The New York Rangers are in a tailspin, and frustration is starting to boil over inside the locker room. After dropping their third straight game-and their ninth in the last ten-the tension is no longer just visible on the ice.
It’s being voiced loud and clear by the team’s captain, J.T. Miller.
Following a 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Friday night, Miller didn’t hold back. And honestly, who could blame him?
“We're not getting the results,” Miller said postgame. “I'm not at all happy with where we're at.
This f-ing sucks. Sorry about my language, but this really sucks.
Losing every night, it's really hard to stay positive. I mean, it's really hard.
This is nobody's standard or what we're willing to accept within each other, is losing every game it feels like right now. I think it’s just constant mistakes and shooting ourselves (in the) the foot.
Everybody’s really trying hard. That’s what really sucks.”
That raw emotion? That’s not just about one bad night in San Jose. That’s the weight of a season going sideways, fast.
When the Rangers brought Miller back into the fold last season via trade from Vancouver, the move was seen as a statement. This was a team looking to make the leap from fringe playoff hopeful to legitimate contender, and Miller-with his grit, leadership, and two-way game-was supposed to be a key part of that equation.
But instead of leading a playoff push, Miller now finds himself at the helm of a group stuck in a painful retool. And as captain, the burden is squarely on his shoulders to keep this team from unraveling completely.
The frustration is amplified by the timing. Just over a year ago, Miller waived his no-move clause to join a Rangers team he believed was ready to win.
A year later, the organization-through a letter from president and general manager Chris Drury-has made it clear that the current direction is focused on reshaping the roster. That’s not what Miller signed up for.
“The emotions have been going on for longer than the last two days,” Miller said after Drury’s letter was released. “It's unfortunately part of the game.
It's disappointing, for sure. I don't think four or five months ago this is where we thought we'd be, but we’ve got a job to do, and we need to start moving forward towards the next chapter.”
That’s a captain trying to walk the line between honesty and leadership. He’s not sugarcoating the situation-this stretch is brutal-but he’s also not throwing in the towel. Miller knows the standard in New York is higher than this, and he’s holding himself and his teammates accountable.
The Rangers’ issues aren’t about effort. As Miller said, the guys are working.
But the execution? That’s where things are falling apart.
Costly mistakes, missed assignments, and untimely turnovers have plagued the team, and in a league this competitive, that’s all it takes to turn a rough patch into a full-blown skid.
The question now is how the Rangers respond. Because while the playoffs may be slipping further out of reach, there’s still value in how a team handles adversity.
And if Miller’s voice is any indication, this team isn’t ready to quit. Not yet.
But the clock is ticking.