Most important was that they lost another game. The Rangers dropped their 11th contest in the past 14 games, falling to the woeful Nashville Predators 2-0. Here’s hoping that with a day off Wednesday, the Rangers were able to blow off some steam on Broadway right off Bridgestone Arena postgame.

If any team needs to do that, it’s the Rangers (15-15-1). Because right now, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel with a visit to the Dallas Stars up next, before a pair of divisional games against the tough Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.

The losses are mounting. The team appears in a death spiral. The coach is on the hot seat. The players are angry with management. A former cornerstone player fired back after being a healthy scratch Sunday. The top scorer remains out with an injury.

You get the picture. And it’s not a pretty one.

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New York Rangers news

Wow, where to start? How about our three takeaways, including the perils of playing from behind again, from New York’s shutout loss in Smashville.

At the morning skate, Kaapo Kakko lashed out about being scratched for the 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. His time in New York might be on its final lap.

Former Rangers forward Mike Rupp ripped into his former team, laying the blame for the Rangers freefall on management and the coaching staff. If you read anything today, make sure it’s this article. Some provocative stuff from Rupp, a 2003 Stanley Cup champion.

Artemi Panarin remained out of the lineup. The Rangers leading scorer is still day to day with an upper-body injury, though he did skate in a no-contact jersey in the morning. Defenseman Urho Vaakanainen made his Rangers debut after being acquired in the Jacob Trouba trade a couple weeks ago with the Anaheim Ducks.

Working off some Elliotte Friedman commentary, we did a breakdown on what the Rangers’ end game is by drastically cutting Mika Zibanejad’s ice time and dropping him to the third line.

NHL news

Is Bowen Byram about to be on the move again? The Fourth Period reports that the Buffalo Sabres defenseman, acquired less than a year ago from the Colorado Avalanche, is drawing interest from the Vancouver Canucks.

Connor McDavid is “OK” after leaving Edmonton Oilers practice Tuesday following a collision with teammate Darenll Nurse.

San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky was fined $25,000 by the NHL for “inappropriate conduct” during a 4-3 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday. No one’s saying exactly why the coach was fined, but reportedly it had something to do with his response to the officiating in that game.

Anthony Stolarz is headed to New York this week. No, not because he’s been traded to the Rangers or Islanders. The Toronto Maple Leafs goalie will have a procedure here on his knee. He will be out 4-6 weeks.

The Buffalo Sabres were smoked by the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 on Tuesday and their skid’s been extended to 11 games.

WATCH Patrik Laine score three power-play goals in that Montreal win against Buffalo. Laine now has six goals in seven games since his return from a knee injury.

The Pittsburgh Penguins slipped past the Rangers in the Metropolitan Division standings after a 3-2 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings. The Rangers are now tied for sixth in the division, two points up on the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets.

Somehow, the Washington Capitals blew a 2-0 third-period lead, and lost to the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2.

Referencing how Chris Kreider’s name was leaked in trade rumors and the manner in which general manager Chris Drury treated respected veterans Jacob Trouba and Barclay Goodrow on the way out the door, Rupp was emphatic that there’s a direct correlation between those things and the Rangers’ freefall, which now stands at 10 losses in their past 13 games.

“First and foremost, this isn’t just a former player sticking up for the players and giving them a free pass. Every single player needs to be better, individually and as a group. But I believe in my experience to be able to do that you’ve got to have the right environment surrounding the team,” Rupp explained in a video posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account. “And I don’t believe that’s been cultivated. … It almost feels like games have been played (by Rangers management and coaches). And the players have been manipulated in different ways.”

Watch it or don’t, but until the BS stops, nothing will change on the ice… #NYR https://t.co/gKaXm4l8n9 pic.twitter.com/iUt0JLvMvu

— Mike Rupp (@Rupper17) December 17, 2024

But that was just the warmup from Rupp, who played 60 games for the Rangers in 2011-12 and another eight before he was traded the following season.

“I think there becomes this distrust,” he stated. “You come to the rink and it’s not about working to get out of this. You have to want to come to the rink, roll up your sleeves, put on your work boots … and get to work to get out of this. But now you’re coming to the rink and there’s bullshit surrounding the team. It’s unnecessary stuff that you don’t want to deal with and it makes coming to the rink a drag because you’re looking over your shoulder every second.”

As Rupp knows, having played here, that’s a serious take because the Rangers pride themselves on treating their players better than other teams in the League. There’s always been an arrogance around the organization that no one in the NHL does it better than the Rangers. But clearly Rupp believes that’s been fractured this season.

