BURSTThings appear to be turning sour in the Big Apple, with New York Rangers fans reaching their breaking point with the team.
With the clock ticking down on a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, the team was serenaded with boos from fans at Madison Square Garden.
The Blackhawks came into this game on a five-game losing streak and at the bottom of the NHL standings. New York ended its latest homestand with a 2-3 record and has now lost eight of its last 10 games.
Speaking after the game, head coach Peter Laviolette didn’t have a problem with the response from fans after a tough loss for his team.
“It’s frustrating, so I get it. And deservedly so,” Laviolette told reporters after the game. “When your pace should be at a high level and your execution should be at a high level, I get it. It’s frustration.”
It’s been a chaotic stretch for the Rangers, with general manager Chris Drury making it clear to teams across the league that they are interested in making moves to shake up the roster. Since that point, New York has gone 2-6.
Drury already made one major move, unloading captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, ending a rough stretch where the defenceman was a fixture in trade rumours for months.
To add to the Rangers’ problems, Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer showed frustration with a New York Post report indicating the Rangers would target Senators captain Brady Tkachuk as a trade target, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Monday. Andlauer called the report about Tkachuk “soft tampering.”
The Rangers released a statement, which read: “This is an irresponsible accusation and we defer to the commissioner’s office.”
The accusations come one month after deputy commissioner Bill Daly warned the league’s GMs about tampering at a meeting in Toronto. On Nov. 25, all teams were sent a detailed memo reminding everyone about the rules in place and penalties for violations.
It’s been a tough time for the Rangers, who captured the Presidents’ Trophy last season and currently sit in the second wild-card spot with a cluster of teams trailing right behind them.
—With files from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
