The host Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers both are aiming to end two-game losing streaks Wednesday.
The predicaments are not as similar as they might seem.
New York is coming off successive overtime losses to visiting Colorado and Vegas on Saturday and Sunday, both by scores of 3-2.
Chicago, meanwhile, absorbed blowouts of 6-0 and 7-1, respectively, in Los Angeles and Anaheim on successive nights. The Blackhawks have lost consecutive games by at least six goals for the first time since 1951.
“When you get your butt kicked on the scoreboard two nights in a row like that — and (Sunday) was a total, total whupping — your confidence slips,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said. “But this is a big-boy league, man. You’ve got to have mental toughness.
“We’ll get out of here, fly home and get back out (to practice). But there’s lessons to be learned. The one thing I’ve been impressed (about) with this team is, they’ve learned lessons.”
Chicago looks to have a different mix than the group that last skated at United Center on Nov. 30. The team sent rookie defenseman Sam Rinzel and forward Landon Slaggert to Rockford of the American Hockey League this week.
While the past two losses have been historically one-sided, the Blackhawks actually have been struggling for the past three weeks. They are 2-6-2 in the past 10 games, getting outscored 42-22 over that span.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Chicago forward Andre Burakovsky said, “and we’ve got to correct some things and just overall be better.”
New York couldn’t hold a one-goal lead in the last minute of regulation on Sunday but nonetheless took positives from a brief, two-game homestand against Colorado and Vegas, which both entered Tuesday as top-five teams in the Western Conference.
The Rangers are 5-1-2 in their past eight games after earning 10 wins over their first 23 games.
“We’re starting to do a lot of the right things more on a consistent basis, especially against the top teams in the league,” New York forward J.T. Miller said Sunday. “We looked at this week as a really good challenge. Dallas, Ottawa and these two (games), eight points were up for grabs, and we got six. I think we’ll take that any day of the week.
“I think we’re getting rewarded by getting team points. We’re hanging in there. It’s a hard part of the schedule, every team goes through it, and we’re trying to grind. I love that we’re playing some of the top teams in the league right now. It’s an unreal challenge for our group to kind of see where we’re at.”
New York has especially shown resilience with All-Star defenseman Adam Fox (upper body) on long-term injured reserve.
“I think we’re moving towards the identity that we’re trying to build and the game that we want to play. And we’ve just gotta continue to stay hungry and continue to work at it,” Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think once again, when you play some of the better teams in the league like we have most recently, and the guys perform the way they have, I think it provides a lot of evidence. And I think that reinforces belief in what we’re doing and how we’re going about it.”
The Blackhawks and Rangers split two meetings last season, with New York outscoring Chicago 7-4.
