NEW YORK — The NHL season is less than a month old <a title="Ondrej Palat Jersey" href="www.officiallightningprostore.com Palat Jersey</a> , but the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers will be looking to escape some not-so-select company Tuesday night, when the Rangers host the Panthers at Madison Square Garden.Both teams lost their most recent games. The Rangers dropped a 4-1 decision to the visiting Calgary Flames on Sunday night. The host Panthers fell to the Detroit Red Wings, 4-3, in overtime on Saturday night.The defeats continued frustrating months for the Rangers (2-5-1), who have one regulation/overtime win, and Panthers (1-2-3), who have yet to win outside of the shootout. Only two other teams — the rebuilding Red Wings and the Arizona Coyotes, who have missed the playoffs the last six seasons — have one regulation/overtime win or fewer.Article continues below ...The loss to the Flames was only the second one this season in which the Rangers fell by more than one goal, but dropping a game that they controlled offensively is nothing new for New York, which outshot Calgary 45-26 and is outshooting opponents 275-266 thus far.“I feel like these types of games are starting to add up <a title="Ryan Callahan Jersey" href="www.officiallightningprostore.com Callahan Jersey</a> , unfortunately,” Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said Sunday night. “We are playing good enough to win games, but we are not finding ways to win games. It’s obviously something we need to change fast.”The Panthers have gotten off to an even more agonizing start. All of Florida’s losses have been by one goal. In hopes of changing up his team’s fortunes, head coach Bob Boughner tinkered with his back end at practice Monday, when he partnered Keith Yandle with Alexander Petrovic and Aaron Ekblad with Mike Matheson.The Panthers have allowed 25 goals, which was tied for ninth most in the NHL entering play Monday night.“We’re just trying different things,” Boughner told reporters following practice. “We could have four or five wins and have been to overtime five times. Those are fine lines in having a better record than it is. At this point of the season, I’m still looking for that extra level of protecting leads, playing a complete 60 (minutes). I want to see us respond.”Michael Hutchinson, who has been splitting time in net for the Panthers with James Reimer while starter Roberto Luongo recovers from a knee injury <a title="www.officiallightningprostore.com href="www.officiallightningprostore.com , will start at goalie Tuesday night. Hutchinson took the loss Saturday night, when he stopped 27 shots against the Red Wings.The Rangers are likely to counter with Lundqvist, who has started seven of eight games this season, including the last five in a row. Lundqvist was saddled with the loss Sunday night after recording 22 saves against the Flames.Hutchinson is 1-1-0 in three career appearances against the Rangers. Lundqvist is 24-10-3 in 38 games against the Panthers.The game Tuesday concludes a brief two-game homestand for the Rangers and starts a multi-country road trip for the Panthers, who visit the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils on Wednesday and Saturday before playing a pair of games against the Winnipeg Jets in Finland on Nov. 1-2. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Their hold on a spot in the playoffs hardly firm, the Minnesota Wild’s streak of six straight postseason appearances took a hit when captain Mikko Koivu tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee .For the 35-year-old Koivu, who has never advanced past the Western Conference semifinals and has just a 16-39 record with the Wild in the playoffs, this severe late-career injury was a most unwelcome development even for a determined, intense player like him.For the Wild <a title="Womens Steven Stamkos Jersey" href="www.officiallightningprostore.com Steven Stamkos Jersey</a> , the absence of their second-line center and best defensive forward will be impossible to cover up.For general manager Paul Fenton it created an unexpected complication to an already unclear picture about how to approach the NHL trade deadline on Feb. 25. Is this a postseason-caliber team, with the opportunity to make some noise in a tournament that’s one of the most unpredictable in sports? Or are the Wild bound for mid-April vacations and a higher-than-usual draft pick? Throughout his first season on the job, well, Fenton has acknowledged his own uncertainty.Should he try to buy and bring in a veteran center for the final push? Or start selling to restock the prospect pool? Stay tuned was Fenton’s answer to that question on Thursday morning, before the Wild hosted Edmonton.“I’m going to watch them play here a little bit. I actually have meetings with our staff to talk about where we are and how we are going forward here,” Fenton said. “I’m not trying to be mysterious. You guys watch our team as much and you look at the standings. Everybody is in it. It isn’t like we can say �Yes,’ or �No,’ or �You’re definitely in,’ or �You’re definitely out.’ It’s going to be a dogfight right to the end.”The Wild entered play Thursday in fourth place in the Central Division and in control of the first wild card spot, with one game in hand and a three-point lead on Vancouver. They haven’t produced a winning streak longer than three games since a five-game run that ended on Oct. 29 <a title="Tyler Johnson Jersey" href="www.officiallightningprostore.com Johnson Jersey</a> , and in the first three games this month out of their bye week they snagged just two of six points.“It’s an opportunity for somebody else to step up and to make their mark,” Fenton said.The recently acquired Victor Rask will move up one line. Joel Eriksson Ek, who was recalled from the AHL after Koivu was hurt at Buffalo on Tuesday night, also will be heavily relied on.“We’re really going to miss Mikko, because he might be the best player this franchise has ever seen,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “But if you sit and pout and go, �Woe is me,’ you’re going to be all done.”Koivu, who will have surgery Friday, did not speak to reporters. Fenton declined to speculate on his readiness for training camp in September <a title="Victor Hedman Jersey" href="www.officiallightningprostore.com Hedman Jersey</a> , but the typical recovery timeline for an ACL would put his availability for the 2019-20 season opener in doubt. That’s the final year on Koivu’s contract, with a $5.5 million salary cap hit.In the meantime, his defense will unquestionably be missed the most.“That’s my favorite part of his game,” goalie Devan Dubnyk said.Koivu missed just three or fewer games in eight of his first 13 seasons in the NHL. This one will be his career low for a non-lockout schedule.“I’m sure there’s a lot of teams in the league that play against this team that are thinking that, �Finally, we don’t have to play against that weight and size that he brings to the game,’ because he’s a very competitive guy,” Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock said. “I’ve seen him wear down a lot of good centers.”