After a rough ride through California, the New York Rangers return home battered, bruised, and searching for answers. They dropped all three games on their West Coast swing, and now they're staring down a four-game week that includes matchups with two of their fiercest rivals. The question hanging over everything: Will general manager Chris Drury finally start pulling the trigger on the roster shakeup he promised in his Jan. 16 letter to fans?
At 21-25-6, the Rangers sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The playoffs are slipping further into the rearview mirror, and the team’s recent form hasn’t offered much hope.
They’ve gone 1-8-1 in their last 10 games, with the lone win coming in the Winter Classic against the Florida Panthers on Jan. 2.
Since then, it's been mostly downhill.
The biggest issue? Slow starts.
The Rangers have allowed 14 goals in the opening five minutes of games this season - seven of those in January alone. That trend continued on the California trip, where they gave up a goal just 18 seconds into their loss to the Kings and then surrendered two more in the opening 3:08 against the Sharks.
When you're constantly playing from behind, it's tough to find any rhythm - and right now, the Rangers are stuck in a loop they can’t seem to break.
As the team prepares for a pivotal stretch of four games in six days, they’re also watching the injury list. There’s cautious optimism that both Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox could return before the Olympic break, but nothing’s certain.
In the meantime, Drury’s silence looms large. He told fans change was coming - now everyone’s waiting to see when and how that begins.
Bruins at Rangers - Jan. 26, 7 p.m. ET (MSG/NHL Network)
Circle this one. The last time the Rangers saw the Bruins, it was a nationally televised disaster - a 10-2 blowout that sent shockwaves through the organization. Less than a week later, Drury issued his open letter, signaling that the current course wasn’t cutting it.
Since that beatdown, the Rangers have gone 1-5-0. The Bruins, meanwhile, have surged, going 6-1-0 in their last seven. They’ve picked up tight 4-3 wins over both the Golden Knights and Canadiens, and they currently hold the second wild card spot in the East.
Despite the recent blowout, the Rangers have had some success against Boston in recent years. They’re 6-2-0 in their last eight matchups, including three straight wins at Madison Square Garden.
Artemi Panarin has historically been productive against the Bruins, averaging a point per game (10 goals, 19 assists in 29 games). On the other side, David Pastrnak torched the Rangers for six assists in that 10-2 rout and has 46 points in 38 career games against them.
Rangers vs. Islanders - Jan. 28-29 (UBS Arena & MSG)
It’s been more than 15 years since the Rangers and Islanders played a home-and-home on back-to-back nights. That changes this week, with the Blueshirts heading to UBS Arena on Wednesday before hosting the Isles at MSG on Thursday. It’s also the final two games of the season series - and the Rangers are still looking for their first goal against their crosstown rivals.
The Islanders have blanked the Rangers twice this season: 5-0 at the Garden in November and 2-0 at UBS in late December. Goaltenders Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich each recorded a shutout in those games, and they’re expected to split the starts again.
The Isles currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division, but they’ve been inconsistent lately, going 3-4-1 in their last eight. Their most recent outing - a 5-0 home loss to Buffalo - saw head coach Patrick Roy bench his top line (Anders Lee, Mat Barzal, Anthony Duclair) for the entire third period. They’re hoping Bo Horvat’s return can help reignite their offense.
Mathew Barzal has a history of showing up in these rivalry games, with 36 points in 33 contests against the Rangers. Rittich is a perfect 4-0-0 against the Blueshirts, giving up just three goals in those four games. Panarin, meanwhile, has 47 points in 40 career games against the Islanders - but if the Rangers can’t solve the Isles’ goaltending, those numbers won’t matter much this week.
Rangers at Penguins - Jan. 31, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
The Rangers and Penguins split their early-season matchups - a 3-0 Pittsburgh win on opening night, followed by a 6-1 Rangers response a few days later. That win in Pittsburgh felt like a statement at the time. Now, it feels like a distant memory.
Since then, the Penguins have quietly become one of the league’s biggest surprises. At 26-14-11, they’re sitting comfortably in second place in the Metro, and they’re coming off a perfect four-game road trip through Western Canada and Seattle.
Sidney Crosby continues to be the heartbeat of the team at age 38. He leads the Penguins with 57 points (27 goals, 30 assists) in 51 games and has made a career out of torching the Rangers - 109 points in 90 games. While he hasn’t found the scoresheet in two games against them this season, history suggests he’s always a threat.
Panarin has also done damage in this matchup, with 46 points in 36 games against Pittsburgh. But the Rangers need more than just Panarin to show up. If they want to salvage something from this week - and this season - they’ll need a full team effort, starting from the opening face-off.
Who’s Hot?
J.T. Miller was on a tear with four straight two-point games before going quiet in San Jose. He’s been one of the few bright spots lately, and the Rangers will need him to stay hot if they’re going to turn things around.
Who’s Not?
Alexis Lafrenière had a rough trip out west. No points in three games, and his ice time dipped below 15 minutes in two of them. To make matters worse, Macklin Celebrini - the No. 1 pick from the 2024 Draft - scored twice against the Rangers in San Jose, drawing an unflattering contrast to Lafrenière, who was taken first overall in 2020.
The Bottom Line
This week could be a turning point - for better or worse. The Rangers are reeling, the fanbase is restless, and the trade deadline looms on the horizon.
Drury’s promised changes haven’t materialized yet, but the clock is ticking. With four games in six days, including three against teams they have history with, the Rangers are running out of time to show they’re worth salvaging.
If ever there was a time to respond, it’s now.