RSS Rangers Team Notes

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Islanders: Lineups, storylines for 1st clash between archrivals

So, it’s come to this for the New York Rangers. If they’re going to end a historically bad six-game winless skid (0-5-1) on home ice to begin the season, they’ll need to defeat the their archrival New York Islanders on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

As if, the teams and fans wouldn’t already be at a fever pitch for this rare Saturday night tilt at the World’s Most Famous Arena, the stakes feel even greater for this one. The Rangers are desperate to put these home-ice issues to rest for good. But the Islanders would love nothing more than to extend the Blueshirts misery at MSG.

That’s not even mentioning that it’s an important early-season game for each team. The Rangers (7-6-2) and Islanders (6-6-2) are separated by two points in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference standings, are meeting for the first time, and likely will battle for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs all season.

The Rangers come off one of their most complete 60-minute performances through 15 games. They defeated the Red Wings 4-1 in Detroit on Friday, improving their road record to a League-best 7-1-1.

Will Cuylle scored a power-play goal; Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists, days after shaving his head for good luck; Alexis Lafreniere scored his first goal in 13 games; Noah Laba played with boundless energy and scored a big goal; Jonathan Quick was terrific, making 32 saves.

Artemi Panarin is cooking tonight

That's his third point of the game! pic.twitter.com/AvgBPjnIoI

— NHL (@NHL) November 8, 2025

At 5v5, the Rangers held a considerable 28-11 advantage in scoring chances, including a dominant 17-4 edge in high-danger chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

Now, can they bottle that kind of effort and play a similar thorough game against the Islanders? Remember, the Rangers had a three-game winning streak — all on the road — before they returned to MSG, and despite a good start, were shut out by the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on Tuesday.

The Islanders are 2-3-2 after a four-game winning streak ended Oct. 25. After blowing a lead and losing to the Boston Bruins 4-3 in a shootout Tuesday, the Islanders trailed the entire way in a 5-2 loss Friday to the Minnesota Wild.

The Rangers swept the regular-season series against the Islanders last season, and finished ahead of them in the standings. However, that cost them in the end because the Islanders won the NHL Draft lottery, and selected stud defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 overall pick, a selection that is paying off quite nicely already.

Their winning streak over the Islanders sits at five games, and the Rangers are 8-1-0 in the past nine versus their suburban rivals.

3 storylines when Rangers host Islanders​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

1. Rookie watch​

Laba and Schaefer are making big impacts on their respective teams, despite vastly contrasting expectations for each rookie. Laba, a fourth-round selection in the 2022 draft, has won the hearts of Rangers fans, not to mention the trust and respect of his teammates and coach Mike Sullivan, with his infectious, hard-charging style. Hie effort and compete level are legit, and consistent. And there’s plenty of skill there with New York’s third-line center.

The 22-year-old helped ignite the Rangers on Friday with his third goal of the season, and second in three games. His five points in 15 games are tied for 14th among NHL rookies, and his three goals are tied for third on the Rangers. In short, he’s been a huge addition to the lineup and a big surprise with how far he’s come in his first pro season.

Noah Laba gets on the board in his home state of Michigan! pic.twitter.com/CnHcfJW9qA

— NHL (@NHL) November 8, 2025

Much more was expected from Schaefer, even though he didn’t turn 18 until training camp. The wonderkid hasn’t failed to impress and continues to deliver on the massive hype. Schaefer is second in rookie scoring with 11 points in 14 games, tied for first with five goals, and first with three power-play goals. He leads all rookies and all Islanders players by averaging 22:07 TOI.

And you’ve got to love how Schaefer is doing his best to reignite this Rangers-Islanders rivalry.

2. Fast start​

You know what wouldn’t hurt the Rangers on Saturday? A fast start, that’s what. And not just dominating puck possession and shots on goal for an extended stretch to start the game, like against the Hurricanes. But how about a goal or two or … ?

Listen, the MSG Faithful want to erupt and dance to the Rangers Goal Song, but they’re also nervous, waiting for the next bad thing to happen to the home team, considering its woeful start at The Garden. A goal or two early should ease much of the unrest and help get them into being a difference maker, a real home-ice advantage.

The numbers tell a story, too. The Rangers are 6-1-0 when scoring first this season, 4-0-0 when leading after the first period and 4-0-0 when holding a lead after two.

3. Igor vs. Ilya​

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Because they’re of similar age, good friends from back home in Russia, command big-time salaries, and considered to be two of the best in the world at their position, the spotlight is always on goalies Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin when the Rangers face off against the Islanders. That’ll be the case again Saturday, since each didn’t play Friday and will start Saturday.

Due in large part to the fact that the Rangers don’t score on home ice, Shesterkin is 4-5-2 in 11 starts this season. But his 2.26 goals-against average and .915 save percentage paint a better picture of his play. He started great, tailed off a bit for a couple games, and now appears to back in form. Lifetime against the Islanders, the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner is 9-8-1 with a 2.68 GAA, .910 save percentage and one shutout.

Sorokin was a finalist for the Vezina in 2022-23, but has struggled since — especially considering his lofty standards. The 30-year-old is 3-4-2 this season with a 3.33 GAA and .879 save percentage, continuing a downward three-year trend. Lifetime he is 3-6-2 against the Rangers with a 3.46 GAA, .897 save percentage, and one shutout.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Taylor Raddysh

Will Cuylle — J.T. Miller — Alexis Lafreniere

Conor Sheary — Noah Laba — Jonny Brodzinski

Juuso Parssinen — Sam Carrick — Jaroslav Chmelar

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson — Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

Rangers vs. Islanders: When, where, what time, how to watch​

Who: New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders

When: Saturday Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...anders-game-preview-lineups-storylines-rivals

 

[New York Rangers]

Key takeaways after Rangers’ home woes continue with 5-0 loss to Islanders

The New York Rangers celebrated some of their most famous moments and saves on “Miles and Milestones Night” – then went out and made the wrong kind of history against the New York Islanders.

The Rangers fell to 0-6-1 at Madison Square Garden when they were shut out for the fifth time at home, losing 5-0 to their archrivals. The Isles got two goals from Bo Horvat and a 33-save performance by Ilya Sorokin, who outplayed his friend and rival, Igor Shesterkin, with his best game of the season.

The Blueshirts (7-7-2) started fast but couldn’t beat Sorokin early, paid dearly for a couple of defensive lapses that turned into goals in the first period, lost the special-teams battle and played most of the last two periods in front of a sellout crowd whose silence was interrupted only by spurts of booing and some “Let’s Go Islanders” chants.

Even worse was having a night like this against their biggest rival, a team they swept last season and outscored 23-5 in the four wins. Shesterkin had beaten the Islanders seven straight times, and the visitors had dropped their last five visits to MSG.

After the cheers for players like Pete Stemkowski, Adam Graves and Mike Richter had died down, the Rangers started the game by picking up where they left off in their 4-1 win at Detroit on Friday night. The Blueshirts had two Grade A chances less than 15 seconds into the game, but Sorokin stopped Mika Zibanejad’s shot and foiled Artemi Panarin at the left post on the rebound.

Zibanejad beat Sorokin at 7:30 but rang the crossbar, and the Isles goaltender denied Will Cuylle through traffic in front soon after.

“I thought we had a great start,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “The first 10-12 minutes we were playing the kind of game we wanted to play.”

But the save on Cuylle wound up leading to the game’s first goal. The Islanders broke the puck out quickly and ended up with a 2-on-1 rush. Emil Heineman put a pass right on Horvat’s stick, and Horvat beat Shesterkin at 10:29 for his 10th of the season and a 1-0 lead.

What a pass, what a goal! #Isles | @Ford pic.twitter.com/o6X8K0Ihzw

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 9, 2025

That goal energized the Islanders, who began to dominate play. They held the Rangers shotless for the last nine minutes of the period – and made it 2-0 with 33 seconds left when Jonathan Drouin capitalized on another 2-on-1. Ex-Ranger Anthony Duclair’s saucer pass put Drouin in alone, and he went forehand-to-backhand before beating Shesterkin between the legs for his first goal since opening night.

“We beat ourselves in a lot of ways,” Sullivan said of the defensive breakdowns. “You can’t give up the type of 2-on-1s we did and expect success.”

The home side generated literally nothing at even strength in the second period – 5-on-5 scoring chances were 6-0 for the Isles; high-danger chances were 3-0, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Blueshirts’ only flurry came after ex-Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo was called for holding at 13:16. Zibanejad had two point-blank shots one-timers the slot, but Sorokin took both of them in the chest.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Isles got their first power play with 3:06 left in the period when Conor Sheary was called for hooking rookie defenseman Mathew Schaefer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The visitors were in a 2-for-26 slump with the extra man before Horvat got his second of the night at 18:42, beating Shesterkin after a terrific pass from Drouin.

The Rangers had only occasional chances in the third period until Sullivan pulled Shesterkin with five minutes remaining. They bombarded Sorokin with six shots on goal in less than three minutes but couldn’t score. Jean-Gabriel Pageau put the game away by hitting the empty net with 2:01 left, then set up Anders Lee for a rub-it-in goal with 30 seconds left.

