The New York Rangers are struggling to find consistency as they reach the halfway point of the NHL season, and confidence in the locker room is at an end, according to reports.
Rangers have lost four games in a row and seven of their last eight since returning from the break.
Describing the team’s mentality, defenseman Braden Schneider said, according to TSN, “We’re definitely a little bit of a vulnerable group right now.”
“The boys know we are a good team. We believe we have the ability to win games… We just have to make sure we don’t let the little things that happen in a game affect us.”
New York ranks last in the Eastern Conference in points percentage with a 20-21-6 record, despite the conference being crowded.
“It’s not fun to lose. We’re trying to look for answers, find answers,” center Mika Zibanjad said.
Head coach Mike Sullivan, in his first season with the Rangers, says the solution has to come from within the team.
“The answers lie in our locker room. We must bring an unwavering level of enthusiasm to what we do every day if we are to ultimately get ourselves out of this.”
Injuries have made the situation more difficult with starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin and top defenseman Adam Fox absent, forcing others, including veteran goalkeeper Jonathan Quick, to take on bigger roles.
But Sullivan said injuries are no excuse. “We haven’t won much lately. These guys are human beings, and they have emotions and feelings,” he said.
