There has been a disjointed vibe to watching the New York Rangers this season, and it extends beyond the offense. The offensive output has been poor, with zero goals in 7 of their games this season, but it's part of a broader problem. Vincent Trocheck touched on one of the main issues when meeting with reporters after the team's 3-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night, according to Peter Baugh via X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We have wasted energy on the forecheck where we have one or two guys going, and the third and fourth aren't there, or three guys and the fourth's not there, or one guy going,” Trocheck stated. “It's just inconsistent with playing a team game for a full 60 minutes.”
It's likely not a good sign for first-year Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan that the team is already questioning some aspects of the system. While Trocheck's comments call out the team's effort, the part about an inconsistent team game also places some of the blame on the coaching staff. Is the team not putting in enough effort, or are the new systems not working?
Sullivan has never been an offense-focused coach, and the Rangers' output this season could have people wonder if his success with the Pittsburgh Penguins was solely due to having Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang leading the charge. Sullivan and his coaching staff are quickly figuring out that the Rangers might not have those kinds of leaders on this team. Vincent Trocheck is trying to change that by making his concerns public.