The struggling Nashville Predators come to the Garden on Monday night. It will be interesting to see what Sullivan can come up with to turn around a team that can’t find the net in its own building.

Key takeaways after Rangers lose again at home, 5-0 to Islanders​

1. Home horrors continue​

The 0-6-1 start at the Garden is now officially the worst in franchise history. The 1943-44 team, which had been decimated by World War II and went on to go 6-39 with five ties, won its seventh home game after losing the first five and tying the sixth.

The seven-game losing streak at MSG matches the team record set from Oct. 20-Nov. 14, 1976, and matched when they lost the last seven games (one in overtime) at the Garden in 1992-93.

“Our group is a proud group,” Sullivan said. “Yeah, it wears on you. We haven’t won a game at home. If it doesn’t wear on you, there’s something wrong.”

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

This looked like the perfect setup for ending the victory drought at home. The Islanders have struggled to keep the puck out of their net all season, haven’t done well on either of their special teams and aren’t getting the kind of goaltending from Sorokin that they’ll need to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Instead, the night was eerily similar to Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes – a good start that doesn’t produce any goals, a couple of defensive mistakes that end up in their net — and another defeat.

“It’s frustrating,” captain JT Miller said. “Disappointing we can’t put together… we’ve had some good nights at home and some that weren’t. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot today.”

2. Tough night for the big guns​

The turning point of the game might well have come when Zibanejad beat Sorokin but rang the crossbar while the game was still scoreless. He also had two great chances during the Blueshirts’ second power play, only to hit Sorokin in the breadbasket each time.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Or maybe it came on the game’s first shift, when Sorokin got to the left post and foiled Panarin, who was wide-open after the Isles’ goaltender stopped Zibanejad’s shot. Or it could have been when Sorokin stopped Cuylle on the play that led to the game’s first goal.

The three combined for 15 shots on goal (six for Zibanejad, five for Panarin, four for Cuylle) – nearly half of the team total. But the result was the same as it’s been in five of the Rangers’ seven home games – a big zero on the scoreboard.

3. A non-contact night​

Islanders-Rangers games are usually full of physicality, with hits galore, a few scrums and the occasional fight. That was not the case Saturday.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Garden fans expected the Rangers to do some banging in an effort to slow down Schaefer, and Miller did welcome the rookie defenseman to MSG with a first-period belt into the boards, one of the four first-period hits he was credited with and half of the team total.

But the home side had just six hits over the final 40 minutes, one by Miller. They ended up being outhit 18-14 by the Isles, who aren’t close to being the kind of physical team they were in the early 2020s. Miller’s hit on Schaefer was the only one against the first player taken in the 2025 NHL Draft, who had three shots on goal, a takeaway, a blocked shot – and few if any bruises from contact with a Ranger.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/takeaways-home-loss-to-islanders

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers ‘got to find a way to win at home’ after 7th straight loss at MSG

Madison Square Garden has turned into a house of horrors for the New York Rangers. Not only can’t they win on home ice, they can’t even score a goal.

“I think we’re just playing like a different team home and away,” defenseman Adam Fox said after a 5-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday dropped them to 0-6-1 at MSG this season. “Got to figure it out and got to find a way to get wins at home, because it’s hurting us right now.

“We’ve talked enough about it. We’ve just got to find a way to win at home.”

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The loss dropped the Rangers to 7-7-2 overall, with the Nashville Predators coming to town on Monday night. Though the Rangers look like Stanley Cup contenders on the road, where they are an NHL-best 7-1-1, their performance at home is another story. They’ve been shut out five times in seven games at The Garden, joining the long-defunct 1928-29 Pittsburgh Pirates as the only other team in League history to shoot so many blanks so quickly at home.

Of the six goals they’ve scored on Garden ice, all but one came in a 6-5 overtime loss to the then-winless San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23.

“We’ve got to find a way to score,” said forward Mika Zibanejad, who rang the crossbar in the first period Saturday when the game was still scoreless, and had two excellent chances during a second-period power play.

“We’re aware of it and it’s frustrating not to be able to get a win at home. You want to build a feeling for teams coming in here; it’s going to be tough, but obviously, we haven’t.”

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The most recent home-ice loss followed an all-too-common script: the Rangers start well but can’t score, make a couple of defensive mistakes that wind up in their net, and spend the rest of the night unsuccessfully chasing the game. On Saturday, the Islanders turned a pair of defensive boo-boos into first-period goals off 2-on-1 rushes, and never looked back.

“More of the same for us at home,” Fox said. “Good start and got away from it, and then odd-man rushes and not close to where we should be at.”

Home losing streak, now at 7 games, starting to wear on Rangers​

The losses in front of their home fans are starting to wear on the Rangers.

“Yeah, we’re humans. It’s hard,” captain J.T. Miller said. “We all care. It’s not like it’s an effort-based thing.

“It’s frustrating. We’ve had some good nights at home and some that weren’t. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot today.”

Coach Mike Sullivan admitted he doesn’t know why the Rangers are like two different teams, depending on where they play. The clunker against the Islanders came 24 hours after a superb performance in a 4-1 road victory against the Detroit Red Wings.

“I watched a team last night play in Detroit that had a solid team game, that had a lot of collective effort and cooperative play out there,” Sullivan said Saturday. “We’ve won a lot of games on the road with the same game plan, with the same concept, so I know when we play the game a certain way we’re competitive and we beat some really good teams in the process.

“I wish I could put my finger on the struggles that we’ve had at home to this point, but what I do know is we’ve got to work through it together, and we’ll certainly do that.”

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Like his players, Sullivan is flabbergasted — and frustrated — at the difference in the Rangers’ home and road performances.

“If it doesn’t wear on you, something’s wrong,” said Sullivan, who’s still searching for his first win on the home bench at The Garden, with the Rangers set to host the struggling Predators (5-8-4). “That’s the way I look at it. It’s wearing on all of us. We want to pride ourselves in being a good team at home.

“We want to compete hard for the fan base that supports us. So I don’t think there’s any question it’s wearing on guys.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/rangers-home-struggles-islanders-loss

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers recall Gabe Perreault from Hartford, seeking to boost offense

The New York Rangers hope that calling up their best prospect, forward Gabe Perreault, from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Sunday will give a boost to their struggling offense and help them end a historically bad start at Madison Square Garden.

Perreault figures to be in the lineup Monday night when the Rangers host the Nashville Predators, seeking answers to a home start that’s been fueled by an inability to put the puck in the net. A 5-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday dropped the Rangers to 0-6-1 on home ice. They were shut out in five of the seven home losses, matching a dubious record held by the 1928-29 Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Rangers’ first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft signed an entry-level contract in late March after his second season at Boston College ended with a loss in the NCAA Tournament on March 30. He was scoreless in five NHL games. The son of former NHL center Yanic Perreault had a good training camp, but management decided he’d be better off playing top-six minutes at Hartford rather than seeing limited time (and likely in the bottom six) with the big club.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

However, the 20-year-old forward leads Hartford with 10 points (five goals, five assists) in nine games, and now gets another NHL chance with a team that’s averaging the fewest goals in the League (2.19 goals per game) in its 7-7-2 start.

Perreault is a player known for his offensive abilities, so this move was clearly made hoping to ignite New York’s offense. He recorded 108 points in 73 games at Boston College. At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, he doesn’t bring much to a lineup in terms of size, but that hasn’t stopped him from producing points at every level he’s played at.

Perreault missed the two most recent Wolf Pack games with an upper-body injury and was listed as day to day. That came after he was named the AHL Player of the Week for the prior week.

Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said during camp that he liked what he saw from Perreault, calling him “an NHL player in the making.”

To make room, the Rangers returned forward Jaroslav Chmelar to Hartford. Chmelar was scoreless in two games this past weekend, averaging 7:14 of ice time. He made his biggest impression in the third period of his NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night, getting into a spirited scrap with veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic during New York’s 4-1 win.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...rreault-recalled-in-hopes-of-boosting-offense

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Predators: Lineups, storylines in Vincent Trocheck lineup return

Still seeking their first win on home ice this season, the New York Rangers have some serious lineup reinforcements for their game against the Nashville Predators on Monday at Madison Square Garden.

Vincent Trocheck returns for the Rangers after missing the past 14 games with an upper-body injury. And New York’s top prospect, Gabe Perreault, makes his season debut after the 20-year-old forward was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Sunday.

Each will start out in New York’s top six, which lengthens the Rangers lineup considerably. Trocheck, who has one assist in two games this season, will center longtime linemates Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. And Perreault, who leads Hartford with five goals and 10 points in nine games, steps into a prime spot on the top line with J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad.

Not only does that fortify, New York’s top two lines, but it strengthens the bottom six, as well. Will Cuylle joins Noah Laba and Taylor Raddysh to form a solid two-way third line.

The fourth line, still missing Matt Rempe who’s out with an upper-body injury, gets Adam Edstrom back after a two-game absence and now includes veteran Conor Sheary, bumped down to play on a line centered by stalwart Sam Carrick.

