Reeling Rangers finally get a needed break from miserable stretch

We interrupt this meltdown to bring you four days without a desultory Rangers loss. Yes, true, the NHL is closed for the holidays, which only serves to illustrate how far and how quickly the Rangers have fallen.A Stanley Cup contender about a month ago, the Blueshirts have descended into being a punchline like the Giants and Jets (they can’t lose Sunday, they’re on a bye week!). About the only good thing that can be said about Tuesday is that it was better than most of the 32 days that preceded it.

Certainly it was better than Monday, which began with the news that Chris Kreider was a healthy scratch and got worse from there. The Rangers managed only 12 shots on goal in a 5-0 loss in Newark which was every bit the laugher the score indicated.Jubilant Devils fans for sure were laughing watching their superstar Jack Hughes score two goals and their team go 3-for-4 on the power play while shutting down all four Rangers man-up opportunities. Afterward, Vincent Trocheck said the Rangers need to “show more heart.” Coach Peter Laviolette’s honest response was equally damning. “I agree with that,” he said.

“The purpose in which we play the game has got to be better.” On Nov.19, Kreider scored the game-winning goal in a 4-3 victory in Vancouver to give the Rangers a 12-4-1 record.

Even then, there were hints of trouble ahead as that mark was earned largely because of spectacular goaltending from Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick against a weak early schedule. Since then, the Rangers have lost 13 of 17 games to drop into a tie for last place in the Metropolitan Division with the Islanders.They rank 23rd in the NHL in points percentage and, though it might be a little soon to start looking here, they sit five points out of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with four teams to climb above. Asked Tuesday if the team’s sense of urgency is where it needs to be, defenseman Ryan Lindgen said: “We know it needs to be there.

Why we’re not ...