In a Sunday showdown, the New York Rangers (now 15-14-1) added yet another loss to the record.
The Rangers fell 3-2 against the St. Louis Blues (now 15-14-3) on Dec. 15, with netminder Jonathan Quick posting 21 saves en route to the loss.
Alternate captain Adam Fox said it is hard to not let a losing mentality seep into the team dynamic.
"I don't even know how to describe the feeling right now," Fox said postgame. "It's definitely not good. We talk, we talk as a group and say to just try and be engaged. It definitely wears on you when you're in kind of a streak like this."
Let's take a look at three rapid takeaways from the matchup.
1. The Laviolette Rumors are Swirling
The Rangers are now 3-10-0 in their last 13 games. Unfortunately for Peter Laviolette, rumors are swirling that not everyone will return back to New York from St. Louis.
To be honest, I do not blame Laviolette — sure, he has his issues, but for me he's at the bottom of a very long list. The Blueshirts look lifeless out there — odd man rush after odd man rush. Fans keep praying that goaltenders Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick can singlehandedly claim a victory. But the fact is that a goaltender can only control so much.
One key coaching decision Laviolette made before puckdrop that had fans chiming off on social media was having forward Kaapo Kakko be a healthy scratch. Laviolette, when asked about scratching Kakko, said he wanted to get "fresh legs'' into the lineup after the back-to-back.
But when a team is in losing slump like this for as long as the Rangers have, the head coach is likely headed towards unemployment. Because people need someone to blame.
Well, I’m no genius, but, I do have a pretty good feeling that not everyone who embarked on this road trip, will be returning to New York. #NYR
— Snark Messier (@NYRFanatic) December 16, 2024
This may be stating the obvious, but there's a lot riding on this game for the #NYR. Extreme lineup changes, scratching Kakko, and it's coming off a team meeting that had players talking about looking in the mirror and saying there's no excuse for another poor effort. If it…
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) December 15, 2024
2. Ryan Lindgren's Misplay
In the second period, Ryan Lindgren misplayed the puck horribly and allowed Blues player Jordan Kyrou — who Blue Line Station named as the St. Louis Player to Watch — to score on the breakaway.
This gave the Blues a 2-0 lead, with St. Louis going on to score their final goal of the night before the end of the second period.
Lindgren! #NYR pic.twitter.com/LRhyyrb7iW
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) December 16, 2024
3. Young Studs
The Rangers certainly did not go down without a fight. New York managed to put the puck in the back of the Blues' net twice in the third period.
Rookie Brett Berard scored his second NHL goal of his career, in addition to 22-year-old Will Cuyle also scoring.
Clearly, it's the young players who have the motivation, who have the hunger. it is time to stop playing favorites with the Rangers' veterans and give the younger players a time to shine.
After all, that's what change is all about — embracing the new.