The New York Rangers managed to pull off a shootout win this week. However, it still has not won a game in regulation.
Record: 1-1-1
Scores: NYR vs COL W 3-2, NYR @ WSH OTL 4-3, NYV VS CGY L 4-1
The New York Rangers are trudging through this rebuild one day at a time. They managed to squeak out a win against the Colorado Avalanche, took the reigning Stanley Cup Champions to over time, and then fell apart at the seams against the Calgary Flames. This is exactly how a rebuilding team will play.
Yes, this is extremely frustrating. But, we are only eight games into an 82 game season. There’s still a lot of (inevitably poor) hockey to be played. You can’t get frustrated after every loss, or else you won’t be watching this Rangers team for quite a while.
This is a total rebuild. Unfortunately, the Rangers have no generational talent such as a Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews to make watching the struggling team easier. There are a plethora of new players either already in or entering the Rangers’ system. Additionally, the Rangers have an entirely new coaching staff and new system.
This means that not only are the rookies adjusting to the NHL, but the veterans are adjusting to a new way of playing too. Therefore, sometimes the lines will be totally in sync, and other nights they will be horrendously bad.
The good news is that the rookies that are currently on the roster are starting to hit their stride. Hopefully, the rest of the team will begin to catch up as well.