“The shots are low, the chances are manageable,” MSG analyst Steve Valiquette noted postgame after the loss in Toronto. “This is the best defensive structure this team’s played with — minus a stretch two years ago when they won the Presidents’ Trophy. This is an amazing stretch to start the season.”

Rangers captain JT Miller spoke about the team's MSG struggles after Monday's loss to the Wild, their fourth on home ice.

"We've got to work on our offense," Artemi Panarin said. "Our defense hasn't been bad, but you can't win with one goal."

Before that happened, the Rangers had a golden chance to tie the game when Panarin set up Mika Zibanejad in the slot from behind the net for a point blank try. But Minnesota goalie Filip Gustavsson (22 saves) snatched it with his glove with 9:26 remaining to preserve the lead.

Wild rookie Danila Yurov scored his first NHL goal midway through the third period, sealing a 3–1 win for Minnesota and extending New York’s home winless streak to four games, albeit the Rangers have been much better far from home, going 3-0-1.

Now, after a fourth loss in as many games at Madison Square Garden this season, 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Monday, when the only difference was they scored one goal as opposed to the zero they got in the first three, the Rangers are letting their frustration out.

ONLY IN AMNEWYORK When the visiting locker room was ready, the New York Rangers’ teenage stick boy would hop on the ice at Madison Square Garden with a bag of pucks. Brian Mullen would have The Garden to himself for about an hour before Rangers home games.

A proposed NHL blockbuster has the Rangers and Stars swapping pending free agents in a deal that could reshape both teams’ futures.

"Henrik was both a prize catch and a gamble when the Rangers drafted him (seventh round, No. 205) in the 2000 (NHL Draft)," wrote George Grimm in "Guardians of the Goal: A Comprehensive Guide to Rangers Goaltenders, from Hal Winkler to Ed Giacomin, Henrik Lundqvist, and All Those in Between."

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.

Opportunity is knocking for the New York Rangers this week — if they can find a way to score some goals at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers (3-3-1) host two struggling teams, the Minnesota Wild (2-3-1) on Monday and San Jose Sharks (0-3-2) on Thursday,