The New York Rangers have reached a new low during the 2025-26 season. After a 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night, and prior to a 3-2 win against the St. Louis Blues, the Rangers entered last place in the Metropolitan division. They also have the sixth-lowest point total in the NHL. They are closer to getting the first overall pick than they are to a playoff spot. There is a feeling around the fanbase and the organization that this season will be a repeat of last year.
One of the reasons for their struggles has been their inconsistencies. Some games, they look like a playoff caliber team, while others, they can barely create offensive chances. Given the team's talent, these cold stretches should not happen. It's gotten so bad that Mike Sullivan even commented about it. He talked about how the team has felt like two separate teams, which is not a recipe for success. It's clear the Rangers need to shape up soon, or it will be another loss season.
Sullivan had this to say about where he's seen slippage from the #NYR:
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) November 24, 2025
"When you look at the last handful of games versus the first dozen or so games that we played throughout the course of the year, I think we're two different teams. The reasons for that, I think, there's a…
Inconsistencies will continue to hold the Rangers back
All season, the team has been one step forward, two steps back. They would win two or three games in a row, then proceed to lose the next two or three. It's the type of play that was supposed to end after the Rangers hired Sullivan. Throughout his career, Sullivan could always get the most out of his players. He's able to develop a sound strategy that consistently gets his team playing at their best. But for some reason, his coaching style is not meshing with the lineup.
The advanced metrics also show that it's not the adjustment to Sullivan coaching. According to Natural Stat Trick, through the first 13 games of the season, they had a 13.02 HDCF/60, a 7.44 HDCA/60, and a xGF percentage of 56.83%. These ranked in the top ten among the league. However, over the last 10 games, they have a 9.8 HDCF/60, a 10.16 HDCA/60, and a xGF percentage of 47.16%. The HDCF/60 and xGF% rank in the bottom ten of the league.
These stats read more like a team that has figured out the Rangers' strategy. They have cracked the code on what was giving the Rangers success early on in the season, and have figured out a way to counter it. Although it's early in Sullivan's tenure, this will be his biggest test. He needs to adjust the Rangers' game plan to counter whatever is preventing the team from finding consistency. With how much trust was put into Sullivan this offseason, this should not be something he can do.
There are a few different things that Sullivan can do. One of the easiest is to shake up the lines. Try different combinations and see how they perform. If they do well, keep them intact and see if the team can make the run. If it does not work, it could be time to come up with a whole new game plan and style of play.
Regardless of the problem, the Rangers need to find a solution fast. The season is currently slipping away, and there is little time to right the ship.