Blueshirt seems to have the answers on how to fix the Rangers. If they did, they would share it, implement it, execute it and get themselves out of this deep funk.
As he sat at his locker stall after Tuesday’s practice, Adam Fox was searching as much as anyone for reasons why the Rangers have had so many atrocious starts to games: Why do they keep giving up all these odd-man rushes? Why have they lost six of their last seven games?
“Probably attention to detail,’’ Fox said when asked about the Rangers' poor starts. “I don't know if there's one specific thing. They come in different ways. It's hard to pinpoint. I don't think we're coming out and not trying to be ready to go, but just being extra – not even cautious, just extra, honestly, just maybe aggressive – and on our toes a little more at the start of games.’’
The Rangers have given up four goals in the first minute of games this season. The one they surrendered to Jesper Bratt in Monday’s 5-1 loss was scored 1:27 into the first period on a two-on-one.
“I hate the goals going in early,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said. “They're not always a common theme. They're different themes. It could be a slow start. It could be a mistake like we made (Monday) night. There are different things that can come up.’’
Fox said there is a balance that the players have to navigate between being too careful and not being aggressive enough. And, he said, they are spending too much time thinking about whether to dive in or back up and play it safe.
“When you're … taking that extra second to think, as opposed to just doing, I think that causes more problems than it helps,’’ he said. “In kind of that quick read and react sport, yeah, I think thinking too much definitely could play a factor.’’
With the Rangers’ next game not until Friday, Fox said it is nice to get a couple of days to practice Tuesday and Wednesday “to reset, work on a few things and come back and be ready to go.’’
Meanwhile, on a personal level, the Jericho native, who had a career-high 17 goals last season, has yet to score this season. He does have 20 assists in 24 games, which is fourth-most in the league among defensemen, and has him tied for second in points on the Rangers with Will Cuylle. The 24 games without a goal matches the longest drought of Fox’s career, but he says while he is a little bothered by it, he can’t be overly concerned.
“Obviously, I want to score and want to produce, but at the same time, I have to still play the same game, and goal scoring is not my number one objective,’’ said Fox, who went 24 games without a goal in 2022-23 when he finished with 12 (and 60 assists). “All of us on ‘D’ want to produce and want to create offense. But with that being said, you don't want to go out of your way. If I had seven goals right now, I'm still going to play the same way as (I do with) no goals. I think, just keep doing the same things. They'll come.’’
Blue notes
D Chad Ruhwedel was assigned to AHL Hartford … Rookie winger Brett Berard, who missed Monday’s game with an upper-body injury, practiced while wearing a non-contact jersey.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
