Rangers seek answers after loss to Blackhawks
NEW YORK — The New York Rangers had the NHL’s best record last season. Now, 27 games in, they are mired in the middle of the pack with eight losses in their past 10 games.
Three days after trading captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, the Rangers lost for the second straight day — 2-1 at home to the league-worst Chicago Blackhawks. This time, the underperforming squad heard boos multiple times from the crowd at Madison Square Garden, where New York has lost eight of 15 games this season.
“We’re not feeling great about that — for sure,” said Artemi Panarin, New York’s leading scorer, who was held without a point by his former team Monday. “We’ve got to play better so we don’t hear that anymore.”
The Blackhawks — who hadn’t won a game away from home in more than five weeks — played a solid road game featuring crisp execution, stout defense and minimal mistakes. The Rangers took 30 shots and managed just a short-handed goal by Will Cuylle against backup goalie Arvid Soderblom, who came in 1-6-1.
It was the second straight game in which New York was beaten by a second-string goaltender following Sunday’s 7-5 loss to Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer in a game in which they squandered a 3-1 lead.
“The execution was off all night. Could be fatigue. Could be mental. Could be anything,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said after the Blackhawks skated off with just their ninth victory in 28 games. “Regardless, it’s unacceptable. We’ve got to be better than that. You’re not going to win hockey games if you can’t execute.”
The Rangers started 12-4-1 but are 2-8-0 since winning 4-3 at Vancouver on Nov. 19. Trouba and his $8 million annual salary were sent away, creating cap space but leaving them without a true physical force on defense.
New York’s star goaltender Igor Shesterkin — whose eight-year, $92 million contract extension was announced Saturday — is 9-10-1 with six losses in his past seven decisions.
Laviolette emphasized that his team’s leadership group — now minus Trouba — will have to step up for the Rangers to rise in the standings.
“The only answers are going to come from that room,” Laviolette said. “We’ve got to be better than we were tonight.”
For 33-year-old forward Chris Kreider, the most senior Ranger, a potential answer exists in bringing the right mindset and producing sustained effort. New York visits Buffalo on Wednesday before returning home to face the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
“We have get back to work and show we can play the right way,” he said. “And we have to do that for 60 minutes.”
PASASDENA, Calif. — Nico Iamaleava threw for two touchdowns and ran for three more on Saturday as UCLA notched its first win of the season in stunning fashion, knocking off No. 7 Penn State 42-37 at the Rose Bowl.
The Nittany Lions, who lost to Oregon at home last week for their first loss of the season, have suddenly dropped two straight, and could fall out of the Associated Press Top 25 after a sluggish performance that saw the Bruins (1-4) take a 27-7 lead before holding off the visitors.
Penn State (3-2) allowed more than 400 yards to a team that hadn’t held a lead all season, and is being led by interim coach Tim Skipper after DeShaun Foster was fired Sept. 14.
“It feels great. That is a valiant team and our coaches, we stuck together. Everyone counted us out, we just needed to keep going to work,” Skipper said on the CBS game broadcast. “Every single play counted today. That is a top-notch Penn State team. We kept our minds right and just continued to execute.”
The Bruins became the first 0-4 team to defeat a top-10 team since 1985, when UTEP knocked off BYU.
“Ballers always ball out,” Skipper said of Iamaleava. “He shows up every single week. I’m glad he’s on my team, I will say that.”
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David Hale
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The stands at Kenan Stadium were nearly empty long before halftime, and the fervor that surrounded the hiring of Bill Belichick at North Carolina has, in the span of just five games, devolved into exasperation and frustration after the Tar Heels looked awful yet again in a 38-10 loss to Clemson.
UNC trailed 28-3 after the first quarter, giving up 14 points on Clemson’s first four plays. The Heels are now 0-3 against Power 4 teams, having been outscored by a combined total of 120-33.
Despite the struggles, Belichick shrugged off a need for structural changes so soon into his tenure.
“The main thing we need to do is to keep doing what we’re doing but do them better,” Belichick said. “Fundamentally we’re not doing the wrong things, we’re just not doing them well enough.”
Belichick chalked up Saturday’s defeat to self-inflicted wounds at “two or three critical times” and noted that execution and coaching are to blame.
“It’s a lack of concentration,” he said, “and part of that is coaching, too, so I’ll take my share of the responsibility.”
Saturday’s implosion comes just days after a letter from GM Mike Lombardi to donors was released publicly, in which Lombardi calls this a “rebuilding” campaign for the Tar Heels and explains in detail about a dearth of talent on this year’s team due to exits from past recruiting classes.
After the loss to Clemson, Belichick downplayed the branding of a rebuild, but when asked directly what he’s telling recruits about the status of the program, he appeared to acknowledge a long-term approach.
“We’re honest with them, honest that we’re building, and if you want to be a part of a program that’s being built, then we’re here for you,” Belichick said.
That’s not the notion UNC’s players seemed to embrace after a 2-3 start.
Quarterback Max Johnson, who got his first start Saturday in place of injured Gio Lopez, said he feels UNC has enough talent, and receiver Jordan Shipp strongly pushed back against the notion this program was in need of a rebuild.
“I’m not here to rebuild, I’m here to win football games,” Shipp said. “That’s why I’m here. Whatever they’re doing with the donors, that has nothing to do with me. I’m here to win football games and that’s what 100% of my focus is on.”
Belichick said he won’t make changes in personnel based on a long-term vision of the program, despite the poor results early on.
“The guys who deserve to play are going to play,” he said. “I’m not going to base it on how old they are or whatever. Guys that play the best deserve to play. We’ll see how that goes. My expectations are to come in and have a good week this week and get ready for Cal.”
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