Over the first few weeks of the 2026-27 NHL regular season, the New York Rangers were the talk of the league with how well they were playing.
A scorching hot start at Madison Square Garden helped them to a 6-2-0 record out of the gate, looking like a playoff contender. Alas, that level of production has proven difficult to sustain, especially with injuries to their goaltenders stacking up.
Dylan Garand has appeared in nine consecutive games, which includes a stretch of seven straight starts, with Igor Shesterkin and Joonas Korpisalo sidelined. He began to look worn down in recent starts, so the team tried to get him a night off, but James Reimer lasted one period before being pulled against the Los Angeles Kings.
Head coach Mike Sullivan noted that the defense has to do a better job in front of the goalies, but there is a lot for the team to fix currently. Given the 1-4-1 slide they are on, it comes as no surprise they are heading in the wrong direction in NHL power rankings.
Where did Rangers land in NHL power rankings?
Austin Nivison of CBS Sports has the Rangers in a free fall. They have been placed at No. 15, a drop of seven spots compared to where they were last week. That makes them the biggest movers down the list this week, with the New Jersey Devils, who moved up 10 spots, being the biggest riser thanks in part to their acquisition of Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets.
The Devils are the team that started this brutal stretch for New York, defeating them at the Prudential Center 7-1 on Thursday, Oct. 15. That positive momentum has them ascending the rankings, while the Rangers head in the wrong direction.
The goaltending situation is what everyone will focus on as the issue for the team. It is certainly a contributing factor, with the hot start Garand provided them being no more. In his last two starts, against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, he has given up five goals apiece.
After Reimer was pulled and Garand was inserted into the game, he made 15 saves on 17 shots, but he has now dropped below .900 for his save percentage with three consecutive appearances under that number.
Rangers defense letting down goaltenders
Figuring things out defensively in front of Garand, or whoever is in net, is imperative. The team’s performance at the blue line has not been good once again, with the pairings of Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi and rookie Alberts Smits and Braden Schneider struggling to produce.
Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov remain a strong No. 1 pairing, but they cannot play every second on the ice. Of course, it isn’t just on the defensemen to perform at a high level in the defensive scheme, as there have been mistakes by forwards in that area of the game as well.
It has culminated in some ugly hockey recently by the Blueshirts. With five days of rest between games, this extended break could not have come at a better time.
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