TAMPA, Fla. — Embarrassing doesn’t do it justice. Not even close.
Because the Rangers were historically bad, an utter no-show that resulted in a 9-3 loss to the Lightning on Thursday night.
The Blueshirts (8-7-2) came in having gone 5-1-1 in their previous seven, but this was some way to open their first multiple-game road trip of the season, continuing Saturday night against the Panthers. It was the first time the Rangers lost by six or more goals since Jan. 4, 2014, at Toronto; also the first time they allowed nine or more goals since the infamous season opener of 2013, a 9-2 loss at San Jose.