Rangers flop in ugly shutout loss to rebuilding Blackhawks

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.CHICAGO — To say the Rangers played down to their opponent insinuates they were superior in the first place.Not even that was a sure thing against the ever-rebuilding Blackhawks Wednesday night, when the Blueshirts couldn’t execute, well, anything in a 3-0 loss that counted as their third in a row.It marked their sixth shutout loss of the season, as well as their first time getting blanked on the road.When the Rangers offense has gone cold this season, it’s become almost completely stagnant.

It doesn’t just falter, it all but disappears.They struggle to connect on passes.

Time in the offensive zone not only dwindles as the game goes on, but the quality plummets.Watching Chicago’s first-overall pick in 2023, Connor Bedard, dazzle in a two-point performance only pours salt in an open wound.Meanwhile, the Rangers’ top pick in 2020, Alexis Lafrenière, has posted three goals (one empty-netter) in the last 14 games amongst several no-show performances.It was a night when the Rangers marquee skaters could not get on the scoresheet, which more often than not means the team as a whole will have a hard time doing so.If Artemi Panarin, J.T.

Miller and Mika Zibanejad aren’t going, the Rangers lose so much of their offensive game.This appeared to be one of the better games of the season for a Blackhawks team that had lost their last two in a row, as well as eight of their last 10.Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin had to be particularly sharp to start this one.Stopping 10 shots through the first period on the way to 22 saves on the night, the star Russian netminder robbed the Blackhawks of at least two goals through the opening 20 minutes.A long rebound set up Andre Burakovsky for a wide-open shot on goal, but Shesterkin got over in time to knock the puck away with his blocker.

Shortly after, Shesterkin slid over in t...