The Rangers (7-7-2) certainly can use the good vibes and expected juice from the deeper, more skilled and balanced lineup, They’re 0-6-1 at MSG, the worst home record in the NHL. And the Rangers scored six goals in seven home games, shut out five times, including 5-0 by the Islanders on Saturday.

It also doesn’t hurt that they host the struggling Predators (5-8-2) on Monday. The Predators are winless in their past four games (0-2-2) and have one victory since Oct. 26 (1-5-2). They lost a back and forth game to the Dallas Stars on Saturday, 5-4, the eighth time in their past nine games that the Predators allowed three goals or more.

This is also Nashville’s final game in North America before taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins twice in Sweden this weekend, part of the NHL Global Series.

3 storylines when Rangers host Predators​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

1. Rangers expect ‘jolt’ from Vincent Trocheck’s return​

All things considered, the Rangers survived Trocheck’s month-long absence pretty well. They were 6-6-2 after the 32-year-old center sustained his injury in the second game of the season against the Buffalo Sabres. Taking into account their winless skid at MSG, it’s even more impressive that the Rangers were at NHL-.500 without Trocheck, and speaks, of course, to their tremendous success on the road, where they are a League-best 7-1-1.

Trocheck is a letter-wearing veteran, respected and beloved by teammates, coaches, and fans alike. He plays in every game situation, and averages nearly 21 minutes TOI per game during his three-plus years on Broadway. He’s as irreplaceable as anyone on the Rangers roster. So, yes, it’s a big deal that’s he’s back.

“I think he’ll give our team a jolt,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said after the morning skate. “I just think just his presence alone from a leadership standpoint means a lot to this group. The hockey side of it goes without saying, he’s a terrific hockey player, as we know. It’ll be nice to get him back.”

2. Rangers rookie lands prime spot​

Credit: Hartford Wolf Pack

Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

There’ll be no easing Perreault into things. He’s expected to play serious minutes at even strength alongside talented veteran forwards Miller and Zibanejad.

“Our intention is to try to set him up for success so he can play to his strengths. In other words, I don’t know that it makes a lot of sense to call up a player like that and put him in a bottom-six role,” Sullivan explained.

Perreault’s produced at every stage of his career, though he was pointless in five games with the Rangers after he signed his entry-level contract late last season. He had a strong showing in training camp, and just seven days ago was named AHL Players of the Week. So, the Rangers believe he’s ready to slot into an important role right away.

“He’s a good playmaker, and he’s playing with two pretty good players,” the coach said. “I think Gabe will help those guys with his offensive instincts. I think he has the ability to get those guys the puck in the right areas.”

3. Another zero hero?​

The Rangers and Predators split their season series in 2024-25, each side winning with a shutout. Jonathan Quick and the Rangers blanked the Predators 4-0 at MSG on March 2. That was after Juuse Saros led Nashville to a 2-0 home-ice win on Dec. 17.

Though the Predators have yet to record a shut out this season — nor be shut out in defeat — the Rangers have been involved in seven shutouts over their first 16 games this season. As noted above, they have five shutout losses on home ice; the Rangers also recorded a pair of shutouts of their own, one apiece for Igor Shesterkin and Quick.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

J.T. Miller — Mika Zibanejad — Gabe Perreault

Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Taylor Raddysh

Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Conor Sheary

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen — Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

Rangers vs. Predators: When, where, what time, how to watch​

Who: New York Rangers vs. Nashville Predators

When: Monday Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...ups-storylines-vincent-trocheck-lineup-return

 

[New York Rangers]

Key Rangers takeaways after 6-3 win over Predators ends home losing skid

Hey! Hey! Hey, Hey, Hey! Cue up the New York Rangers goal song and chalk up the Blueshirts’ first home-ice win of the season, a long-awaited 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

The Rangers (8-7-2) entered the night winless in their first seven home games (0-6-1). If that wasn’t mind-boggling and frustrating enough, they scored six goals in those seven games and were shut out five times.

But the Rangers had five different goal-scorers against the Predators, and Vincent Trocheck added two assists in his return to the lineup after missing 14 straight games due to an upper-body injury. That was plenty for the Rangers to hand the Predators (5-9-2) their fifth straight loss (0-3-2).

“The first seven games we didn’t like. We played some decent hockey, but couldn’t score, couldn’t win. It was good today to score a couple,” said Alexis Lafreniere, who had a season-high three points (one goal, two assists).

Artemi Panarin scored twice and Gabe Perreault picked up his first NHL point with an assist in his season debut after the 20-year-old was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Sunday.

Power play Laffy feat. Gabe’s first NHL point. pic.twitter.com/aWvLH0BsBW

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 11, 2025

Vladislav Gavrikov had a goal an an assist for the Rangers, who also received goals from Mika Zibanejad and Will Cuylle. Adam Fox contributed two assists, and Igor Shesterkin finished with 27 saves.

“I couldn’t be happier for the guys,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said postgame.

Rookie Matthew Wood scored twice on the power play as part of his first NHL hat trick for Nashville. Juuse Saros allowed five goals on 12 shots before he was pulled after the second period. Justus Annunen stopped five of six shots in the third period.

After leading on home ice for fewer than 12 minutes the entire season, the Rangers never trailed against the Predators. Zibanejad opened the scoring 10:39 into the game; and after the Predators pulled even less than six minutes later, Gavrikov put the home team ahead for good at 18:07 of the first period.

Zibanejad accepted a head-man feed from Fox, split the Predators’ defense and beat Saros with a forehand finish for his fifth goal of the season to get the party started at MSG. Nashville, though, tied things up with a power-play goal by Wood at 16:16; Shesterkin made two outstanding diving saves before the 20-year-old forward cashed in another rebound.

The Rangers will NOT be shutout at MSG tonight courtesy of this BEAUTY from Mika Zibanejad pic.twitter.com/MTytLvdYyF

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 11, 2025

The Rangers had an answer, when Trocheck’s gorgeous spinning backhand pass set up Gavrikov’s goal through a Lafreniere screen 1:51 later to make it 2-1. It was a well-deserved lead after the Rangers out-chanced the Predators 8-2 at 5v5 in the opening period.

Somehow in a low-event second period, the Rangers managed to blow the game open. They scored three goals on four shots in the middle frame to extend their lead to 5-1.

Lafreniere took a pass from Perreault and motored toward the net from the left circle, finishing with a backhand shot through the five-hole of Saros for a power-play goal at 1:23.

If Saros wasn’t happy with himself after that goal, he must’ve been furious at 7:51 when Panarin’s long-range slap shot leaked through his pads.

The Rangers didn’t record another shot on goal until 12 minutes later, when Cuylle wired a shot high glove and just under the crossbar ay 19:50 to up the lead to 5-1. Noah Laba started the scoring play with a good defensive play at New York’s blue line, then made the pass to set up Cuylle off the rush at the other end.

COOLS OFF THE RUSH WITH 9.6 SECONDS TO GO IN THE SECOND. pic.twitter.com/wksUozdH0T

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 11, 2025

It was a fairly sloppy third period for the Rangers, who were whistled for three consecutive penalties — two by Trocheck — in a span of 2:34 midway through the period. Shesterkin and Co. looked good on the PK until Wood ripped a left-wing clapper past the Rangers goalie at 12:48.

But Panarin answered back with an unassisted goal at 13:30 to restore New York’s four-goal lead. Wood finished off his hat trick with his sixth goal in the past seven games, this one at even strength, at 19:15.

With the first home win finally in the books, the Rangers hit the road for two straight, beginning Wednesday in Tampa Bay against the Lightning. The Rangers carry a League-best 7-1-1 road record into that contest.

Key takeaways after Rangers end winless skid at home with 6-3 victory over Predators​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

1. Reunited, and it feels so good​

Sullivan didn’t overthink things, and that paid off handsomely Monday. With Trocheck back after a month-long injury absence, he reunited the 32-year-old center with long-time linemates Lafreniere and Panarin. They combined for seven points (three goals, four assists) and a plus-7 rating; Panarin had his first multiple-goal game of 2025-26, and Lafreniere had a three-point breakout.

Trocheck logged 16:57 TOI, including PK and power play time, took a few bumps, including an elbow to the face early on, and tied Cuylle for the team lead with six hits.

The line played a team-high 11:55 together at 5v5 and outscored the Predators 3-0 until Wood’s goal in the final minute. Per Natural Stat Trick, the Trocheck line out-chanced Nashville 6-2 and had an expected goals share of 66.71 percent.

2. The Kid looked alright​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Perreault played five games late last season after turning pro with the Rangers, and failed to record a point. Monday, he not only recorded his first NHL point with the primary assist on Lafreniere’s power-play goal, he nearly scored his first goal as well.

With Zibanejad tying up two defenders, Perreault hopped on a rebound in the slot 13 minutes into the first period, then went backhand-to-forehand before zipping a shot off the post. It was part of a strong season debut for the 2023 first-round pick, who led Hartford with five goals and 10 points in nine games before his recall.

Perreault logged 14:08 TOI overall, playing mostly with Zibanejad and J.T. Miller at even strength.

