Rangers road collapse in Ottawa exposes alarming flaw Mike Sullivan cannot fix

The New York Rangers suffered a 7-4 road defeat against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre, dropping their away record to 1-5-1. Ottawa took an early 2-0 lead through Drake Batherson and Tim Stützle before Batherson added a second goal in the second period. Despite New York mounting a comeback with goals from Will Cuylle, Alexis Lafrenière, and Pavel Dorofeyev, Ottawa secured the win with a goal from Jake Sanderson and two late empty-net tallies, including Batherson's hat-trick goal.

Antonio Caruso argues that the loss highlights an alarming inability to overcome early deficits, noting the Rangers remain winless when conceding first. The analysis also emphasizes defensive breakdowns and rebound control issues for goaltender Dylan Garand during Igor Shesterkin's absence.