The New York Rangers started this season shaky, and then, after a period that bore some semblance of success, the team came crashing down again. The Rangers are now seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 28 points, performing slightly worse than their arch-rivals, the New York Islanders.

To make matters worse, the Rangers recently ended their three-game winning streak in an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning on home ice, prompting a reaction from a former star defenseman.

Chris Pronger has Blunt Response to the Rangers’ Fall on Home Ice

Earlier, on November 12, the Lightning suffered a 7-3 loss to the Rangers at the Benchmark International Arena. The victory marked a fifth consecutive road win for the Rangers. But when the teams met again at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, the picture was entirely different and not to the Rangers’ liking.

A hungry and relentless Lightning roster thoroughly overpowered the Rangers to secure a 4-1 victory on the road. With that, the Lightning, who are currently reigning over the Atlantic Division with 34 points. Brandon Hagel played a crucial role in orchestrating the team’s victory with two goals. Hagel now has a five-game goal streak. The 27-year-old has eight goals over the last five games.

The Rangers simply couldn’t keep up with Tampa, which ultimately led to the outcome. J.T. Miller admitted his team’s shortcomings after the game, emphasizing that the team lacked the drive and the edge necessary for winning. “We did it to ourselves”, Miller stated.

“There was no urgency today. We dipped our toe into the game and got outplayed basically the whole time. It’s unacceptable. We’re trying to develop a standard and an identity around here, and that was certainly not it,” the Rangers captain noted, as reported by NHL senior writer Dan Rosen.

Chris Pronger kept his response sharp but straightforward. “Ouch 🤕”, the former Philadelphia Flyers blueliner posted on his X account. His reaction is not far off from how most Rangers fans ought to have felt after such an embarrassing defeat at their home arena.

Mike Sullivan weighed in on the Lightning-Rangers showdown at Madison Square Garden and emphasized the Rangers’ focus on just somehow getting back on their feet and securing the best outcome for the rest of the season.

“We kill it off, we get back to 5-on-5, and then they get one off the rush. Just attention to detail. We had numbers back and we just don’t defend it the right way. But we’ve got to find a way to push back,” Sullivan stated after the game.

As we enter December, the season only gets more exciting. The Rangers are meeting the formidable Dallas Stars, who are in second position in the Central Division with 38 points, riding the wave of a four-game winning streak. The Stars and Rangers will meet at the American Airlines Center on Dec. 2 on the latter’s home ice. Will this showdown allow the Rangers to redeem themselves?