“It’s pretty cool. Playing with those two guys is pretty easy … thought we played pretty well overall,” Perreault said postgame.

3. ‘Big boost of confidence’ for Rangers​

Forget that the Predators are not very good and that Saros had a rough night. The Rangers desperately needed a win at home, no matter the quality of the opponent. They got it by playing an exceptional first 40 minutes and getting contributions up and down a deeper lineup with the additions of Trocheck and Perreault.

Ten of New York’s 18 skaters recorded at least a point. Three of the four forward lines were in on at least one goal, and the fourth line was again a physical north-south force with the return of Adam Edstrom following a two-game injury absence.

Let’s not forget Gavrikov, who played a strong game at both ends — not only scoring his second goal of the season, but later breaking up a Nashville 3-on-1 with a perfectly-timed slide and good stick.

“The message has been, ‘Let’s continue to understand what that game looks like when we’re at our best,’ and we generate offense, we just haven’t scored as many goals. Tonight, we scored goals,” Sullivan explained. “Hopefully, that reinforces the process a little bit and just gives us that much more belief that if we play a certain way, we can compete with any team in this League. My hope is that we can use this win tonight as a big boost of confidence for the guys.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/rangers-first-home-win-6-3-predators

 

[New York Rangers]

How Vincent Trocheck’s return to Rangers could spark Alexis Lafreniere

The New York Rangers celebrated their first win on home ice Monday, sparked to life by the return of 32-year-old center Vincent Trocheck.

Trocheck, who returned after missing 14 games with an upper-body injury, had two assists in a lively 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators, snapping New York’s 0-6-1 season-opening loosing streak at Madison Square Garden.

But not to be lost in Trocheck’s return is that linemate Alexis Lafreniere had his best game of the season.

Alexis Lafreniere tonight:

1 goal
2 assists
3 points
+3 plus/minus

8 points in his last 7 games. pic.twitter.com/Fq2yFxJtvj

— RangersMuse (@nyrangersmuse) November 11, 2025

Lafreniere was named First Star of the Game on Monday after leading the team with three points (one goal, two assists). He was on the ice for four of New York’s six goals and tallied his first power-play goal of the season, taking a slick feed from Gabe Perreault on the rush and beating Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros through the five-hole 1:23 into the second period.

“I think he played real well,” coach Mike Sullivan said after the game.

While Lafreniere’s offensive skills were on full display, Sullivan also praised 24-year-old for an effort that didn’t show up in his final point tally. Late in the first period, Lafreniere headed toward the front of the net and screened Saros; the goaltender never saw Vladislav Gavrikov’s long shot hit the back of the net for a goal that gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead just 1:51 after the Predators had tied the game.

Vlad Gavrikov with a post hummer. 2-0 #NYR.

Lafreniere on the screen in front. Fox, Trocheck with the apples.
pic.twitter.com/XoKaWbag6Z

— Matthew P. Mugno (@mugnoma) November 11, 2025

“We’ve been preaching it since day one of training camp, making sure that we get people [net front], and it’s another way to create offense,” Sullivan said. “I think ‘Laf’ has done a really good job at making strides, just having an awareness and a willingness to go to that area of the rink. We don’t score if he’s not there.”

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft also played with a fervor and confidence that has felt lacking at times during his six seasons with the Blueshirts.

“Laf was so hungry, nice to see him like that,” linemate Artemi Panarin said. “Sometimes [the] puck [does] not go to the net, and then when he’s making passes, people [are] not scoring. It’s not helping. Just happy for him.”

#NYR Artemi Panarin on Alexis Lafrenière tonight:

“Laf was so hungry, nice to see him like that. To be honest, he try hard every game. Sometimes [the] puck not go to the net, and then when he making passes, people not scoring. It’s not helping. Just happy for him.”

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) November 11, 2025

Lafreniere has boasted strong analytics to start the season, leading all Blueshirts with a 62.87 expected goals for percentage at 5-on-5, and ranking third in individual high-danger chances, per Natural Stat Trick. Unfortunately, those analytic numbers weren’t translating into goals and assists, as has often been the case throughout his career.

Including Monday, Lafreniere has quietly put up eight points (two goals, six assists) in his last seven games — after having just three points in his first 11 games. He’s now third on the Rangers with 11 points (three goals, eight assists), trailing only Panarin (12 points) and defenseman Adam Fox (13).

His finishing has taken a turn for the better. Lafreniere snapped a 12-game stretch without a goal on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings, scoring on a breakaway with a slick deke and another five-hole finish. It will take a few more tallies to resurrect Lafreniere’s career-worst 8.1 shooting percentage, well below his career mark of 13.2, but recent results suggest that brighter days lie ahead.

Familiar linemates could bring out the best in Lafreniere​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Trocheck’s return wasn’t just a spark for the locker room; it also revived one of New York’s most effective lineup combinations. Trocheck centered Lafreniere and Panarin on the Rangers’ second line for the first time since Oct. 9, when he was injured in a 4-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres.

The results speak for themselves. The trio combined for seven points, three by Lafreniere, two goals by Panarin and the two assists for Trocheck. The line paced New York with a team-high 66.71 expected goals for percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick, in an effort reminiscent of 2023-24, when Panarin, Trocheck, and Lafreniere led all NHL forward lines with 54 goals at 5-on-5.

“When you put lines together, it’s important to be on the same page. These three players, they know each other really well,” MSG analyst and Hockey Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist said postgame. “It’s still impressive to me, though, when you sit out for that long and you come in, and it looked like they didn’t really miss much time apart, the three of them.”

Trocheck played a massive role in the trio’s seamless reunion, bringing his trademark energy and physicality to every shift.

“It was great to see him in game form, but also what that did to that line,” Lundqvist observed. “You never really know where it’s gonna go when a player’s been out for that long and it’s not easy to have an impact right away, but he did. And that line — it’s been so good for the Rangers over the last couple years, so obviously it’s been a big piece missing and it affects the other lines as well.”

Panarin, Trocheck, and Lafreniere all set career highs in points in 2023-24, helping the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy and come within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final. Lafreniere, in particular, seemed to benefit from playing alongside Panarin and Trocheck, surpassing the 20-goal mark (28) and 50-point mark (57) for the only time in his career thus far.

That fed into the postseason, when Lafreniere tied for the team lead with eight goals. He arguably played the best hockey of his NHL career in a grueling six-game Eastern Conference Final series against the Florida Panthers.

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

With Trocheck reinvigorating the lineup and Panarin enjoying renewed success (three goals, five points) in three games after shaving his head for good luck last week, Lafreniere is again in position to reap the benefits of a dominant forward line.

Lafreniere has rarely been able to sustain this type of success over any significant portion of time — 2023-24 being the exception in an otherwise inconsistent Rangers tenure. But they need reliable production from their top six, and Lafreniere remains an integral piece of that puzzle.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...rocheck-return-could-spark-lafreniere-revival

 

[New York Rangers]

Why Rangers can tweak this line combination even after big win

You’d think that New York Rangers coach Mike Sullivan has zero interest in messing with a good thing after their first home win of the season Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

But when the Rangers practiced Tuesday afternoon, Sullivan tweaked his third line, despite a strong showing in that 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Veteran wing Conor Sheary bumped up from the fourth line and swapped places with Taylor Raddysh, whose tied for the team lead with five goals.

Whether the Rangers stick with that change when the visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday is not known But Sullivan did make clear that the most important part of the third line right now is developing chemistry between Will Cuylle and Noah Laba. The coach made it sound like the third forward is merely a complement to these young forwards.

“We’ve liked how that pair has evolved. We’ve moved other people around on the other side there,” Sullivan explained Tuesday. “I think having [Vincent Trocheck] back allows us to put players in position that we envisioned putting them in. It gives us the balance that’s essential to win in this league.”

Trocheck returned Monday after missing 14 games with an upper-body injury. He reconnected with longtime linemates Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, allowing Cuylle to move out of the top six and play on the third line with Laba.

Sullivan likes that youthful option. A lot.

“It just gives us better balance on both sides of the puck,” Sullivan stated. “I think ‘Labs’ and Will are both good-sized kids that can really skate, you know, so it’s a speed-driven line. They’re good on the forecheck. They’re hard to play against, by nature of their size.”

Cuylle scored 20 goals last season, his second in the NHL. The 23-year-old has three goals in the past five games, with his fourth of this season set up by Laba on Monday night. After setting a Rangers record with 301 hits last season, he leads them again with 59 through 17 games in 2025-26.

Will Cuylle – New York Rangers (5) pic.twitter.com/mvLlcQ2zGr

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) November 11, 2025

Laba, the 22-year-old rookie, has three points (two goals, one assist) in his past five games, and six points (three goals, three assists) while averaging 12:17 TOI this season. Like Cuylle, he plays a committed 200-foot game and is already a lineup staple.

If Raddysh remains on the fourth line Wednesday, he will skate with center Sam Carrick and towering wing Adam Edstrom, who returned from a two-game absence and was a force against the Predators.

