New York Rangers Face Toughest Losses Of The 2024-25 Season

The 2024-25 season has not gone according to plan for the New York Rangers. Just one year removed from winning the Presidents’ Trophy with the best NHL regular-season record, they now find themselves fighting for their playoff lives with 13 games remaining. There’s been some pretty brutal losses that the Rangers have built up over the season, whether they were home-ice blowouts, choked overtime defeats, or just straight up no-shows. With that in mind, we decided to take a look back on the 10 worst losses of the 2024-25 season … so far.

One of the most devastating losses came on December 2 when the Rangers faced their fierce rivals, the New Jersey Devils. After entering the game desperate for a win, the Rangers suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat at Madison Square Garden. Jack Hughes was particularly instrumental in the loss, netting two goals and leaving the Rangers reeling.

Just a few days later, on November 29, the Rangers lost 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers. This marked the team's fifth consecutive defeat and set a season-high losing streak. Travis Konecny played a significant role in the victory for the Flyers, scoring two goals while the Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck could only manage a single goal.

One of the most alarming defeats came on December 9 against the Chicago Blackhawks, who were last in the league at the time. The Rangers lost 2-1 at home, failing to capitalize on what should have been an easy victory. The crowd at Madison Square Garden voiced their frustration with boos as the performance fell flat.

The Rangers’ struggles continued on December 17 when they were shut out by the Nashville Predators, losing 2-0. Juuse Saros delivered a stellar performance for Nashville, halting 25 shots on goal. At this point, the Rangers found themselves in a significant slump, losing to two different last-place teams.

Another disheartening performance occurred on December 23, when the Rangers again faced the Devils, this time suffering a 5-0 loss. The Rangers could hardly muster any offense, recording a season-low of only 12 shots on goal. The game epitomized how poorly the team was playing against their rivals.

As March approached, it became evident that the playoffs were slipping further away. On March 8, in a critical game against the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers squandered a 3-1 lead late in the game. Despite a strong performance from Artemi Panarin, who scored, the Rangers allowed two goals and ultimately lost 4-3 in overtime after a significant turnover by K’Andre Miller led to Brady Tkachuk’s game-winning goal.

On January 7, the Rangers dropped another overtime heartbreaker against the Dallas Stars, losing 5-4. New York had initially taken a commanding 3-0 lead but faltered when they allowed the Stars to crawl back into the game. It was a hard lesson for the Rangers against a tough Western Conference team.

The Rangers faced perhaps their worst defeat on February 22 against the Buffalo Sabres, suffering an explosive 8-2 loss. Coming off a break, they were clearly unprepared, surrendering five unanswered goals in the first period alone. This game encapsulated everything that had gone wrong for the team throughout the season.

Just a few weeks later, they found themselves up against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 9 in another crucial matchup only to lose 7-3. In a game pivotal for playoff positioning, Adam Fantilli’s hat trick further sealed the Rangers’ fate and significantly lowered their chances of making the postseason.

The most recent low point came on March 18 against the Calgary Flames, where the Rangers lost 2-1. Despite taking an early lead, the Rangers were largely absent on the offensive end, managing only 13 shots on goal. It left many fans wondering, have the Rangers called it quits?

The 2024-25 season has indeed been a rollercoaster for the New York Rangers, which brings into question the team's ability to regroup and fight for a playoff berth. With every game becoming crucial, fans and analysts alike are left to ponder if the team can turn their performance around before it's too late.