Tuesday night's overtime loss at home to the Pittsburgh Penguins dropped the New York Rangers to an uncharacteristically poor 1-5-1 on the season -- dead last in the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division.
There's plenty of blame to go around, between coaching and inefficient play in all three areas of the ice, but solving the Rangers' struggles might not be an easy fix.
The league's highest-paid goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, is off to a dull start, ranking 24th and 28th in save percentage (.902) and goals against average (3.23), respectively. Elsewhere, the Rangers have $13.5 million tied up in stars Rick Nash and Marc Staal, leaving them with a cap-hit squeeze and taking spots away from prospects.
Seven games in, it's probably too early to hit the panic button in New York. But the signs of tumult are there. Can the Rangers right the ship before it's too late?
The Rangers are back in action at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, when they host the New York Islanders.
-- Brendan C. Hall