Related: Kaapo Kakko furious at Rangers for scratching him: ‘I have not been the worst guy’

Mike Rupp puts blame for Rangers freefall on management, coaches

The Kreider trade rumors, which began when his name was specifically mentioned in a memo to the other 31 teams that the Rangers were open for business a couple weeks ago, really irked Rupp, who played with the long-time Blueshirts forward when Kreider first entered the NHL.

“Chris Kreider’s name getting out there — I don’t believe there’s been any intention on the New York Rangers trading Chris Kreider,” Rupp said. “I do believe … his name was intentionally leaked out there in order to get a response from the team. That’s a slippery slope, especially from what’s already happened here.”

Kaapo Kakko being scratched against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday to get “fresh legs” in the lineup, fired up Rupp as well.

“That’s a garbage response (by coach Peter Laviolette),” he said. “It’s just another thing. You’re dealing with bullshit as opposed to dealing with the problem you have at hand.”

As for actual issues on the ice, Rupp pointed to New York’s increasingly terrible play in its own end, terming it “some of the worst defensive hockey I’ve seen.” He acknowledged it was a problem last season which got covered up, but this season has spread.

Again, Rupp turned his attention to the coaching staff for either not addressing these defensive issues or for allowing the players to disregard their instruction and game plans.

“That is your job as a coach, to connect with the players, be able to relate with the players, and get the best out of the players,” Rupp said.

Currently 10th in the Eastern Conference after finishing the 2024 playoffs just two wins shy of reaching the Stanley Cup Final, the Rangers have four more games before the Christmas Holiday break and are just three days shy of the NHL holiday roster freeze. They visit the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.

The Rangers won the Winter Classic in 2012 and 2018, and two Stadium Series games in 2014. Interestingly, they defeated Peter Laviolette, then coaching the Philadelphia Flyers, outdoors in 2012 and knocked off the Islanders 2-1 in one of the Stadium Series games at Yankee Stadium in 2014.

There’ve been quite a few highlights in their four previous outdoor games. Lets’ look at the best of them.

Related: Rangers by the numbers at 2024 Stadium Series against Islanders

Top 5 Rangers moments in outdoor games

5. Rangers finish sweep of 2014 Stadium Series at Yankees Stadium

It was a frigid night in the Bronx on Jan. 29, 2014, when the Rangers took on the Islanders in the second game of the 2014 Stadium Series. Entering the third period tied 1-1, Rangers forward Daniel Carcillo was the unlikely hero, netting the winner at 4:36 in a 2-1 Blueshirts’ victory. Henrik Lundqvist made it stand up, finishing the game with 30 saves and being named No. 1 star.

4. Rangers set NHL outdoor game record in 2014 Stadium Series

Fans packed Yankees Stadium on a sunny Sunday afternoon on Jan. 26, 2014 to watch the Hudson River Rivalry take it outdoors. The game was delayed an hour due to sun glare, but the Rangers shined brightly all afternoon at the 2014 Stadium Series game.

The Rangers trailed 3-1 late in the first period, but this quickly changed as the Rangers started scoring at will. Marc Staal’s goal at 16:59 of the first opened the floodgates and six unanswered goals propelled the Rangers to a 7-3 win. An added bonus was hearing Blueshirt fans chant “Marty” when Devils goalie Martin Brodeur was pulled from the game after allowing the first six goals. Derek Stepan welcomes Brodeur’s back up Cory Schneider with a penalty-shot goal. Mats Zuccarello scored twice and the Rangers scored seven goals, tied for most in an NHL outdoor game.

3. J.T. Miller scores overtime goal in 2018 Winter Classic

On New Years Day in 2018, the Winter Classic was played in New York City for the first time. The Rangers jumped to an early 2-0 lead at Citi Field on goals by Paul Carey and Michael Grabner, but the Buffalo Sabres fought back to send the game to overtime, when Rasmus Ristolainen tied it 27 seconds into the third period.

Fans were treated to free hockey in the minus-12 degrees wind chill in Flushing. But it didn’t last too long. J.T. Miller knocked in a rebound for a power-play goal at 2:43 for a 3-2 Rangers win. Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves and improved to 4-0-0 all-time in outdoor games, tops among all goalies.

Related: Rangers react to ‘heartbreaking’ Blake Wheeler injury ahead of Stadium Series

2. A Salute to Mike Rupp’s performance in 2012 Winter Classic

The Ranger’s first NHL outdoor game was one to remember on Jan. 2, 2012. Facing the Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park in the Winter Classic, the Rangers fell into a 2-0 hole at 14:21 of the second period.

But an unlikely goal scorer would soon be cemented in NHL outdoor game history. Mike Rupp scored two goals to tie the game, the first just 30 seconds after Claude Giroux made it 2-0 for the Flyers. After scoring, Rupp took off his right glove and gave a salute to the Philly crowd, a sarcastic jab at the celebration made famous by then-Flyers forward Jaromír Jágr.

