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If there is a rock bottom, it’s safe to say the New York Rangers reached it after their 2-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
One day before this heartless defeat, the Rangers traded Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Liam Greentree and a conditional third and fourth-round pick.
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The loss of Panarin was inevitable, yet it still weighed heavily on the Rangers’ players.
“He’s a generational talent on the ice and I was lucky enough to play with him,” Vincent Trocheck said of Panarin. “Just picturing him having a good time at all times, dancing in the locker room, dancing on the ice.”
This game comes just about 24 hours after Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury vaguely tried to explain his vision for retooling the roster, but ultimately raised more concern given his perplexing and contradictory plan for the franchise.
The game couldn’t have gone any more poorly for a Blueshirts team clearly battling mental demons.
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The Hurricanes outshot the Rangers 43-16, indicative of Carolina’s complete control of the contest.
“We got outplayed the whole night,” J.T. Miller said. “Wasn’t good enough. Wanted to go into the break feeling good about ourselves, but it’s quite the opposite right now. It sucks.”
The mood around the team postgame speaks volumes to where they are at right now. Mike Sullivan sounded as defeated as he’s been through his tumultuous Rangers tenure.
A usually patient and even-keeled Sullivan spoke with a demoralized tone, with his patience seemingly running thin.
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The Rangers haven’t won a home game in regulation since Nov. 24 and have only secured two victories since their triumphant Winter c=Classic win on Jan. 2.
“This is a unique circumstance. It’s unfamiliar for all of us quite honestly,” Sullivan said. “We can only control what’s in our power, and that’s the game right in front of us. We’ve got to take a certain approach that gives us an opportunity to grow and get better, and find some fulfillment through this process, even though we’re in a difficult circumstance.”
Going into the Olympic break, the Rangers slot in last place in the Eastern Conference standings, 19 points out of the second wild card spot.
The Olympic break will allow the Rangers to reset and refresh their minds, but it only delays the inevitable, in which the Blueshirts will continue to retool the roster and lose games to close out the 2025-26 season.