Poor execution and poor puck decisions played a role in the Rangers’ third shutout loss of the season Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, where the home team fell 4-0 to the Hurricanes.
Opportunities were there for the Blueshirts to get on the board when Carolina only had a one- or two-goal lead, but the home team repeatedly failed to take advantage of the chances they got.
When the Rangers generated a shorthanded breakaway in the second period, Vincent Trocheck opted to pass it back instead of shooting it.
Vincent Trocheck looks to keep the puck away from Eric Robinson during the Rangers’ 4-0 loss to the Hurricanes on Jan. 28, 2025.
The odd-man rush fell apart as the puck ricocheted off the skate of Canes defenseman Shayne Gostibehere.
Carolina pushed it the other way and Andrei Svechnikov scored his second of the game for 2-0 lead.
“Gostisbehere was chasing me down on my forehand, I couldn’t get the puck to my forehand I was too tight to [Hurricanes goalie Frederik] Andersen to get it around him,” Trocheck said of the sequence. “Tough angle for me and he was right on top of it. Could’ve shot it and buried it into his chest or try to make the play to [K’Andre Miller], and unluckily it hit the skate.”
When the Rangers earned a power play later in the middle frame, another misplay cost the team a potential goal.
After receiving the puck at the side of the Canes net, Chris Kreider lost it as he tried to corral it in before Canes goalie Frederik Andersen toed it away.
The Rangers power play ultimately went 0-for-3 on the night.
“There were a few of those,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “It wasn’t a volume-type thing tonight. The chances that you did have you had to make good on. We didn’t. I don’t feel like we made good one ours from an offensive standpoint. When that games 1-0, we could’ve made it 1-1, we could’ve made it 2-1. It’s 2-0. We could’ve made it 2-1. … We could’ve brought ourselves closer. We weren’t able to capitalize on those chances that we did have. I think we had some good looks. We weren’t able to capitalize.”
The last time the Rangers were shut out at home was Dec. 27, 2022, against the Capitals.
Igor Shesterkin stopped 22 of the 26 shots he saw in his 17th loss of the season.
The Rangers went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. They have now been perfect on the PK in five of their past six games.
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