Rupp’s second goal 2:41 into the third period tied the game and Brad Richards scored at 5:21 to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory.

1. Henrik Lundqvist penalty-shot save in 2012 Winter Classic

The Rangers didn’t clinch that victory at the 2012 Winter Classic until Henrik Lundqvist provided some last-minute heroics.

In the dying seconds of the third period, Ryan McDonagh dove into the crease and covered the puck with his glove after it slipped behind Lundqvist. Daniel Briere was awarded a penalty shot. With 19 seconds left in the game, Briere had a chance to send the game to overtime. 

Everyone was on their feet when Briere skated in on Lundqvist, who stood his ground and made a pad save, pumping his stick in celebration. The save preserved the 3-2 victory and has now become one of the King’s top highlights of his Hall of Fame career.

We touched on a broad range of topics from the hiring of Peter Laviolette to who he sees could be in the Stanley Cup Final this season.

Of course, no Rangers conversation can go on without discussing some key youngsters in Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. Here’s a few highlights of that interview.

Related: Mike Rupp predicts breakout for Kaapo Kakko

Mike Rupp on the New York Rangers “kids”

One of the biggest hot-button issues in Rangers land is who’s playing where? There have been so many line combinations that have been concocted that it’s been hard to keep up. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how much the “kids” have developed in the offseason.

“Even if one of these three guys can hit, two of them can hit, I mean geez if all three take a step this year this will be a Stanley Cup favorite team for me,” Rupp said.

While on the surface that sounds well and good, Rupp mentions these are all ifs and not guarantees. But Filip Chytil is prime for a breakout season after steadily improving on his offensive numbers.

Chytil’s biggest issue in his career to this point has been his consistency when putting up points. His display of pure speed and power, mixed with a heavy shot is a stark reminder of a young Mika Zibanejad coming over from Ottawa.

“I’m ready for him to be a superstar,” Rupp said when discussing the potential growth of Chytil for this upcoming campaign.

Mike Rupp on Adam Fox

A guy who has fit it rather smoothly since lacing them up for the Blueshirts has been Adam Fox. Already a Norris Trophy winner, and arguably robbed of one this past year, but for Ranger fans like myself, who never got to see Brian Leetch in his prime, it feels like Fox is that type of player.

“There are certain players that have changed the game from the defensive position,” Rupp said when talking about Fox. “In the ‘90’s it was Brian Leetch. He was another one who pushed the envelope, sure there were other ones along the way but ones that really changed the game. Cale Makar and Adam Fox are the ones now that keep changing the game.”

Mike Rupp on his outlook for the Rangers season

Looking forward to the 2023-24 NHL season that lies ahead of all of us, many people around the league have the Rangers as the third-best team in the Metropolitan division, behind the Hurricanes and Devils

“I think Carolina is still a very difficult team. If they can get timely scoring and stay healthy, that can be a huge difference for them. But in the Eastern Conference, I probably have New Jersey, New York (Rangers), Carolina.” Rupp said when discussing contenders in the Eastern Conference this year. “The Rangers have just as good a chance as anyone in the East.”

There are a ton of “If’s” when it comes to the New York Rangers season. IF Kaapo Kakko takes a step offensively, IF Alexis Lafreniere is able to benefit from more power play time, IF Filip Chytil breaks out as one of the next stars in the league. With how low expectations are for some about this Rangers team, it may be a year that catches many by surprise come June.

To watch the entire interview, check out The Forever Blueshirts Channel.

Yet for all the talent that the first power play unit has with Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin alternating as power play quarterbacks, Vincent Trocheck in the bumper position, Chris Kreider as the man in front, and Mika Zibanejad as the trigger man, they’re on an 0-11 skid.

So why can’t they score?

It’s pretty simple for me, they’re just too predictable. The first power play unit spends a majority of almost the entire two minutes whipping the puck around looking for the slightest opening to set up a Zibanejad one-timer.

Opposition penalty killers are almost willingly ignoring the man in front as they cheat to take away that shot. And what’s really driving everyone crazy is that it appears the players and Gerard Gallant aren’t going to change a single thing.

New York Rangers power play an issue

Last season, the New York Rangers power play finished 4th in the NHL with a 25.2% success rate. This year, the team is running at a 22.1% clip, but with goal scoring up league-wide that ranks middle of the pack at 16. It’s only made worse since the team’s PK hasn’t been as good, currently ranked 13th at 79.8%. To contrast that stat, the Blueshirts were 7th in 2021-22 killing off 82.3% of penalties.

NHL Network Analyst Mike Rupp joined Forever Blueshirts last week to discuss the Rangers. He also referred to the power play as being to predictable and offered this suggestion to change things up.

