The Jets face a long upward climb, the Ducks have hit a wall and the Kings look uninspired, while the Rangers might be beyond hope.

There have been construction delays at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, concerns about the ice quality, a shorter-than-expected ice surface and questions about whether it will be safe for NHL players heading to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.

That distinction did little to calm an angry fan base. The Rangers have the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 20-22-6 for 46 points. They average just 2.58 goals per game and allow over three goals per night. While the power play ranks inside the top 10, defensive lapses and injuries have erased momentum.

Hockey will once again be a flagship sport as next month’s Winter Olympics, not least because of the reintroduction of NHL players which will see some of the world’s best stars compete for a medal.

Brady Tkachuk scored his 200th career goal and collected two of his three assists in a four-goal first period for the Ottawa Senators, who netted the first six goals of an 8-4 victory over the host New York Rangers on Wednesday night.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Ottawa Senators vs. New York Rangers NHL game from January 14, 2026 on ESPN.

At the end of a youth hockey game during the intermission of an American Hockey League game in Pennsylvania, players began fighting each other.