Rangers Aim to Translate Road Success to Madison Square Garden
GREENBURGH, N.Y. – Following a successful four-game road trip, teh New York rangers are focused on replicating their winning formula at Madison Square Garden, where they’ve struggled to find consistency.
The rangers concluded a trip through Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest with three consecutive victories – 2-0 over the Vancouver Canucks, a 4-3 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers, and a 3-2 overtime triumph over the Seattle Kraken – after an opening 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.This performance boosted their road record to 6-1-1.
However, the Rangers return to New york with a stark contrast in results. They are currently 0-4-1 at home, their only point earned in a 6-5 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on october 23rd. Through their first five home games, the Rangers have been outscored 9-1, becoming the first NHL team in history to be shut out in their first three home contests of a season.
“I think we provided a lot of evidence for ourselves [on our road trip] that if we play the game a certain way with the right intentions, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win,” coach Mike Sullivan stated on Monday.
Captain J.T. Miller emphasized the importance of a strong start at home. “I think so far it’s been a tough start at home, and we need to make it more of a priority to start the game on time,” he said. “I think probably three out of the five games at home we definitely haven’t started on time. That should be a thing we should be focused on for [Tuesday].” He noted the team’s success following a focused approach after the Calgary game.
The Rangers have been particularly slow to start at home, being outscored 5-2 in the first period and conceding goals in the final minute of the opening frame twice. Conversely, New york has scored first in five of their eight road games, winning all five of those contests.
Sullivan dismissed the idea of employing different strategies at home versus on the road. “It’s not like we’re trying to put a certain game on the ice at home and then put a different game on the ice on the road,” he explained. “Is there a human element associated with playing at home versus playing on the road? There could be a little bit of that. I think the most notable thing is just understanding what successful hockey looks like for this group.”
That successful hockey, demonstrated in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Seattle, involves defensive duty combined with offensive pressure, swift transitions in all zones, generating offensive zone starts, and overall resilience.
The Rangers will look to translate this approach as they prepare to face the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET (HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, MSG, SN1).
