Following a strong January that featured a season-best 10-game point streak, the New York Rangers ended the month with a disappointing 4-0 defeat against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday evening at Madison Square Garden.
They concluded the month with two consecutive losses, marking their first series of back-to-back regulation defeats since suffering four in a row from December 22 to 30. Despite this, the Rangers achieved an 8-3-3 record in January, reflecting a significant improvement following their poor 4-15-0 run in November and December.
Following the disappointing defeat on Tuesday to a divisional opponent, Vincent Trocheck’s message was clear:
“Stay positive, maintain your confidence, hold your head high, and continue playing as we have been; we’re going to have a strong opportunity each night,” Trocheck stated.
The veteran center, who has surfaced as a key candidate to be the next captain of the Rangers, showcased his leadership qualities post-loss, promoting optimism and assurance instead of focusing on one of New York’s poorest outings since the year changed to 2025.
It’s challenging to stay optimistic after not finding the net in front of the home fans. This was especially true when Trocheck had a significant impact on Carolina’s crucial second goal. He attempted a risky drop pass during a short-handed breakaway, which resulted in a turnover and a goal against at the other end of the ice in the final minute of the second period.
A poor impression, to put it mildly, yet he and the Rangers are already anticipating the month of February.
“I make an effort to maintain high spirits,” he clarified. “I believe we’ve been executing excellent hockey during this month of January.” If we keep playing like that, we’ll have a great opportunity each night. “Attempting to keep everyone’s spirits high.”
That appears to be the message universally, and justifiably so. The Rangers fully reversed their season after struggling for the last two months. Despite the defeat against Carolina, they remain only three points away from a wild-card position due to crucial losses by other teams on Tuesday, including the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, who occupy both wild-card slots in the Eastern Conference.
Although the defeat against the Hurricanes was quite troubling (similar to the 5-4 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday), the most prudent approach is to put it behind and concentrate on the next chance to gain points.
“You can examine it from various perspectives, however you prefer, but I believe we’ve been playing solid hockey here in January,” center Mika Zibanejad expressed. “Consider this carefully, experience your emotions after a game like this, and then we proceed.”
The Rangers face several important games ahead that have significant playoff ramifications. Two of their following three matches are versus the Bruins, who occupy the top wild card spot. Boston is four points ahead of New York, a difference that the Rangers can quickly overcome if they secure victories in both encounters. The Original Six teams are set to compete on February 1 in Boston, followed by another match on February 5 in New York.
Therefore, the Rangers will have little time to reflect on their recent defeat. During the next three days without a match, the emphasis must be on preventing the losing streak from continuing this weekend and recovering after a generally strong month of January.
