It was a bad night at the United Center after the New York Rangers fell to the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0, marking the sixth time they have endured a shutout. Now, J.T. Miller has called out the Rangers' leadership, illustrating the level of frustration within this organization, according to a post by Rangers' beat writer Mollie Walker.
“It's frustrating. I need to do, for me, I guess just a better job. I think leadership, we could all step up right now in games like those and put a better game on the ice. It's all you can do, is worry about yourself and try to bring the best version of yourself,” Miller told Walker.
It was the third loss in a row for the Rangers, dropping them to 15-13-44 and they remain seventh in the Metropolitan Division. While they are only one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the final Wild Card spot, it's been a struggle all season. The Rangers did not win their first home game until November 10, a month into the season, and have been inconsistent overall.
When the Rangers hired Mike Sullivan to be their new coach, they believed their issues were behind them. Yet, their struggles have continued, and it has started to frustrate him.
“Just put it in context: They had a couple of tough games going into this, and everybody in this league is proud. We knew they were going to come out with urgency based on the circumstances surrounding their team, and we didn't match the urgency from the drop of the puck.” Sullivan told Walker.
Sullivan was referring to the Blackhawks' recent skid, where they were outscored by the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks 13-1 over two games. As they reel from this loss, the Rangers will have a few days to prepare for their next game on Saturday at home against the Montreal Canadiens.
