Rangers Analyze Path to Win After Hurricanes Game

On Tuesday night, the Rangers got a clear example of how to secure a victory—by watching the Hurricanes play.

After the game, Coach Mike Sullivan and captain JT Miller pointed out that Carolina demonstrated a stronger physical presence near the net, both offensively and defensively. This is something the Rangers have struggled with, particularly at Madison Square Garden. Following the Kings’ win in Los Angeles, the Rangers find themselves as the only team in the league yet to win a game at home.

“I think it’s about resilience,” Sullivan stated. He emphasized the importance of creating a more consistent and challenging presence in front of the net to disrupt the opponent’s sightlines.

Miller, who placed a lot of the team’s recent challenges on himself, echoed the coach’s sentiments. “We haven’t capitalized on our opportunities,” he mentioned after the Rangers were shut out for the fourth time in six home games. “I’m clearly annoyed… [Carolina] played the right way, staying persistent near the net.”

After the game, Miller and others indicated they wouldn’t be taking questions, especially since the team had a day off Wednesday, returned to practice Thursday, and was set to face Detroit on Friday—thankfully, not at home.

The Rangers managed to score nine goals over their last three road games (all wins) and are doing well away from home with a 6-1-1 record, but this marks their sixth home loss—a first in franchise history.

“Nobody wants to win here more than we do,” said Mika Zibanejad. “We have to find ways to get the puck in the net.” He mentioned feeling frustrated by the experience, describing how it’s possible to score but still not play well. “It’s really challenging,” he added.

It felt similar for the Rangers when they played well in the first two periods Tuesday but found themselves two goals down. In Carolina’s win, they only managed one shot on goal in the third, and everyone recognized they had not performed well during that period.

Adam Fox remarked that it’s “human nature” to start pressing in these kinds of situations, which often worsens the team’s performance. “We did a lot of things right early on, but it’s frustrating when the shots don’t convert,” Fox observed. “Then you start pushing things, which isn’t the way to succeed. We recognize that.”

Sullivan acknowledged the mental state of his players, especially given the team’s bad luck with power plays—ranking last in the league with four out of 36 games this season, without a hit in 12 of the previous five games.

The coach mentioned he might consider adjusting some aspects of the special teams, stating, “It’s the nature of sports. When things don’t go your way, you need to show resilience and push through it. That’s our challenge. We have to navigate through this, even dealing with doubts and a lack of confidence.”