“You’re phasing in Vinny Trocheck,” Rupp began. “He’s in that middle release, bumper position that takes some adjustment, but he’s been fine. Last year, Chris Kreider was on an absolute heater with 26 goals on the power play which will be tough to match. It’s still a strength of this team, but if I had one thing to nitpick I’d like to see Bread shoot the puck a little bit more.”

This season, Panarin is averaging 12.3 shots per 60 minutes on the power play, which is right around his average. To provide a little contrast, Mika Zibanejad is at 21.4 shots per/60 on the man advantage when he was 17.7 the season prior.

According to stats on the site Hockey-Reference, Adam Fox is shooting a little less as is Chris Kreider. So while Rupp is calling for Panarin to shoot more, maybe the entire first unit needs to think shot first. It would be a change of pace and likely open things up for that lethal Mika one-timer.

“I think if [Panarin] starts to do that more, even if you know you’re shooting through a screen, just blast a few to keep the other team honest,” Rupp emphasized.

“It’s like the run and pass game in football where you have to throw the ball downfield just to keep that other team honest. It’s the same thing on the power play because everyone knows about Mika’s one-timer.”

At the end of the day, Rupp noted that the Rangers power play is still very good and really doesn’t need a drastic overhaul.

“When you picture Panarin on the right side,” Rupp added. “When he’s got that puck there you’ve got a one-timer up top to Fox, in the middle to Trocheck, and far-side to Mika. Those are really nice options to have and all those guys can bring it. Plus you have Kreider when’s he’s healthy for tips.”

“I wouldn’t change [the personnel], except sometimes they feel too predictable. So mix it up. Waste a couple off the goaltender’s head if you’re Artemi Panarin to keep everyone on their toes. I like their unit and when healthy this power play is absolutely deadly.”

You can see the rest of our interview with Mike Rupp on our YouTube Channel here.

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Free Agent Tracker: Top UFAs by position. Read more.

NHL Rumors: Atlantic Division Buyers and Sellers. Read more.

“This guy’s been incredible,” Rupp told Forever Blueshirts in a recent interview. “I love what he brings. A lot of this year we’ve been talking about Tage Thompson in Buffalo because every goal he scores is highlight reel, but I was thinking about this the other day when K’Andre scored that big goal against Minnesota– it’s beautiful.”

Rupp, who played 11 years in the league including 68 games with the Rangers over two seasons, watched Miller up close covering the game on ESPN radio. He was in the building to see the Rangers thrilling 2-1 overtime win over the Dallas Stars which left him speechless.

“Not just big moment goals but highlight reel goals,” Rupp began. “Last night (against Dallas), when that happens and he scores with 0.2 on the clock, it was incredible. This guy scores big goals and is a big time player. I’m a huge K’Andre Miller fan.

https://t.co/WinfMJUPE2 pic.twitter.com/h50kUuIcy0

— Mike Rupp (@Rupper17) January 13, 2023

Mike Rupp on K’Andre Miller

The Rangers selected Miller in the first-round of the 2018 Draft (22 overall). He’s already surpassed previous career highs in points and assists. The 22 year-old is at 23 points in 43 games and his .52 points per game average has him on pace for 42 in just his third full NHL season. 

“The way he jumps up and goes,” Rupp noted. “I actually learned this yesterday that he’s third in the NHL for stick-checks to free up pucks and breakup plays. It’s incredible. We’ve seen a couple of times this year springing himself on breakaways– this guy only scores monster goals.”

MILLERRR🚨

rangers down 2-1 pic.twitter.com/kZUfMOYCqP

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) January 11, 2023

When analyzing his game further, Rupp still sees the youngster making his share of defensive mistakes. With that being said, he feels Miller is only just starting to realize his full potential.

“He still catches himself out of position once in awhile,” Rupp explained. “He’s such a great skater, he can make up for it. He’s got that skating ability and reach. Any big framed player– it takes bigger players longer to adapt because you’re in survival mode. He shouldn’t forget the advantages he has with his size and K’Andre is starting to realize he can flex that a little bit more.”

Miller is a pending restricted free agent and will need to be re-signed this summer. The Rangers are going to be up against the salary cap and will not only have to find money for K’Andre but players like Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil as well.

Rupp pointed out the Rangers predicament but feels the Rangers defense as a whole can be something special.

“I love this d-core through and through,” Rupp admitted. Probably one of my favorite Rangers on the backend is Braden Schneider, who I think is going to be an absolute stud. Foxy is absolutely legendary with what he does. I think there’s going to be some tough decisions in the coming years because you can only pay so much money. It’s going to be tough.”

You can see the rest of our interview with Mike Rupp on our YouTube Channel here.

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Free Agent Tracker: Top UFAs by position. Read more.

NHL Rumors: Atlantic Division Buyers and Sellers. Read more.