HC Peter Laviolette voices his displeasure against "too loose" Rangers defense in 7-5 collapse against Kraken

The New York Rangers suffered a 7-5 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. It was the Kraken's first win at the Garden in their three-year history. The Rangers had a 3-1 lead early but allowed four goals in the second period.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette expressed frustration with the team’s defensive performance, noting that defensive breakdowns at key moments led to the collapse.

“The goals were the chances, that was it, We had the pieces in place and when it came down to the point where it had to be defended, it got loose,” Laviolette said (0:09 mark).

“Definitely not what you’re looking for, you’re in charge of a game 3-1 and like I said, the chances were the goals. We could’ve been tighter and better in those situations,” he added.

Seattle’s comeback started with Brandon Tanev’s goal, cutting the lead to 3-2. Eeli Tolvanen tied the game shortly after, exploiting space in the Rangers’ zone. Oliver Bjorkstrand’s second goal of the game, a deflection, gave the Kraken the lead before the second period ended.

The struggles continued in the third period. Vince Dunn scored from long range, and Shane Wright added another goal to extend Seattle’s lead. Laviolette emphasized the need for tighter defensive play.

“The scoreboard and the goals,” Laviolette said (0:52 mark). “If you go back and look at it, the chances — all of them — were the goals. So at those points in the game, we needed to defend better than what we did. We had the pieces in place, it was a little bit too loose and that looseness cost us.”

The Rangers were without Igor Shesterkin, as his wife went into labor with their second child. Jonathan Quick started, and Dylan Garand was recalled from AHL Hartford as the backup. The defensive struggles continued despite these roster changes, highlighting areas the team needs to improve.

New York Rangers' area of concern after recent underwhelming performances

The New York Rangers’ last nine games have been underwhelming. They have lost seven of those contests, falling to fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 29 points.

Before this slump, they were excelling with a 12-4-1 record, after winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season.

The Rangers recently gave their star goalie Igor Shesterkin a massive eight-year, $92 million contract extension. Shesterkin has a goals-against average of 2.99 and a save percentage of .908.

However, his performance has been inconsistent, with a record of 9-9-1. He has lost five of his last six starts, raising questions about New York's offense and defense.