The New York Rangers lost to the San Jose Sharks 5-4 in overtime on Thursday, falling to 3-4-1. They continue to struggle at home, losing each of their first five matchups at Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, Thursday's win was San Jose's first of the season. New Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan tells New York Post reporter Mollie Walker that this has to be their wake-up call.
“It should be. It should be because I look at our last 2 outings, and that's not the game that we want to put on the ice every night that we think will give us a chance to win, that's for sure. You can't play two-thirds of the game or half of the game and think you're going to win consistently. The last two games, that's what we did,” Sullivan said, per Walker.
The Rangers missed the playoffs in 2024-25, following up their Presidents' Trophy win from the year before with an uninspired 85-point effort. They fired Peter Laviolette, hired Sullivan after a decade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, made some roster moves, and the expectations were high again. But a sluggish start has the fans frustrated on Broadway.
The Rangers finally broke through offensively at home, scoring four goals against the Sharks. Previously, they had scored just one goal in four games. But after an elite start to the season, Igor Shesterkin struggled against San Jose. Will Smith scored two goals, including the overtime winner, to send the fans home.
The Rangers head west for four straight road games, which is good for any struggling team. But when that struggling team is 3-0-1 on the road, it is even better. The Calgary Flames are also a great opponent to start that trip, as they have been brutal to start the year.
Sullivan's Rangers take on those Flames on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
