Troubling signs showing in Rangers game

Fast forward to the last few weeks of 2023 and the story looks very different.

Losers of their past four games in a row and other teams cutting into their lead in the metro division shows a very different picture with the team as the Rangers management and coaching staff continued to look for answers.

The Rangers lost their opener against the Washington Capitals 3-2 where the teams are on a back-to-back.

Certainly, one reason for these troubles is the terrible goaltending that Igor Shesterkin has been giving the Rangers that has paralyzed the offence.

Over it past five games, he has looked horrible at times with save percentages below .800.

He has let in 17 goals in the past five games which is unacceptable especially as the Rangers are trying to put themselves in the best position possible.

Of course, no one is pushing the panic button yet and there are plenty of games with half the season remaining.

It's also common for teams to go through the ebb and flow of a season where they will lose some games in a row due to fatigue, mental lapse or general poor play.

But the team will need to find themselves again and put themselves back on the rails as other teams will continue to inch closer and push them further down in the standings.