Daily Report – 1/13/26
Rangers
The Rangers haven’t earned a regulation win at home since November 24. Today is January 13, and the Rangers’ five wins in 21 home games are the second-fewest in the NHL. New York has now tied its season-high four-game losing streak, and the Rangers have lost seven of their previous eight games.
Last night at the Garden, the Rangers scored the first two goals against Seattle, but they allowed the next four. It wasn’t 10 goals like in Boston on Saturday, but the Rangers allowed the Kraken enough scoring chances, and they couldn’t fend off former teammates Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren.
Ahead of yesterday’s game, the Rangers demoted Alexis Lafrenière to the third line on account of his lackluster performance, but playing fewer minutes wasn’t enough to spark the young forward. He still finished the night without a point. It was part of the recipe for a disaster that led to a second and third-period collapse.
The Rangers came out firing in the first period, with Mika Zibanejad and Sam Carrick each finding the back of the net before the six-minute mark. New York outshot Seattle 11-9 in that frame. Yet, they finished the game trailing in shots on goal, 29-22. What an embarrassing attempt to wipe away the imprint of Saturday’s blowout defeat!
“It’s not a time to just hang our heads and feel sorry about ourselves,” said Vladislav Gavrikov, who was on the ice for a team-worst three goals against. “We’ve just got to keep going. We still have a bunch of games upcoming for us, and we’ve got to compete every single night.”
Yet, somehow, it feels like the Rangers are feeling sorry for themselves. They aren’t competing. Their situation is becoming more dire by the minute.
The second and third periods were, in a word, boring. The Rangers brought a ho-hum attitude into the second frame, and they couldn’t reverse it in the third. Seattle improved to 7-1-2 in their last 10 games, and this win gave the Kraken extra leverage in the Western Conference playoff race. It took just 60 seconds for Eeli Tolvanen to put the Kraken on the board in the second period. Three minutes later, Jordan Eberle tied the score. Seattle clearly wanted to win more than the Rangers.
“We had to expect a pushback from them,” Zibanejad remarked. “I think, honestly, it comes down to execution.”
Zibanejad was quick to acknowledge his team’s lack of confidence, calling their current state “fragile.” He said the only solution is to keep working. For players to come to practice every day and work as hard as ever.
“It stings,” Zibanejad said. “It’s not fun to lose. We’re trying to look for answers.
“Obviously, whatever you want to say about it, but confidence is maybe not as high. When things don’t go our way, I don’t know if we’re helping each other out as much as we should. From that, the execution becomes harder because you have to make a harder play, and you get stretched out where you can’t defend because guys are everywhere.”
Berkley Catton gave Seattle the lead with eight minutes left in regulation, and the Rangers, who were spending more time praying Seattle wouldn’t score than defending their net, were instantly dejected. They drew a penalty 24 seconds after Catton’s go-ahead goal, but they couldn’t tie the game then, or in the final two minutes with their net empty. The Rangers reportedly conducted a “spirited” practice ahead of yesterday’s game, but it wasn’t enough to inspire a winning mindset.
Part of the issue was that JT Miller reaggravated an injury during the game, which reduced his net-front effectiveness. He was at a loss for words after yesterday’s loss.
“I don’t know. I don’t know,” Miller said. “I’m sorry.”
Meanwhile, head coach Mike Sullivan was quick to support his team’s mentality.
“This game isn’t for the faint of heart,” said Sullivan. “When you go through circumstances like this, my experience is you have to simplify the game. […] I understand the circumstance we’re in, but the answers are inside our locker room, and that’s where we have to look for them.”
In reality, the only answers that lie inside the Rangers’ dressing room are the players they should deal before the deadline. Players like Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafrenière, and Vincent Trocheck could yield significant returns for the Rangers.
Following last night’s loss, “Fire Drury” chants echoed through the Garden walls. The best thing Chris Drury can do now, and possibly the only good thing he can do all season, is to make wise trades at the deadline. Otherwise, this depressing group of Blueshirts will get even bluer.
Knicks
Jalen Brunson makes the Knicks dance, but Josh Hart makes them sing. On Sunday night, the Knicks played one of their most well-rounded games in weeks, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 123-114 in Oregon. In the process, the Knicks snapped Portland’s five-game win streak.
Josh Hart returned to the Knicks’ lineup for the first time since injuring his ankle against Cleveland on Christmas Day. Instantly, the Knicks received a jolt of energy. Each starter scored at least 18 points, and the Knicks whipped up some late magic to defeat the streaking Blazers.
Hart was one of two 18-point scorers for New York, and in 31 minutes, he added six assists, three rebounds, two steals, and a block. He touches every area of the box score, and then some. He is the firepower the Knicks missed dearly for three weeks, when they went 3-5.
“A lot of our guys are irreplaceable, and Josh is obviously one of those guys,” said head coach Mike Brown. “Our activity tonight was great to see, especially on the road against a team playing really well. All those guys can pass, dribble, and shoot.”
Hart understands what he means to the Knicks. “If we were on a good little run, I’d have taken a couple more days, couple more games,” he said.
Fortunately, some players heal quickly.
“I don’t think there’s pressure when I’m coming back,” Hart said. “It’d probably be more pressure if we were on a five-game winning streak. I can’t come in and mess things up.”
In the fourth quarter, Hart was noticeable, but no Knick shone brighter than OG Anunoby, who scored 14 of his 24 points, including a pair of critical three-point shots. His first triple gave the Knicks the lead. His second extended that lead to eight points. Between them was a key three-point shot by Miles McBride. All three shots were part of an 11-0 Knicks run that ended with Hart putting them ahead by two with 2:53 remaining.
Jrue Holiday responded to Hart’s shot with a three-pointer, but Brunson answered back with another. Then, five straight points by Shaedon Sharpe reduced Portland’s deficit to five points with 1:48 remaining, but the Knicks weren’t scared. They had Josh Hart available. He drove into the paint and nailed a floater.
“I was trying to do what I do,” Hart said. “Try to bring toughness and physicality. Try to get guys going. Making it difficult, doing everything we needed to do. I thought we did a decent job of that. We’re building right now.”
The only Knicks starter who didn’t get to contribute to the fourth-quarter comeback was Karl-Anthony Towns. He was subbed out in the final nine minutes after being on the court for eight points against to start the frame. Mitchell Robinson, who finished the night with 11 rebounds, netted four in the fourth quarter, along with a pair of blocks, while Towns sat and watched.
Towns finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes, but the Knicks outscored Portland by 11 points without him active in the final frame.
“We normally do [close with Towns],” Brown said. “On the minutes sheet, he’s there [to play down the stretch], but we strung a lot of stops together. And we were getting out and going, and I will do this. If I think our group is rolling, I’ll keep a group out there. As long as it doesn’t impact a guy’s minutes drastically. And that group was rolling, and I kept them out there because of it.”
Evidently, Brown’s decision paid off, and the Knicks looked like their best selves once again.