“We’ve got a lot of more-than-capable guys in this room here,” Carrick noted after practice. “We’re confident in our group.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/noah-laba-will-cuylle-line-combination

 

[New York Rangers]

What’s next for Rangers after signing goalie Spencer Martin to 2-year deal

In a surprise move Wednesday, the New York Rangers signed goalie Spencer Martin to a two-year contract worth a reported $1.55 million. The Rangers then placed the 30-year-old on waivers. If he goes unclaimed, the Rangers will assign Martin to Hartford of the American Hockey League.

The signing comes one day after Martin’s contract with CSKA Moscow in the KHL was terminated by the team and he was officially released. CSKA Moscow recently acquired longtime NHL goalie Ilya Samsonov. As such, Martin didn’t play since Nov. 3.

Martin was 5-6-0 in 14 KHL games with a 2.69 goals-against average, .905 save percentage and two shutouts.

Last season, Martin stepped up for the Carolina Hurricanes, when their No. 1 goalie — Frederik Andersen — was injured in November. Martin’s numbers as Pyotr Kochetkov’s backup weren’t great (3-4-1 with a 3.89 GAA and .846 save percentage), but he did record his first NHL shutout on Nov. 16, a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Martin also won 20 games with AHL Chicago last season, when he was teammates with defenseman prospect Scott Morrow, whom the Rangers acquired in the offseason K’Andre Miller trade with the Hurricanes. They’ll be reunited in Hartford, where Morrow currently plays.

A third-round pick (No. 63 overall) by in the 2013 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, Martin has 66 games of NHL experience with the Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Hurricanes. He’s 24-30-8 with a 3.56 GAA, .883 save percentage, and the one shutout in the NHL.

What’s next for Rangers after signing Spencer Martin​

James Guillory-Imagn Images

One of Martin’s highlights last season came on Thanksgiving Eve, when he made 19 saves and led the Hurricanes to a 4-3 home win over the Rangers. He won consecutive starts that week when both Andersen and Kochetkov were out injured.

But getting the guy that beat you one time is not the reason the Rangers signed Martin.

He now provides veteran insurance in the Rangers pipeline should Igor Shesterkin and/or Jonathan Quick miss any time this season. The Rangers didn’t have another goalie behind those two with NHL experience, after Louis Domingue didn’t re-sign this past summer following three seasons as the No. 3 in the organization.

Dylan Garand photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

Like Domingue, Martin will share the net in Hartford with top goalie prospect Dylan Garand, an AHL All-Star in 2024-25, who’s 3-4-1 with a 2.80 GAA and .895 save percentage in eight starts this season.

Talyn Boyko remains winless (0-2-1) in four appearances and three starts for the Wolf Pack this season. Overall Hartford (3-6-2-0) allows 2.98 goals per game.

What’s interesting here is that Martin is signed through the 2026-27 season, and Garand is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after this one. The Rangers signed Garand to a one-year contract last summer.

Again this could be an insurance move to protect the Rangers should they decide Garand is not the heir apparent to one day replace Quick as the No. 2 in New York. Quick turns 40 this season, though the three-time Stanley Cup champion hasn’t discussed when he plans to retire.

None of Boyko, Hugo Ollas, nor Callum Tung has stood out yet in the pros, likely further fueling the Rangers interest in adding Martin to the goalie pipeline.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/rangers-goalie-depth-spencer-martin-signing

 

[New York Rangers]

Key takeaways after Rangers explode for 7 goals in road win over Lightning

It appears the dam burst, allowing the New York Rangers to score a flood of goals this week. Two days after putting up a six spot in their first home-ice win of the season, the Rangers surpassed that total in a 7-3 road victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Wednesday.

Vincent Trocheck and Will Cuylle each scored twice, and Artemi Panarin dished out four assists to lead a varied and high-powered Rangers attack. Eleven New York skaters made their way on to the score sheet, with Alexis Lafreniere, J.T. Miller, and Will Borgen also scoring goals.

Foxy with the shot + Cools cleans it up. pic.twitter.com/P2nraQWFzp

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

Igor Shesterkin made 33 saves, including 26 in the final two periods, for the Rangers (9-7-2), who are an NHL-best 8-1-1 on the road. Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed goals on the first three shots he faced and finished with only eight saves on 13 shots over two periods for the Lightning, who had won seven of their previous games. Jonas Johansson stopped six of seven shots in the third period.

Though neither coach — Mike Sullivan of the Rangers, nor Jon Cooper of the Lightning — probably agrees, the first period was wildly entertaining. There were seven goals scored on 18 combined shots, and the Rangers skated into the first intermission with a 4-3 lead.

Cuylle scored a power-play goal just 1:09 into the game and the Rangers never trailed the rest of the way. Mika Zibanejad picked off a a cross-ice Nikita Kucherov pass in the neutral zone moments later, and the Rangers scored off the ensuing rush. Zibanejad zipped a pass to his left and Miller chipped the puck past Vasilevskiy to make it 2-0 at 3:31.

The Lightning got a rush goal themselves at 6:04, when rugged forward Scott Sabourin wired a left-circle shot over Shesterkin’s glove. But 64 seconds later, Lafreniere restored New York’s two-goal lead by scoring his fourth goal — you guessed it — off the rush.

LAF ON THE FLY. pic.twitter.com/TVKp11Kmbn

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

Zemgus Girgensons snuck a rebound short side past Shesterkin for his third goal at 13:59 to cut the Rangers lead to 3-2. But the Rangers had an answer again, when Borgen scored his first off the season, a wrist shot from between the circles that went off a defenseman’s leg and changed direction up and over Vasilevskiy at 16:20.

PUT IN THE WORK + PUT IT AWAY. pic.twitter.com/K8N1Jtdehe

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

It was that kind of night for the two-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender.

Yet, before the wild opening period ended, the Lightning cut into the Rangers lead again. This time Jake Guentzel scored on a short-handed breakaway at 17:32.

Shorthanded? No problem for Jake Guentzel

: @NHL_On_TNT & @StreamOnMax https://t.co/krZ2oaNmyZ pic.twitter.com/pLzb5Ttsoa

— NHL (@NHL) November 13, 2025

The scoring pace settled down in the second period, though the Rangers were badly outplayed early on. The Lightning recorded six shots in the opening six minutes of the period and added two more on a power play soon after.

Late in the period, the Rangers capitalized when Vasilevskiy lost his footing moving right to left to challenge Trocheck off the rush. As the Lightning goalie fell to the ice, Trocheck slid his first goal of the season under Vasilevskiy to make it 5-3 at 18:19 of the second period.

Trocheck scored again, 5:03 into the third, and Cuylle potted his team-leading sixth goal into an empty net with 2:11 left to play

The Rangers will try to keep this offensive explosion going Saturday, when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets

Key takeaways after Rangers defeat Lightning 7-3​

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Bald Bread​

It’s safe to say that Panarin is on a serious heater. After a slow start offensively this season, the Breadman has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past four games, coinciding with Panarin shaving his head before a road game against the Detroit Red Wings last Friday. He had three points that night, was blanked in a home loss against the Islanders on Saturday, and scored two goals in the 6-3 home win over the Nashville Predators on Monday.

Panarin followed that up with a brilliant offensive display in Tampa. He made a pretty feed to set up Lafreniere’s goal, and an even more impressive pass to spring Trocheck on his first goal of the night. Bread also had a pair of secondary helpers, and a prime scoring chance of his own on the doorstep that he misfired on.

THE BREADMAN TROCH pic.twitter.com/dvNPEgVR6M

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

Don’t look now, but Panarin took over the Rangers scoring lead Wednesday. He’s got 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 18 games, after leading the Rangers in scoring each of the past six seasons.

Igor! Igor!​

Shesterkin allowed three goals on 10 first-period shots, but shook that off in a big way. He didn’t allow a goal and was simply outstanding the final two periods, stopping all 26 shots he faced.

It all began in the first period, though. Shesterkin absolutely robbed Gage Goncalves on the doorstep following a brilliant back-door pass from Kucherov less than a minute after the Lightning pulled to within 3-2. It just may have been a game-altering save. Two minutes later, Borgen’s goal made it 4-2 Rangers. Who knows if that scoring sequence even happens if Goncalves ties the game 3-3?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME SHESTERKIN?!?

: @NHL_On_TNT & @StreamOnMax https://t.co/krZ2oaNmyZ pic.twitter.com/OlFLk516aA

— NHL (@NHL) November 13, 2025

And Shesterkin was the difference in the second period, when the Rangers were on their heels much of the time. Shesterkin was under fire in the third period, but stopped all 14 shots in an impressive finish to even his record at 6-6-2 this season.

Short-handed hosts​

Not only did the Lightning score their first short-handed goal of the season — a beauty by Guentzel on a clean breakaway — but the home team’s lineup was, to be honest, short-handed. The Lightning played without their top two defensemen — and two of the more reliable defenders in the League — with Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh each sidelined by injury. Forward Anthony Cirelli missed his second straight game and Dominic James landed on injured reserve.

The Rangers took a page out of the Florida Panthers playbook and rocked Brandon Hagel in the head.

Was quite angry heading down the tunnel.

