PHILADELPHIA — In a matter of weeks, the Rangers have turn out to be the Giants and Jets.
The season has devolved into dysfunction marked by a fifth straight regulation defeat that matches the membership’s longest stretch of futility for the reason that tumultuous ultimate week of the 2020-21 season — throughout which president John Davidson and normal supervisor Jeff Gorton had been fired days forward of the dismissal of head coach David Quinn.
Now GM Chris Drury and head coach Peter Laviolette have the duty of fixing what has turn out to be a damaged unit. It remains to be November, the Rangers nonetheless have a successful document of 12-9-1, however there isn’t a time to waste for both of those gents, and there’s no time to waste for a solid of characters within the room who seem to have misplaced their will.
The empty-net-abetted 3-1 ultimate right here in taking place to the Flyers on Friday afternoon flatters the squad. The Rangers had been run out of the rink by a pedestrian opponent within the first interval. They didn’t get their first shot till the 11:11 mark, by which era they had been down 2-0 on the 4:14 mark on a pair of objectives 1:10 aside.
They had been in the end outshot 15-3, with the scoring possibilities and high-danger possibilities coming in at 13-4 and 10-2 in opposition to, respectively. This was primarily a repeat of first durations final week in Calgary and Edmonton, the place the Rangers appeared unprepared.
The league-wide memo distributed by Drury, promoting that Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba had been among the many many obtainable, appears to have blown up within the GM’s face.
Why he would have despatched that missive as an alternative of peeling the paint off the wall in no unsure phrases in a face-to-face assembly with the workforce within the room both on an off day or after a sport is past me.
The Rangers have a lame-duck captain who appears to have checked out. Perhaps that’s solely pure. Trouba is aware of the Rangers had each intention of buying and selling him within the offseason, earlier than he used no matter leverage he might to dam a deal. He is aware of he’s on the block now.
I used to be mistaken about Trouba. I had thought his bond together with his teammates would exceed his distaste for the hierarchy. But, and certain subconsciously, Trouba has turn out to be a pedestrian, which is one thing nobody would ever have stated earlier than.
He carried out an olé whereas ushering Travis Konecny to the web for the 2-0 aim that will have made Roger Dorn from “Major League” blush. Over the previous 16 video games, by which the Blueshirts have gone 7-9, Trouba has been on for 9 objectives scored and 19 in opposition to with a 43.71 anticipated aim share. He has disappeared as a bodily drive.
This has turn out to be unhealthy.
This has turn out to be an untenable scenario.
Of course, this isn’t on Trouba alone. Laviolette — who stated the workforce was “outworked” — and his workers absolutely share the blame for the Rangers’ lack of urgency out of the gate. They absolutely share the blame for incoherence within the defensive zone.
Again and once more Friday, the Rangers didn’t look prepared. They appeared like they didn’t fairly care.
Perception will not be actuality, however it’s damning.
“Yes, it appears like we’re not prepared, however within the locker room, we tried to deliver vitality,” Artemi Panarin, who has scored in solely one of many previous 9 matches, instructed The Post. “It was not a foul sport in Carolina [4-3 on Wednesday], so it was not dangerous [in the room] earlier than this sport.
“But similar end result.”
Igor Shesterkin was good, making a succession of Grade A saves that prevented his workforce from being buried alive over the primary 12 minutes. There was one turnover after one other, one misplaced battle after one other, one psychological mistake after one other, one odd-man rush after one other.
If this had been the primary time, if this had been the second time, perhaps even when this had been the third time, it may very well be excused. There was no excuse. There has been no excuse. There is not any excuse.
Adam Fox, who once more Friday proved he’s in as deep a funk as anybody with a collection of errors, talked a couple of team-wide insecurity. That might be a part of it.
“Just not popping out with urgency,” No. 23 instructed The Post. “I don’t know if I might pinpoint one factor. It’s not one man, both. All of us appear not able to go within the first. We’ve been saying how laborious it’s to return again if you happen to go down a aim or two, you’re defending lots, pictures are 15-3, and it’s not adequate. We’ve been saying that for some time. Definitely one thing has to alter with our begins.”
Definitely one thing has to alter over 60 minutes. The Rangers steadied after the primary interval, Laviolette juggled his high six, later his backside six, and altered a few protection pairings, and the workforce got here shut however by no means had the all-out puck-possession push which may have tilted the sport their means.
Negativity appears to have swamped this workforce that has been off-kilter for the reason that begin of the season. Something has to present, and somebody must go.
I’m not speaking about Aaron Rodgers.
