The New York Rangers staged an impressive comeback against the Colorado Avalanche, only to see it unravel in heartbreaking fashion with a late goal, falling 5-4 in regulation. Following the disappointing defeat, head coach Peter Laviolette delivered a stern wake-up call to the players in New York’s locker room.
The Rangers witnessed their ten-game point streak come to a very frustrating close as they squandered a late power play opportunity in the third period and conceded the game-winning goal for the Avs with just seconds left on the clock.
The loss set the Rangers back in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 2024-25 NHL season, as they now trail the second wild card spot by three points. New York had won its last two games and was aiming for its first three-game win streak since late November.
Peter Laviolette couldn’t hide his frustration after his team allowed what felt like a “silly” goal in the final moments of the matchup. After the game, Laviolette issued a stern reminder to his players.
Head coach Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers looks on against the New York Islanders during the first period during the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series.
“I think we’ve been playing pretty good, but right now it’s about collecting the points, too. When you’ve got one point sitti
ng there, it’s tough,” Laviolette stated, per Mollie Walker of The New York Post.
“Everybody’s frustrated, disappointed,” the coach commented, via NHL.com. “The guys kept fighting the entire day to get back in the game and finally caught a power play at the end to try to win it. That’s a tough loss just based on the day and the effort we put into the day. So, it’s frustrating. It’s tough.”
Late-game drama
The Rangers tied the game 4-4 with a late goal from Artemi Panarin. It seemed the game was destined for overtime, as the last five matchups between the Avalanche and Rangers had been decided in extra time.
Momentum shifted to New York’s side after a penalty by Cale Makar gave the Blueshirts a golden opportunity on the power play. However, the Rangers struggled to generate offense during their man-advantage, and things only went downhill from there.
Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on January 26, 2025 in New York City.
As Makar exited the penalty box, defenseman Will Borgen attempted a pass that was intercepted by the NHL’s top blueliner, who ignited a three-on-one rush. Arthur Lehkonen finished it off with less than 15 seconds remaining, leaving everyone in Madison Square Garden speechless.
Laviolette has Borgen’s back
While many pointed at the costly mistake from Borgen, who was just recently signed to a five-year $20.5million contract extension, Laviolette didn’t throw his defenseman under the bus for his mishap.
“Again, it was kind of a blind play,” Laviolette stated postgame. “Never saw it, never looked at it. Think you’re setting up one of the best goal scorers that we have for a chance to push the puck down. We’re still trying to win the game. Still only have four guys in the zone, so it’s kind of got that power play feel to it. Just didn’t catch the guy coming out of the box.”
