There seems to be a new show coming to Broadway this spring. It stars a group of guys that we all know and love, a coaching staff that we all want to get behind, and a general manager who calls all of the shots. That's right, it's Jekyll and Hyde starring the New York Rangers!
It is amazing how the game of hockey, all sports even, can be so streaky. One week, a player or the entire team can play out of their minds. Points and wins can provide hope or that metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel. In my last article, the main focus was New York's remarkable four-game winning streak. Players like Alexis Lafrenière, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Gabe Perreault were playing some of their best hockey ever. Since then, I believe it was beloved television character Michael Scott who said it best: "How the turntables."
The Last Five Games
Teams are streaky, and then there are the New York Rangers. Amazingly, just last week we were looking at a team doing their best NBA Jam impression and playing "on fire." Fast forward to the present day, and they are back to their identity that we discovered at the beginning of the season. The drive, the heart, and the passion is lacking within the leadership group.
Excluding the shootout winner from the Winnipeg Jets last Sunday, the Rangers have conceded 20 goals from open play. This stat alone would surprise the average hockey fan, especially when a team conceding this many goals has one of the best netminders around, Igor Shesterkin. Now, yes, this does include the play of both Jonathan Quick and the debuting Dylan Garand, but Shesterkin is right there in the thick of it.
If you are also a New York baseball fan, this reminds you of when prime Jacob deGrom would take the mound for the New York Mets. On his day, deGrom was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Even with his two Cy Young Awards, the Mets could never get any run support for him, leading to many losses and no-decisions. The same can be said about Shesterkin. He is too talented to be playing behind a streaky defensive core like the one in New York.
A new depth scoring solution?
It is a rare commodity in the hockey world when a successful waiver wire pickup falls directly into the lap of a struggling franchise. For the Rangers and GM Chris Drury, any kind of spark was sought after during this disaster of a season. Some might consider Tye Kartye to be the spark that the bottom six needed after losing Sam Carrick at the trade deadline.
New York has seemed to always struggle with depth scoring since the dismantling of "The Kid Line." After trading away Barclay Goodrow to the San Jose Sharks two years ago, many asked questions as to who was going to fill that vacancy left by the now former Blueshirt. For the last season and a half, Carrick was that sparkplug. He could score, he could defend, he could even drop the mitts when he needed to. It was no surprise that a contender like Buffalo would want the services of someone like Carrick. As crazy as it sounds, Kartye might be a temporary solution to an ongoing problem.
Kart buries it just 41 seconds into the second ‼️ pic.twitter.com/oCYdlSGj9O
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 22, 2026
What comes next?
The current state of the New York Rangers will cause a divide amongst the fanbase. For some, they want to see great hockey again. This is not the team that we fell in love with two years ago. Most of those faces are now long gone. For others, it is embracing the so-called "tank." Increase those lottery odds, select a top prospect, and hope for the best.
With just 11 games left on the schedule, we will get a sense of what to expect for the rest of the season when the Rangers face off against Toronto tonight. Will the Blueshirts turn over a new leaf, or will it be the same old, same old from here on out?