11/30/25 08:05:00
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11/29 17:45 CST Rangers fail to duplicate road success at MSG, fall to 2-8-1 at
home after loss to Lightning
Rangers fail to duplicate road success at MSG, fall to 2-8-1 at home after loss
to Lightning
By ALLAN KREDA
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- The New York Rangers have an NHL-best 11 road wins, yet their
play at home has been a mess by comparison.
Coming into Saturday's game against Tampa following impressive road wins over
Carolina and Boston --- and a three-game winning streak overall --- the Rangers
reverted to home form as the surging Lightning beat New York 4-1. The loss
dropped New York's record at Madison Square Garden to 2-8-1.
The Rangers have scored just three goals total in those eight regulation
defeats.
"We didn't have our best," Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said after the Lightning
extended their winning streak to seven. "I'm stating the obvious."
The Rangers haven't had their best in the vast majority of their home contests
so far. That's a perplexing change for a team that was dominant at MSG just two
seasons ago when they were 30-11-0 and finished with a league-best 114 points.
New York started this season with a 3-0 home defeat to Sullivan's former team,
the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then they were shut out by Washington and Edmonton
before managing a goal in a 3-1 loss to Minnesota on Oct. 20.
After losing 6-5 in overtime to San Jose, they were held scoreless by Carolina
and the Islanders before finally winning a home game on their eighth try, 6-3
over lowly Nashville on Nov. 10. They lost 2-1 to Detroit on Nov. 16, then
edged St. Louis 3-2 last Monday.
Five shutout losses in their first seven home games tied a record set by the
now-defunct 1928-29 Pittsburgh Pirates.
New York's offensive futility reached new levels against the Lightning as the
Rangers were outshot 11-2 in the first period and 16-7 in the second.
"They were more willful than we were today. They were ready to go into every
battle,'' Rangers captain J.T. Miller said. "At no point in that game were we
deserving of winning."
Miller rejoined the Rangers in a much-touted trade with Vancouver on Jan. 31
and was named captain before this season. Miller replaced former captain Jacob
Trouba, who was shipped to Anaheim almost a year ago during a campaign that saw
the Rangers miss the playoffs.
Miller scored New York's lone goal on Saturday, but his frustration after home
defeats has been palpable.
"We did it to ourselves,'' he said. "There was no urgency today. It's
unacceptable."
Assistant captain Vincent Trocheck said positive focus is the only approach to
take as the season progresses.
"This game is majority mental. It's up to you to fight off the negativity,'' he
said. "It's just a matter of us playing the right way."
The Rangers are off Sunday before practicing Monday and then facing the potent
Dallas Stars at home on Tuesday. Next weekend won't get easier with the
league-leading Colorado Avalanche visiting Saturday, followed by Vegas on
Sunday.
New York plays seven of its next 10 games at home as they seek to match their
road prowess on home ice.
"It's a just about focusing on one game at a time,'' Trocheck said.
The Rangers heard boos late in Saturday's loss and that was not lost on Mika
Zibanejad, the team's most tenured player.
"I understand the reaction from our fans,'' he said. "We're more frustrated
than they are."
Sullivan added that top defenseman Adam Fox would be evaluated after absorbing
a hard hit during Saturday's loss. Fox assisted on Miller's goal and is tied
for the team lead in points with 26.
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