Rangers Struggle Despite Changes

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Ideally, clear management direction would allow the Rangers to play more freely. But, as often happens, reality falls short of those ideals.

The Blueshirts faced the Ducks and some former teammates Monday night, resulting in a 5-3 loss with an empty net—marking their ninth defeat in the last 12 games.

They had performed admirably in the first game after manager Chris Drury announced shifts to his system, but this time, the energy just didn’t seem as… well, intense.

Coach Mike Sullivan noted that the Rangers have been reacting to outside pressures since last season. There’s hope that some transparency from the organization before the Olympic break could ease that pressure.

“I think they’re doing their best to maintain professionalism during this process,” Sullivan commented. “The past few weeks have been tough. They take pride in their work and care about each other. I’ve talked about this many times—it’s not just a coach’s take; it’s my honest assessment of this group. Will it influence my thoughts? Maybe in a strange way. The direction is clear now; I don’t sense any speculation.”

“This clarity might bring about a bit of free spirit. To your question, I can’t say for sure. Time will tell,” he added.

Just four minutes into the game, the Rangers capitalized on their time in the offensive zone. Mika Zibanejad set up Matthew Robertson, whose slap shot found a gap on Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal. This marked the rookie defenseman’s third goal this season, and his first since December 15, when the Rangers last faced Anaheim.

The Ducks started to dominate following that, crowding the net and creating chaos in front of Rangers’ goalie Spencer Martin. A puck deflected off Robertson’s skate, hitting Mason McTavish, leveling the score at 1-1.

Continuing their momentum, the Rangers scored on their third power play, regaining the lead with Artemi Panarin’s 19th goal of the season. Still, the Ducks kept the pressure on Martin, who was starting only his second game this season.

After the Rangers found themselves on defense, Jeffrey Viel scored his first goal as a Duck, tying the game at two with a rebound.

Anaheim took the lead again at 3-2 during their second power play, with Alex Killorn scoring after Jacob Trouba’s shot slipped by Martin.

Just over a minute into the third period, Cutter Gauthier extended the Ducks’ lead with a keep-in at the blue line. Although Vladislav Gavrikov scored on a power play, the Rangers failed to tie the game.