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On Monday night, the New York Rangers endured their third consecutive defeat, which also marked the end of their unbeaten streak at home. With the team struggling, a reset appears necessary.
After a productive offseason, the Rangers burst out of the gate with a strong start, excelling on both sides of the puck, particularly at Madison Square Garden. Establishing a winning habit at home early was a clear objective for the club and its returning players, and they achieved it by winning their first six home games before Artemi Panarin and the Los Angeles Kings came to town.
New York's early-season performance was impressive. Although they dropped their opener to the Boston Bruins, they responded with four straight victories. However, during their attempt at a fifth consecutive win, starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending injury against the Washington Capitals. The Rangers managed to win the next two games, but their fortunes have since taken a downturn.
New York has now lost five of its last six contests and is in dire need of a reset. Fortunately, after Monday's loss to the Kings, the team will not play again until Sunday.
Extended Break Comes at an Opportune Time
With the team struggling, this hiatus could not have arrived at a better moment. The Rangers attempted to give goaltender Dylan Garand a rest on Monday, but newly signed James Reimer was thrust into a difficult situation and played only the first period. Garand entered in relief and did not receive the intended break. Nevertheless, everyone will have a chance to reset, which is beneficial.
The Rangers have been prone to mistakes and mental errors, and their margin for error is slim. As recent games have shown, when they falter, things can quickly spiral out of control. Nearly a full week without games will allow the team to work on specific areas and enjoy a valuable reset. Ideally, this scheduling quirk will help the Rangers break out of their slump.