Bolts playing with a handful of players down and they look terrible to begin this contest. pic.twitter.com/cu21Slwz4J

— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) November 13, 2025

It only got worse when forward Brandon Hagel was steamrolled by Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy in the first period and didn’t return to the game. To add insult to injury, the Rangers scored their third goal, with Soucy picking up an assist, on the ensuing rush the other way.

Offense from defense​

Five of six Rangers defensemen recorded at least one point Wednesday. Adam Fox led the way — no surprise there — with two assists; he has 12 helpers and 15 points in 18 games. But how many of you had Borgen scoring his first goal since March 20 of last season on your Bingo card?

Urho Vaakanainen played his 200th NHL game and had the primary assist on Trocheck’s second goal. Vladislav Gavrikov had the secondary assist, setting Panarin off in full flight, on Trocheck’s first goal. And Soucy leveled Hagel to start the rush the other way that Lafreniere finished with his third goal in the past four games.

Braden Schneider? He had to settle for three hits and three blocked shots.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...-takeaways-game-recap-road-win-over-lightning

 

[New York Rangers]

How Rangers found scoring touch, though ‘not doing anything different’

The New York Rangers went from the gang that couldn’t shoot straight to a bunch of sharpshooters.

The Blueshirts made the most of their 21 shots on goal Wednesday night by scoring on seven of them in a 7-3 demolition of the Tampa Bay Lighting at Broadmark International Arena. That came two days after they put six of their 18 shots into the net in a 6-3 victory against the Nashville Predators at Madison Square Garden, their first home win of the season after an 0-6-1 start.

New York scored 35 goals on 459 shots in its first 16 games (2.19 goals per game; 7.6 shooting percentage) despite outplaying opponents in many, if not most, of them. They were outshot 30-18 by the Predators and 36-21 by the Lightning but coasted to victory in each case because they scored 13 times on just 39 shots, a 33.3 percent shooting percentage.

“I think we’ve scored a lot of goals the past two games, but we’re not doing anything different,” forward Artemi Panarin said after his four-assist outing against the Lightning. “It’s just the puck is going in the net.”

The Rangers scored on each of their first three shots against Andrei Vasilevskiy, one of the premier goaltenders in the NHL, and sent him to the bench for the third period by scoring five times on just 13 shots.

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

“It obviously gives us a boost of confidence,” coach Mike Sullivan said Wednesday “The irony of it is I feel like the games where we didn’t score, the effort and execution on both sides of the puck was really high. I thought, tonight, I don’t think we were at our best. We were opportunistic. We had some pretty good looks and we scored on them.

“You could say the same about the last game. So, I don’t think they were the cleanest games from (an) execution standpoint on either side of the puck.”

Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck leading offensive revival​

Much of the credit for the offensive renaissance belongs to Panarin, their leading scorer in each of his six seasons with the Rangers. Panarin Panarin shaved his head last week in hopes of changing his luck after going without a point for six straight games, the longest drought of his career – and it worked.

He had three points (one goal, two assists) in a 4-1 road win against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, and after coming up empty despite five shots on goal in a 5-0 loss to the Islanders on Saturday, scored two of the six goals against Nashville before his four-assist night against Tampa Bay.

Panarin recorded seven points in his first 14 games; he has nine in his past four and leads the team with 16.

“I sleep deep tonight,” the game’s Second Star said with a smile when asked what the offensive revival would do for him. “Good dreams.”

Lafrenière rips it upstairs off a perfect setup from Panarin. Three goals for the #NYR in the first 7:08. pic.twitter.com/7Xt1QynGKF

— Jennifer O'Regan (@Jenny_ORegan) November 13, 2025

Getting center Vincent Trocheck back on Monday after he missed 14 games with an upper-body injury has also had a major impact. Trocheck, who plays mostly between Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, had two assists against Nashville and scored two goals in Tampa, earning First Star honors.

Lafreniere, who’s struggled to score for most of the season, also looks different since Trocheck’s return. He scored for the second straight game and has three goals in his past four.

Some power-play tweaks have also helped. Power forward Will Cuylle opened the scoring 1:09 into the game, 24 seconds after Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde was sent off for cross-checking. He has two power-play goals in the past four games, and five goals of any kind in the past six.

A power play goal for Will Cuylle and the Rangers score first! pic.twitter.com/X4pTJl0ZhQ

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 13, 2025

“It’s good. Happy to contribute,” said Cuylle, who added an empty-netter and leads the Blueshirts with six goals. “I’m pretty comfortable in front of the net. I like that spot. It’s been nice to get a few in the last couple games and help out.”

The Rangers next task is to continue the scoring surge when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

“It’s always good to see the puck going into the net,” Trocheck said. “But you look at this one for a day, go over the things we did wrong, try to correct them and focus on Columbus.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/rangers-offensive-surge-lightning-victory

 

[New York Rangers]

How Rangers owner got ‘invaluable’ advice from legendary reporter Larry Brooks

With his hard-nosed, often brutally honest approach to covering the New York Rangers as the preeminent hockey journalist on the beat, Larry Brooks ruffled more than a few feathers in the organization over the years. Apparently, however, Rangers owner James Dolan, who’s often called out for being thin-skinned, appreciated the veteran scribe’s honest take, right up until Brooks died Thursday at the age of 75.

“Besides the stellar job that Larry did covering the New York Rangers, what few people know is that he and I would meet on occasion and he would give me his unabashed opinion on how the franchise was doing and what we needed to do to win,” Dolan told The New York Post, for whom Brooks covered the NHL for nearly four decades.

“This never appeared in any of his columns, but I found his advice to be invaluable and will miss it dearly.”

That’s the level of respect Brooks had within the hockey world. As many said since news broke of his passing, you may not have liked him; you may not have agreed with him; but you always read what Brooks wrote.

Statement from the New York Rangers on the passing of Hall of Fame writer Larry Brooks. pic.twitter.com/RfQiG3gUJA

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

But Dolan seemed to take it a step further, seeking out Brooks for his opinions and thoughts, ones not shared in his printed Rangers articles or weekly Slap Shots column in the Post.

Former Rangers general manager Neil Smith believes these meetings were mutually beneficial.

“What it speaks to me is the amount of respect that Jim Dolan had for Larry Brooks and the fact that he wanted him on his side,” Smith told Forever Blueshirts on the Rink Rap podcast. “Now, does that mean Larry was going to write all positive things about Jim and his club? No. But it was strategically smart to make sure that you were friendly with the guy that’s got the most say in the city about your franchise.

“I do believe there was a respect there; but I do believe that the respect really came from [Dolan thinking] this guy is a big-time influencer — meaning Larry Brooks — so I had better get to know him and see how he thinks and see if he’s got anything I can glean to do better with my club.”

Former Rangers GM Neil Smith among those who got past ‘horrible battles’ with Larry Brooks​

Tributes poured in for the Hockey Hall of Famer, who was enshrined with the Class of 2018 when he won the Elmer Ferguson Award “in recognition of distinguished members of the hockey-writing profession whose words have brought honor to journalism and to hockey.”

Throughout my career he was always there, asking questions. I had many conversations with Larry Brooks, almost daily about my game, the Rangers and the game as a whole. I respected his knowledge a ton. Thank you Larry for your commitment to the game, you will be missed. RIP pic.twitter.com/2u9nA5orEu

— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist) November 13, 2025

Though unsurprising that someone like Henrik Lundqvist, who had a solid professional relationship with Brooks, publicly stated that he “respected his knowledge a ton” and commended Brooks for his “commitment to the game,” it said much about the man that former Rangers Sean Avery and Tony DeAngelo had such positive things to say.

“Very sad to hear about the passing of Larry Brooks,” DeAngelo posted on X. “Nobody did the job like him. His opinions were strong but he was always willing to say them to your face & let you have your say back. Him & I became closer over the years talking frequently about hockey. Will miss those talks , always appreciated his perspective on things.”

As for Smith, he and Brooks crossed paths for several years, though Brooks didn’t join the Rangers beat at the Post until after the Blueshirts won the Stanley Cup in 1994. Brooks didn’t give Smith much leeway over the ensuing years just because he was the Cup-winning GM.

“I had horrible battles with Larry,” said Smith, who was fired as Rangers general manager after the 1999-2000 season. “I called him some names I’m not very proud of today. But it was all in the course of doing my job and him in the course of doing his job. When that job was over, you didn’t hate the guy, you didn’t dislike the person … but if you were man enough, you could separate the two things, the person from the role he had to play.”

Clearly, former Rangers coach John Tortorella felt the same way. He and Brooks had many arguments during Tortorella’s tenure behind the Blueshirts bench from 2009-13 — including a very well-known public scrap that almost got physical. But, as reported in the New York Post, Tortorella reached out to Brooks in his final days upon hearing how ill the longtime reporter was.

Relationships are complicated. And that was the case with Brooks and those he reported on and covered over the years. In the end, there was respect..

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...mes-dolan-invaluable-advice-late-larry-brooks

 

[New York Rangers]

Why missing key defenseman would be big loss for Rangers vs. Blue Jackets

Will Borgen was not on the ice for the New York Rangers at practice Friday in Columbus, one day before they begin a busy weekend by facing the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Coach Mike Sullivan said Borgen is day to day with an upper-body injury but wouldn’t rule him out when the Metropolitan Division rivals meet for the first time this season.

