Rangers HC Mike Sullivan cushions players from heavy criticism after blowout loss to Hurricanes

The New York Rangers suffered a tough 3-0 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. This loss came after a three-game win streak in which they defeated the Vancouver Canucks, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Seattle Kraken.

Despite the unpleasant loss, head coach Mike Sullivan avoided harsh criticism of his players. After the game, NHL reporter Mollie Walker shared Sullivan’s comments on X.

"These guys are human," Sullivan said. [2:13 onwards]. "They care a lot about what's going on. Of course, we want to be a team that prides itself on being good at home, being stingy at home, making this a tough place for people to play."

The loss extended the Rangers’ home struggles. They are now 0-5-1 at Madison Square Garden and have scored only six goals in six home games. They remain winless at home despite stronger performances on the road (6-1-1).

Pyotr Kochetkov made 25 saves in his season debut for Carolina, securing his shutout win. Nikolaj Ehlers, Sean Walker, and Seth Jarvis scored for the Hurricanes, who improved to 8-4-0. Kochetkov stopped J.T. Miller on a key power-play chance in the second period to preserve the shutout.

Sullivan talked about their scoring chances in the game, including the one involving Miller.

"I thought when you look at how the game was played in the first two periods, there was a lot to like about our game," Sullivan said. "Some of the quality looks, I'm not sure we could get better looks. 'Bread' (Panarin) was in alone. J.T. (Miller) had a rebound chance right in the slot. Jonny Brodzinski had a Grade A chance right in the slot. There's three off the top of my head..."

Sullivan is taking a calm approach despite the Rangers' shutout loss

New York holds a 6-6-2 record and sits fifth in the Metropolitan Division, tied with the Blue Jackets and Islanders. The Rangers average just 2.21 goals per game, near the bottom of the league, while allowing 2.43 goals per game. Adam Fox leads the team with 11 points, and Taylor Raddysh has five goals.

Despite inconsistency and offensive struggles, Sullivan stressed patience as the team looks to regroup in their next game.

"That's just the way it's going for us right now," Sullivan said. "We've just got to keep fighting."

They will next face the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. After that, they will have an opportunity to improve at home against the Islanders and Predators on Saturday and Monday, respectively.