The Rangers are heading into Thursday’s game as one of the two teams in the Eastern Conference still searching for a home win, the other being last-place Tampa Bay.
With only one goal scored in four home games, they have lost three of their last four overall, a start that many certainly didn’t expect under new head coach Mike Sullivan.
Things could get tricky as the undefeated San Jose Sharks are set to visit Madison Square Garden on Thursday before they head west.
“We know they’re going to be desperate,” JT Miller remarked about the Sharks. When I think about that, sometimes the night ends up going sideways. We need to match that desperation. We’re confident we’ll deliver our best [on Thursday].”
A long practice in Tarrytown on Wednesday followed another home defeat against Minnesota. This time, however, the team didn’t find any consolation in having played well; instead, they recognized their overall poor performance.
Sullivan had a conversation with the players at center ice after practice but kept the details of his message private. Still, it’s clear the Rangers must improve quickly, both in terms of goals and wins.
When questioned about the team’s urgency to turn things around, the captain said, “That’s the level we need to bring. We can’t just hope things will work out. If we play with urgency, the results will follow. We haven’t scored much, but we need to stay patient.”
Part of the struggle has been on the power play, where they’ve only managed to convert 15 percent of their chances so far this season, ranking 26th in the league.
“In every game, we’ve had multiple chances to score. We just haven’t capitalized,” Miller commented, suggesting the team needs to tighten up their play a bit. “We’re getting closer, but still not quite there.”
Despite being known for a strong home ir, they’ve only scored one goal across four straight losses.
“It’s a small sample size, and I wish I’d performed better in some of those games. But honestly, a couple of games were just bad. We need to be tough to play against in our own building. We’re trying to establish that, and there’s definitely room for improvement,” Miller reflected.
Miller also mentioned that the team’s defensive play has noticeably improved since last year, emphasizing that, despite their uneven record, they aren’t playing with a laid-back attitude.
“There are positives from our production in the last eight games, but I can’t afford to take that for granted,” Miller noted regarding their 3-4-1 record. “I need to score more and get into better scoring positions. It’s about hard work, and if we keep at it, we’ll see the rewards.”
Sullivan is also aware of the importance of securing a home win. “We want to win,” he said, when asked about needing a home victory before hitting the road. “Establishing ourselves at home is critical. We don’t want to be an easy team to face on our turf.”