It’s unclear when or how Borgen was injured — he played the entirety of Wednesday’s 7-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With Borgen not on the ice Friday, Carson Soucy, his regular partner, was paired with Braden Schneider while Matthew Robertson played alongside Urho Vaakanainen.

Borgen is one of those players who is easy to overlook despite averaging a career-high 18:43 of ice time. His goal in the win at Tampa Bay was his first of the season and his third point. He hadn’t hit the score sheet since assisting on the Rangers’ only goal in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 20.

PUT IN THE WORK + PUT IT AWAY. pic.twitter.com/K8N1Jtdehe

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

“We’re not asking him to score a lot of goals,” Sullivan said earlier this week.

But not having Borgen on the blue line against a Columbus team that is 9-7-1 after a 5-4 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday would be a sizeable loss.

The Rangers have had a major turnaround defensively, and Borgen is a big reason why. They were 28th in the NHL last season in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick. Entering the game in Columbus, they are second (2.13).

Will Borgen has been key to solidifying Rangers’ defense​

New York acquired Borgen from the Seattle Kraken last December in the trade that sent forward Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, to the League’s newest franchise. Less than two months later, general manager Chris Drury made a major commitment to his new defenseman, signing him to a five-year extension with an average annual value of $4.1 million.

Drury didn’t do it because of Borgen’s ability to score – the 28-year-old’s five goals last season was a career high – but rather because of his ability to help Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick keep the puck out of the Rangers’ net. He’s blocked 24 shots, fourth on the team, and he and Soucy have been on the ice for five 5-on-5 goals for and only two against during the 14 games and 138:02 they’ve played together.

“What we’re asking of Will is to be hard to play against and defend hard, help us on the penalty kill, defend the rushes aggressively, kill plays in the D-zone, be hard at the net front,” Sullivan said. “That’s the game that we think he excels at. That’s what he’s brought to us.”

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Sullivan, who coached the Pittsburgh Penguins for 10 seasons before parting ways with them and signing with the Rangers in May, didn’t know much about Borgen before coming to Broadway. But in watching him on film during the offseason, the coach said he liked Borgen’s willingness to defend and how he uses his size (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) to his advantage.

“Number one, he’s competitive, and he has a level of abrasiveness to his game that I think makes us a whole lot more difficult to play against,” Sullivan said.

Borgen looks like a legit shutdown defenseman who can handle top-four minutes and kill penalties, especially under Sullivan’s zone approach to defending. One thing that’s helped him, even with a coaching change, is that he’s more familiar with his new team as he nears the one-year mark since coming to New York. Borgen said this week that he’s feeling “more comfortable everywhere on and off the ice.”

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Sullivan, who helped a number of defensemen, including Kris Letang, raise their game in Pittsburgh, has liked what he’s seen so far and hopes Borgen won’t have to miss time – especially with the Rangers playing the second half of a back-to-back when the Detroit Red Wings come to town on Sunday, followed by a three-game trip to Vegas, Colorado and Utah.

“He’s a reliable, trustworthy defenseman, and he’s predictable for his partner,” Sullivan said. “I think those are great attributes to have for a defenseman.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/borgen-might-miss-game-at-columbus

 

[New York Rangers]

Why Neil Smith believes Rangers won’t let free agent star ‘walk’

The way Artemi Panarin is playing right now, it’d be understandable if the New York Rangers wanted to lock up the pending unrestricted free agent with a contract extension as soon as possible.

But it’s not exactly that easy.

First off, Panarin’s current heater, nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past four games, was preceded by an exceptionally slow – -and concerning — start this season. He had seven points in 14 games before shaving his head for good luck.

“My confidence [is] OK now. “Better than before,” Panarin told the New York Post this week.

Artemi Panarin – New York Rangers (4) pic.twitter.com/hdGXInbwSU

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) November 11, 2025

Then there are reports that extension talks already fizzled this fall, with term and dollar value value unsurprisingly at the heart of the issues. Panarin reportedly is not planning on giving the Rangers a discount to stay on Broadway — and that stance was firm even when his production wasn’t there last month.

Another key issue is Panarin’s age. He’s 34, hitting that age when potential suitors might pause from making a heavy investment in him next summer.

All that said, former Rangers general manager Neil Smith is pretty sure that Panarin ultimately remains in New York after his current massive deal — seven years, $81.5 million — expires July 1. His reasoning is simple and based on history.

“I don’t think the Rangers will let him walk. They just don’t let star players walk,” Smith told Forever Blueshirts on the Rink Rap podcast.

Of course, much has changed in the 25 years since Smith was the Blueshirts’ top executive, mainly the implementation of the NHL salary cap. But the Rangers do love their stars, no doubt about that. And Panarin, their leading scorer each of the past six seasons and again with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) so far in 2025-26, is a big-time star.

So, there’s value to Smith’s insight. But he raises serious questions, as well.

“Should they let him walk is another question. Are they ever going to win with him? That’s another question,” Smith offered. “But will they re-sign him and he does not walk away? I think they do. That would be my bet, that they do re-sign him.”

Rangers, Artemi Panarin willing to move slowly with free agency looming ​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

One of the major rubs against Panarin is that he doesn’t produce at nearly the same rate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Though he does have a pair of iconic overtime goals from New York’s runs to the 2022 and 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, Panarin has 21 goals and 61 points in 71 career postseason games with the Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Chicago Blackhawks.

Panarin averages better than a point per game (1.15), with 886 points in 770 regular-season games.

Matt Larkin from Daily Faceoff weighed in on the Panarin topic and is most concerned about declining play moving forward for the top-line wing, who’s coming off a four-point game in the Rangers’ 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.

“And from Rangers GM Chris Drury’s perspective, would it be risky to re-sign a declining Panarin?,” Larking wrote. “It might make more sense to cash him out for a major haul approaching the 2026 Trade Deadline.”

For those counting, that’s four months until the trade deadline. Four months to determine a next step with Panarin.

The free-agent market is thinning next offseason. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kiril Kaprizov, Martin Necas, and Kyle Connor are among the stars who re-signed with their current teams already. That leaves Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings and Panarin as the clear top two players available next summer. Even approaching his age-35 season, the dollars could be there for Panarin.

By all accounts, both Panarin and Rangers GM Chris Drury are willing to let this play out. Neither is panicking nor in a rush to make a decision one way or the other.

For now, each side is thrilled that the Breadman regained his scoring touch and that the Rangers (9-7-2) collectively are finding their footing after tough first month of the season, that included five shutout defeats on home ice.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...ers-wont-let-artemi-panarin-leave-free-agency

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Blue Jackets: Lineups, storylines for Metro showdown

Their game Saturday night in Columbus against the Blue Jackets affords the New York Rangers an important opportunity to start winning games within the Metropolitan Division. Then again, the same opportunity is there for the Blue Jackets.

Neither team has fared very well against division rivals this season. The Rangers have lost four of five (1-4-0) against Metro teams, with the only win a 6-1 thrashing of the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Oct. 11. An opening-night loss to the Penguins, and subsequent defeats at the hands of the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders followed that lone division win.

The Rangers were 12-13-1 against division opponents last season, but they took three of four from the Blue Jackets. It’s important they get back on track against Metro foes this season if they wish to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing in 2024-25. By the looks of things, the division — and the entire Eastern Conference — is going to be a dogfight, making head-to-head games against Metropolitan Division opponents crucial.

The Blue Jackets are 1-3-0 within the division this season. They lost to the New Jersey Devils and Capitals before a road win against the Penguins on Oct. 25. Columbus lost on Long Island the following week.

The Rangers and Blue Jackets fare well against Atlantic Division opponents. As such, the Rangers are 5-4-1 in the Eastern Conference and the Blue Jackets are 4-3-0.

In a broad view, the Rangers (9-7-2) feel good about things. They scored 13 goals in consecutive victories this week and come off a 7-3 road win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. New York is a point out of a wild card and owns the best road record (8-1-1) in the NHL.

Part of that road success stems from the Rangers leading the League with a plus-16 goal differential away from Madison Square Garden, allowing an NHL-low 2.00 goals per game on the road.

The Blue Jackets (9-7-1) are streaky so far this season. They’ve won two straight after a four-game slide (0-3-1) that followed a four-game winning streak. Though no longer the surprise they were a year ago, the Blue Jackets still have the feel of being an upstart team in the East.

Whoever loses Saturday must sit on that defeat for nearly four months, since the Rangers and Blue Jackets don’t play again until March 2 at MSG.

3 storylines when Rangers visit Blue Jackets​

Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

1. Will Borgen status​

Will Borgen took part in the morning skate, and Coach Mike Sullivan anticipates that the 28-year-old defenseman will play against the Blue Jackets. Borgen missed practice and was listed as day to day with an upper-body injury Friday. He’s played 285 consecutive games, including 84 for the Rangers and Seattle Kraken last season.

