Rangers sink to new low with shutout loss to woeful Predators

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Just when you think the Rangers have hit rock bottom, the team proves that new depths can always be reached.

The Blueshirts suffered their second loss to the last-place club in just over a week on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena, where they fell for the first time this season in a 2-0 loss to the cellar-based Predators after losing to the Blueshirts suffered a loss on December 9th to the 32nd ranked Blackhawks.

“It shouldn’t be hard to stay focused right now,” Ryan Lindgren said. “We should have the drive to get out of there. We should do everything we can in every single game to get out of this situation. I’m fighting like hell to get out of this. You saw that tonight. I thought we fought, but things just aren’t going our way at the moment. It’s our job to just keep going to work and do what we can.”

Prior to Tuesday’s victory, the Predators had not only lost nine of their last 10 games, but were also still the only remaining NHL team that had yet to reach double figures in the win column.

Nashville is on a very short list of teams that are currently in worse shape than the Rangers, and yet it was same old, same old for a Blueshirts team that seems incapable of getting up for a game right now .

This defeat gave the Rangers an official losing record of 15-15-1, which is a generous record for the club’s performance this season.

“We want to win,” said head coach Peter Laviolette. “So when you don’t win, it’s frustrating. Everyone is irritated by the whole thing. We have to find a way out, and quickly.”

The dissatisfaction in the Rangers’ locker room is also reflected on the ice this season.

Tuesday was just another example after Kaapo Kakko vented his frustration while serving as a healthy player in the previous game in St. Louis. The 23-year-old Finn essentially expressed that he felt he didn’t deserve to be the underdog, pointing out that it was easier to upset a young man like him than a struggling one Veterans.

Kakko could become the second disgruntled player traded by the Rangers this season after captain Jacob Trouba was sent out, although the captain blocked a trade in the offseason for family reasons.

Laviolette has actively tried to split ice time differently, but the second-year Rangers bench boss hasn’t had the desired results.

A little more than mid-December, Laviolette is already fielding questions about his job security.

The 60-year-old experienced coach of 1,543 NHL games did not shy away from the request. This question needs to be asked in all the conversations about what the organization will do, but there is no sign of change being considered behind the bench or in management.

“These are things I can’t control,” he said. “I’ve been here a long time.”

The Rangers started chasing pucks, but their pursuit faded as the first period progressed.

Chad Ruhwedel’s containment attempt was then deflected by Jonathan Marchessault for his line – featuring Steven Stamkos and Filip Forsberg – to create a quick chance before he completed a nice passing sequence to take a 1-0 lead.

From there the battle continued against everyone in the middle of the Rangers zone.

The Predators outscored the Rangers 14-8 in the second half and also benefited from strong goaltending from Juuse Saros, who made 25 saves on 25 shots for his third shutout of the season.

With eight minutes left in regulation, Adam Wilsby scored for Nashville when the Predators forward scored his first NHL goal from a high position, doubling the home team’s score.

The Rangers are running out of answers as their season moves further into the future.

Losses to two of the NHL’s worst teams will be just a side note in this 2024-25 season if it continues to spiral off track.

The only direction the Rangers can move is up, but it’s just a matter of when they take that path.