Rangers seeking to tighten up defensively vs. Blackhawks

The New York Rangers were about halfway to picking up a second straight win until their defense significantly collapsed on Sunday.

Still trying to get on a roll, the Rangers get a chance at bouncing back from one of their worst defensive showings this season when they host the NHL-worst Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.

The Rangers are 2-7-0 in their past nine games, and the two wins were followed by defensive duds.

New York snapped a five-game losing streak with its 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 30 and then was blown out two days later in a 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers earned a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday and absorbed a 7-5 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday afternoon.

Reilly Smith, Filip Chytil and Vincent Trocheck scored in the game’s first 24:47 and then the Rangers allowed five straight goals. New York lost the lead in the final 5:54 of the second period, allowing the Kraken to constantly move through the offensive zone and capitalize on New York’s 12 giveaways.

“The goals were the chances, that was it,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “We had the pieces in place and when it came down to the point where it had to be defended, it got loose. Definitely not what you’re looking for, you’re in charge of a game 3-1 and like I said, the chances were the goals. We could’ve been tighter and better in those situations.”

It was the first time the Rangers allowed seven goals since Dec. 12, 2023, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. New York also allowed at least six goals for the fifth time in its first 26 games — one shy of its total from last season when it won the Presidents’ Trophy with 114 points.

New York is 7-1-0 in the past eight meetings with the Blackhawks, who are playing their second game since firing coach Luke Richardson and replacing him with Anders Sorensen.

Chicago’s 66 goals are the third-fewest in the NHL and the Blackhawks have been outscored 21-10 in their season-high five-game losing streak. The skid continued with a 4-2 home loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday in a game in which the Blackhawks were unable to add on after defensemen Alex Vlasic and Alec Martinez scored in the opening period.

The Blackhawks were held to two goals or fewer for the third straight game and 18th time this season. Chicago also was held to a season-worst 14 shots on goal.

“We’re going to have to keep working at this,” Chicago captain Nick Foligno said. “It’s not just going to turn around in one day. Obviously, we would like it to. It would have been nice to get him (Sorensen) that first win. But we’re going to find a way to get it in New York.”

The Blackhawks also are dealing with a pair of injuries. Goalie Petr Mrazek landed on injured reserve Sunday with a left groin injury while Martinez did not practice Sunday after taking a puck to the neck against Winnipeg.

–Field Level Media