Last season was a low point for the Rangers and they hoped this season would put it behind them. Up until now, the Rangers could take solace in the fact that they were still in the playoff picture. Thanks to a horrific losing streak, this team has fallen all the way down to last place in the Eastern Conference.
The Rangers' positive vibes from the Winter Classic ended quickly, as both Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox both suffered injuries, leaving them without two of their top players. Coincidentally, the Rangers entered a free fall, as they lost five games in a row. On Wednesday night, the Rangers lost 8-4 to the Ottawa Senators, sending them firmly into last place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points through 48 games.
After their latest blowout loss, highlighted by fans booing the team off the ice after a first period where they trailed 4-0, head coach Mike Sullivan was asked about whether he wants to see more "anger" from the players.
I followed up on one of Mike Sullivan’s answers and asked if he sees similarities to the #NYR team he coached against last year. I respect the way he answered that question.
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) January 15, 2026
Then, I asked him if this team needs to play with more anger:
"Listen, we've gone through a rash of… pic.twitter.com/CuWUXRTJMF
"Listen, we've gone through a rash of emotions. There's been tons of anger. We've run through the gamut of emotions here trying to right this thing and get it going in the right direction. And we'll continue to try to solve it. There's no easy answers. We've got to work hard. We've got to work together. We've got to stick together. We got to stay together, and we got to compete together. And that's what we're going to do," said Sullivan, h/t Jonny Lazarus of the Daily Faceoff.
Rangers fans are running out of patience
Fans have let it be known they aren't satisfied with the recent play of the team. From booing the team off of the ice to chanting "Fire Drury," directed at general manager Chris Drury, they aren't shy about sharing their opinions. The play they have seen this season is eerily similar to last season, where they couldn't even make it back to the playoffs one season removed from being two wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.
Lazarus asked Sullivan if he sees similarities from last year's team, considering he coached against them that year with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"I'm not going to discuss last year. I wasn't here. It would be irresponsible of me to comment on last year. I can only tell you what I see here and the observations I have with this group now," said Sullivan.
Sure, not having two of your best players available does hurt the team's ability. But for the team to completely sink without them goes to show how far away this team is to actually contending for the Stanley Cup again. Not to mention, J.T. Miller hasn't panned out in his first full season back with the Rangers. His "No BS" motto he tried to implement on the team hasn't exactly stuck, because the fans are seeing the same issues as last season resurface on the team.
Their inability to score. The defense is unable to hold their own and take some pressure off of the goalie. All around inconsistency.
The Rangers reportedly view this stretch of games before the Olympic break as crucial to determine whether or not they should sell to retool the roster or go all out and try to push for a playoff spot. But as of Thursday morning, they are eight points back of the final Wild Card spot. Based on this recent five game stretch, the Rangers and Drury should begin thinking about selling at the trade deadline. This roster needs young, promising talent. Even the young talent on the team, like Gabriel Perreault and Brennan Othmann, need an uptick in playing time. In this case, they should be evaluated.
Sullivan is hoping this Rangers team can fight their way out of this slump. Considering Rangers fans have seen this movie before, they may not have the most confidence in their ability to do so.