Rangers Hit the Break in a Tailspin After Shutout Loss to Hurricanes
If Thursday night’s 2-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes felt like rock bottom for the New York Rangers, that’s because it probably was. With Artemi Panarin now in Los Angeles and the NHL hitting pause for the Olympic break, the Rangers limped into the hiatus looking like a team searching for answers - and, frankly, effort.
Let’s call it what it is: this was a flat-out drubbing. Carolina didn’t just win - they dominated.
The Canes outshot the Rangers 43-16, out-attempted them 86-37, and controlled the pace from the opening puck drop to the final horn. The score might’ve been close, but that was thanks to one man: Jonathan Quick.
The veteran netminder turned aside 41 shots and was the only reason this wasn’t a five- or six-goal blowout.
“He did his very best to drag us into the fight,” head coach Mike Sullivan said postgame. “We needed more guys to do that for us.”
That’s a polite way of saying what was plain to anyone watching: most of the Rangers didn’t show up.
A Team Adrift
The numbers are brutal. At 22-29-6, the Rangers are dead last in the Eastern Conference and sit third from the bottom league-wide.
Thursday’s shutout was their ninth of the season - the most in the NHL - and seven of those have come at Madison Square Garden. They’ve dropped four straight, and seven of their last eight.
Since Christmas? Just three wins in 18 tries.
They haven’t won a game in regulation at home since November 24.
This team’s been stuck in neutral for weeks, and now, without Panarin - their top scorer and offensive engine - the wheels may have officially come off.
Sullivan acknowledged the obvious after the game. “We’re in a little bit of a difficult circumstance,” he said, trying to walk the line between realism and optimism. “None of us want to be in this position... but the reality is we are where we are.”
There’s no sugarcoating it. The Rangers look like a team that’s emotionally and competitively checked out.
No Fight, No Finish
Carolina took the lead just 6:26 into the game on an Andrei Svechnikov goal, and from there, they never looked back. Jordan Staal sealed it with an empty-netter in the final minute, but the real story was how little pushback the Rangers gave.
Captain J.T. Miller didn’t mince words: “From the drop of the puck, we got outplayed all night. It wasn’t good enough.”
Sullivan, too, zeroed in on the team’s lack of fire. “I thought tonight we lacked a certain competitive spirit,” he said. “That just is simply unacceptable.”
This wasn’t just a loss - it was a no-show. And that’s what stings the most for a coach trying to keep the group engaged in what’s shaping up to be a lost season.
Olympic Break Comes at the Right Time
The NHL now pauses for three weeks as players head to the Winter Olympics in Italy. For the Rangers, the timing couldn’t be better. They won’t play again until February 26, when they host the Flyers at the Garden - the first of 25 games in the final 49 days of the regular season.
Three Rangers - Miller, Vincent Trocheck (USA), and Mika Zibanejad (Sweden) - are headed to the Games, along with Sullivan, who will coach Team USA, and assistant David Quinn. For Trocheck, it’s a dream come true.
“It’s a huge honor to be able to go over and represent your country - something I’ve dreamt of my whole life,” he said. “Going to make sure I take it all in.”
For everyone else? It’s a much-needed breather before what’s likely to be a grueling sprint to the finish line.
Trade Winds and a Murky Future
When the Rangers return, the roster might look different. Trocheck, a dependable two-way center with three years left on a manageable deal, could be on the move once the trade freeze lifts on February 22. With the team clearly shifting toward a rebuild - or at least a retool - his name is one to watch.
General Manager Chris Drury laid out the plan in a letter to fans back in January: the Rangers are targeting “players that bring tenacity, skill, speed and a winning pedigree,” with an eye toward youth, draft capital, and cap flexibility. That’s a long-term vision.
The short-term? Not so pretty.
Even with Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox expected back after the break, the Rangers’ biggest issue remains unchanged - they simply can’t score. And when the effort level dips, like it did Thursday, the lack of offense becomes even more glaring.
Sullivan’s biggest challenge now isn’t tactical - it’s emotional. How does he keep this group motivated when the playoffs are a pipe dream and the roster might keep changing? That’s the test that awaits when the puck drops again in late February.
For now, the Rangers have three weeks to regroup, reset, and - hopefully - rediscover some pride. Because the way things are trending, the back half of this season could get even uglier.