The New York Rangers faced yet another unpleasant loss during their latest game. The Calgary Flames delivered a 2-1 defeat against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden thus ending their three-game skid in the process. Nazem Kadri came in clutch, with a goal and an assist, while Long Island native Matt Coronato sealed the deal with a slick power-play finish. Meanwhile, Dan Vladar barely broke a sweat with just 12 saves—because, let’s be real, the Rangers barely tested him. As the only offensive threat New York produced against Calgary, Artemi Panarin managed to extend his point streak to 10 games with his initial goal, yet the Rangers failed to produce any more offensive strength.

Three shots in the second period? Zero in the last 11 minutes? Yikes. The Flames advanced their playoff position because they moved toward catching the St. Louis Blues for the Western Conference wild card slot. During the third period Chris Kreider attempted to equalize the score but Vladar stood steadfast like a stone while blocking the attempt. Igor Shesterkin did his part too, flashing the leather and stretching out to deny Jonathan Huberdeau late in the game. But the Rangers just couldn’t find the magic. And now? The whispers are getting louder. And a Rangers star just dropped a truth bomb as he spoke about possible “disconnect” within the team.

“It easily could have been worse,” said Vincent Trochek said Vincent Trochek in a post-game interview shared by the New York Rangers on YouTube. Conceding that the Flames were the better unit on the night, Trochek said, “I think there were just times that we needed to be working as a group of five more.” This led the journalist to ask a million dollar question: “Where was the disconnect? Do you feel like tonight, just where you couldn’t get it together? Communication?” And Trocheck kept it honest, saying, “No, I just think that we have a system in place that we need to use.”

He added, “Takes five guys in a forecheck, five guys in the neutral zone, five guys in the D-zone, and felt like at times we had three and the other two weren’t working out.” Translation? The chemistry just wasn’t clicking. The system exists yet it fails if even one guy is out of sync. So yeah, the Rangers just can’t escape this losing streak. Before their latest L, they fell 3-1 to the Oilers on March 16, with Leon Draisaitl extending his 18-game point streak.

Igor Shesterkin’s 20-save effort wasn’t enough as the only goal by Will Cuylle was a mere consolation. Now, their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, barely ahead of Columbus in the wild card race. Even the coach knows—if they don’t turn this around fast, they’re in trouble.

New York Rangers’ coach makes an honest confession!

A few days ago, the Rangers finally got their revenge, and they didn’t just win—they dominated. After that brutal 7-3 loss last Sunday, they stormed into Columbus and shut the Blue Jackets down 4-0, silencing the crowd on their own turf. But don’t let that score fool you—this wasn’t a walk in the park. Coach Peter Laviolette could feel the nerves creeping in before puck drop. With a playoff spot on the line, every moment felt heavier. “We started a little bit jumpy,” he admitted after the game. Even with the clean sheet and a much-needed climb back into wild-card contention, the Rangers weren’t exactly celebrating just yet. If anything, they’re more locked in than ever.

Laviolette remained grounded—this victory was good, but the work is far from done. “We got a lot of work to do,” the coach said, fully aware that the other teams are not far behind and will take that playoff position as soon as New York lets go. The Rangers simply cannot afford to stumble as they look to the future. Both teams were tied at 70 points when they entered Columbus, however, the Jackets had played in one more game than the Rangers. That pressure? Massive. Laviolette didn’t like leaving things up to fate, and he sure doesn’t want to rely on tiebreakers again.

That’s why he’s preaching control. No more scoreboard watching, no more stressing over who’s got games in hand. “We’re completely in charge of winning hockey games and don’t have to look anywhere else,” he declared. That is the attitude, win and everything else will follow suit. But as he said rather roughly, “still a ton of work to be done.” The Rangers understand what is at risk. Now, it is time to show that the team belongs to the playoffs.