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Rangers flop in ugly shutout loss to rebuilding Blackhawks
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- Rangers flop in ugly shutout loss to rebuilding Blackhawks
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CHICAGO — To say the Rangers played down to their opponent insinuates they were superior in the first place.
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Despite coming off a strong stretch against top opponents, that wasn't a sure thing against the ever-rebuilding Blackhawks on Wednesday night, when the Blueshirts couldn't execute, well, anything in a 3-0 loss that counted as their third in a row.
It marked their sixth shutout loss of the season, as well as their first time getting blanked on the road.
"It's disappointing because we just go through a stretch where we play what we would deem some of the best teams in the league, and we put a game on the ice that's pretty damn competitive," a visibly dejected head coach Mike Sullivan said. "We've got to be able to do that consistently, night in and not out. And that's our challenge. We took a step back tonight. We didn't bring that game."
When the Rangers offense has gone cold this season, it's become almost completely stagnant.
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It doesn't just falter, it all but disappears. They struggle to connect on passes. Time in the offensive zone not only dwindles as the game goes on, but the quality plummets.
Watching Chicago 's first-overall pick in 2023, Connor Bedard , dazzle in a two-point performance only pours salt in an open wound.
Meanwhile, the Rangers' top pick in 2020, Alexis Lafrenière — who was the most effective Ranger on the ice in the third period — has scored three goals (one empty-netter) in the past 14 games amongst several no-show performances.
Louis Crevier scores a second-period goal on Igor Shesterkin during the Rangers' 3-0 loss to the Blackhawks on Dec. 10, 2025. David Banks-Imagn Images
It was a night when the Rangers' marquee skaters could not get on the scoresheet, which more often than not means the team as a whole will have a hard time doing so.
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If Artemi Panarin , J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad aren't going, the Rangers lose so much of their offensive game.
"It's frustrating," Miller said. "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."
J.T. Miller (8) hits the post with a shot as goalie Spencer Knight defends during the Rangers' road loss to the Blackhawks. David Banks-Imagn Images
This appeared to be one of the better games of the season for a Blackhawks team that had lost their past two, as well as eight of their past 10.
The Rangers' five-forward power-play unit, which was formed when Adam Fox went down for the foreseeable future with a shoulder injury, continued to struggle.
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On their first rep of the night, the group could not gain control before Louis Crevier scored short-handed for the 1-0 Chicago lead.
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Sullivan eventually opted to put Scott Morrow on the top of the first power play, but it did not change the result. In the past five games, the Blueshirts power play has gone 0-for-11, including their 0-for-3 showing Wednesday night.
Mika Zibanejad's shot is stopped by Spencer Knight during the Rangers' road loss to the Blackhawks. David Banks-Imagn Images
The Rangers were fortunate that Ryan Donato 's goal was overturned after Sullivan successfully challenged for a hand pass on Colton Dach , but it did little to stifle Chicago's momentum.
Bedard capped the second period scoring after one-timing a feed from Andre Burakovsky into the top corner of the net for the 2-0 lead.
When Tyler Bertuzzi flipped in his 16th goal of the season less than four minutes into the third period, Vincent Trocheck smashed his stick on the ice in frustration.
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"We just didn't earn the bounces," Trocheck said. "We had one or two or three guys every shift, not five. So we have wasted energy on the forecheck where we have one or two guys going and third and fourth aren't there. It's just inconsistent with not playing a team game for the full 60 minutes."
