Three straight losses. After a difficult start to the season, times haven’t necessarily gotten much better for the New York Rangers, at least in terms of on-ice results.
But head coach Alain Vigneault, in his first season with the Rangers, is taking the positives out of what he’s seen with a group of players he’s still getting familiar with.
“As far as work ethic, practices, off ice work, this group works as hard as any group I have been associated with,” said Vigneault, as per Newsday Long Island.
“It hasn’t translated to what I expect on the ice as far as performance and results, but I believe the work ethic that they’re doing and everything that’s under their control, hopefully the results are going to change in a positive way.”
The Rangers sit fourth in the Metropolitan Division, with a record of 15-16-1. But their 31 points has them ninth in the Eastern Conference, one point back of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Their struggles of late have been highlighted by back-to-back 4-1 losses, first to the Washington Capitals on Sunday and then the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
They were booed off the ice after losing to Nashville.
Not a good way to start off a nine-game home stand - remember, they had that nine-game road trip to begin the season - that leads them up to Dec. 23.