It’s not known what’s bothering Borgen or when he might’ve been hurt. He logged 19:47 TOI against the Lightning and scored his first goal since last March in the win.

Will Borgen with the Rangers’ fourth goal of the first period pic.twitter.com/EWRuPvyLO1

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 13, 2025

If Borgen doesn’t play Saturday, expect Braden Schneider to move up into the second pair alongside Carson Soucy, and Matthew Robertson to draw in on the third pair with Urho Vaakanainen.

Sullivan did confirm that Igor Shesterkin starts in goal against the Blue Jackets. That means Jonathan Quick likely gets the call for the second time this season against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, after a 4-1 road win last week.

2. Like he’s never been gone​

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Talk about seamless transitions. Vincent Trocheck has two multiple-point games (two goals, two assists) since returning to New York’s lineup after the veteran center missed 14 straight with an upper-body injury. He had two assists and sparked linemates Alexis Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin during a 6-3 home-ice win over the Nashville Predators on Monday. Trocheck followed that with his first two goals of the season Wednesday in Tampa Bay.

The 32-year-old is also getting underneath opponents’ skin — giving and taking bumps, chirping, winning big face-offs and playing a key role on the PK. Not surprisingly, the Rangers won each of his first two games back — and perhaps it’s a coincidence they’ve broken out offensively with 13 goals in the past two games. Or maybe it’s not such a coincidence.

Keep an eye on Trocheck against the Blue Jackets. He’s got 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists ) in 36 games against them.

3. Kirill the Thrill, Part 2​

Earlier this season, the Rangers did a good job shutting down Kirill Kaprizov. Despite losing 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 20, the Rangers held the superstar forward in check throughout before Kaprizov scored an empty-net goal.

Saturday, they face a similar challenge against Kirill the Thrill, Part 2.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Kirill Marchenko not only leads the Blue Jackets in goals (8), assists (11), and points (19), the 25-year-old forward brings a career-high 10-game point streak (three goals, nine assists) into the game. He scored 31 goals last season and has 21 or more each of the past three seasons. In 10 games against the Rangers, Marchenko has two goals and five points. Shutting him down is key for the Rangers on Saturday.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

J.T. Miller — Mika Zibanejad — Gabe Perreault

Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Conor Sheary

Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen — Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

Rangers vs. Blue Jackets: When, where, what time, how to watch​

Who: New York Rangers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

When: Saturday Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Nationwide Arena

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...olitan-division-showdown-rangers-blue-jackets

 

[New York Rangers]

Key takeaways after Rangers edge Blue Jackets 2-1 in shootout

The best road team in the NHL continued its winning ways Saturday night, when the New York Rangers edged the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 in a shootout at Nationwide Arena. The Rangers are a League-best 9-1-1 on the road, and won their sixth straight away from Madison Square Garden.

J.T. Miller scored the decisive goal in the third round of the shootout, roofing a shot under the crossbar to beat Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves. The winning shot came after Kirill Marchenko evened the shootout 1-1 with a goal against Igor Shesterkin in the top of the third round.

#NYR captain J. T. Miller absolutely roofs one to win it for Rangers in the shootout for their 3rd straight win on the road!@DaveMaloneyMSG | @NYRangers pic.twitter.com/vdt7rdLavv

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) November 16, 2025

Shesterkin and Greaves were outstanding in this first clash between the Metropolitan Division rivals this season. Shesterkin finished with 23 saves, including a clutch one on a first-period penalty shot. Greaves, making his season-high fourth straight start, had 31 saves, including one in the five-minute overtime period.

Mika Zibanejad scored his sixth goal for the Rangers (10-7-2), who won their third straight game overall and host the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday at MSG.

“I thought we played a complete game all night long,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said postgame. “I thought 5-on-5 it was a really solid effort.”

Dmitri Voronkov scored the only goal for the Blue Jackets, and Kirill Marchenko extended his point streak to 11 games with an assist.

The Rangers started slowly in, what turned out to be, a scoreless first period. But after surrendering the first three shots of the game, they outshot the Blue Jackets 10-1 the remainder of the first period. However, that fourth Columbus shot was a penalty shot, the first called against New York this season.

Blue Jackets forward Miles Wood slipped behind Rangers defenders, was hooked from behind by Taylor Raddysh, and crashed shoulder first into the post without getting his shot off. The officials didn’t hesitate to call a penalty shot at 16:19. But Shesterkin calmly turned aside Wood’s penalty shot attempt to keep the game scoreless.

The Rangers opened the scoring 5:42 into the second period, when Zibanejad potted a power-play goal on his own rebound in tight. Artemi Panarin, who had the primary assist on the goal, nearly scored one himself four minutes later, but Greaves made an outstanding glove save on the left-circle snap shot.

STUCK WITH IT. pic.twitter.com/mwxEVfM0us

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 16, 2025

Midway through the period, Shesterkin traded big-time saves with Graves during a 4-on-4 sequence. Shesterkin robbed Sean Monahan in close before Greaves denied Panarin again, after the Rangers winger created a good chance despite a Columbus defenseman draped all over him.

The Blue Jackets pulled even at 15:20 of the second period, when Voronkov used his long reach to get his stick around Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson and slide a loose puck past Shesterkin from the low slot.

Adam Fox nearly won it for the Rangers in overtime, but his point-blank backhand try off a broken play in the slot was denied by Greaves. Columbus’ best chance in OT came right before the buzzer, when Marchenko had an open look, but the puck hopped over his stick.

Vincent Trocheck scored in the second round of the shootout for the Rangers, after Panarin was stopped by Greaves in the first round. Kent Johnson opened up the shootout for the Blue Jackets by shooting wide of the net to Shesterkin’s glove side. Shesterkin then used that glove to stop Adam Fantilli in Round 2, before the Rangers grabbed the second point on Miller’s winner in the third round.

Key takeaways after Rangers defeat Blue Jackets 2-1 in shootout​

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

1. Unbeatble Igor​

There’s something about Shesterkin and penalty shots. The Rangers goalie is now a perfect 7-for-7 on penalty shots in his career. He was so calm and patient on the latest one, giving Wood nothing to shoot at, snuffing the chance easily.

It can be argued that Wood was his own worst enemy. Know for his blazing speed, Wood instead skated slowly toward Shesterkin, failing to use his prime asset. Shesterkin held his ground and had zero issues turning aside the shot. It was a big moment in the game, since it was scoreless, late in the first period, and with the Rangers outplaying the Blue Jackets to that point.

Shesterkin didn’t face a penalty shot last season, after stopping all three in 2023-24. In his career, he’s denied Joel Farabee (Flyers), Frederick Gaudreau (Wild), Jack Hughes (Devils), Jason Zucker (Coyotes), Mathew Barzal (Islanders), Adam Pelech (Islanders), and now Wood.

As a team, the Rangers have stopped their past nine penalty shots against. The last penalty shot goal against the Blueshirts was April 3, 2018, when Taylor Hall (Devils) scored against Henrik Lundqvist.

2. Sam Carrick ‘tough as nails’ again​

On the shift after the Blue Jackets tied the game in the second period, the home team had extra energy and started to throw the body. It didn’t take long for Sam Carrick to answer the bell for the Rangers. The veteran center dropped the gloves to fight Mathieu Olivier, one of the toughest fighters in the League, the same guy who’s gone toe-to-toe with Matt Rempe among other NHL heavyweights.

“I’ve fought him a couple times. He’s an honest player,” Carrick said about Olivier. “It’s part of the game, he’s trying to get his team going and we have to match that.”

Olivier issued the challenge, and Carrick met him head-on, trading punishing blows in a hard, honest tilt. #NYR pic.twitter.com/t5YVfN6uFP

— Jennifer O'Regan (@Jenny_ORegan) November 16, 2025

It was a serious give and take, with Carrick holding the upper hand until Olivier dropped him with a stiff right, and the officials jumped in to end the fight. Carrick fired up the Rangers bench with his third fight of the season, and earned plenty of praise after the win.

“Sam’s tough as nails. He’s brave … and commands so much respect,” Sullivan said.

3. Filling in for Will​

Will Borgen missed his first game since being acquired by the Rangers in a trade with the Seattle Kraken last December, and his first since the 2021-22 season, a span of 285 games. Though he took part in warmups, Borgen was scratched with a lower-body injury.

Braden Schneider moved up to take his place on the second defense pair with Carson Soucy. It was a pretty seamless move, with Schneider registering six hits and six shot attempts, playing just under 20 minutes TOI.

Robertson drew into the lineup with Borgen out, and had a bit of an up and down time of it defensively. The rookie did a ring a right-point shot off the near post 90 seconds into the middle period, however.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...-takeaways-rangers-edge-blue-jackets-shootout

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers play ‘complete game’ to beat Columbus after wild win vs. Lightning

The New York Rangers didn’t score nearly as often in their 2-1 shootout win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday as they did in beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-3 three nights earlier. But coach Mike Sullivan was a lot happier with the way his team played.

“I thought we played a complete game all night long,” Sullivan said. “We forced them to have to play 200 feet. We know that team can score, so making sure that we check as hard as we did was gonna be an important element of the game — and I thought the guys bought into it.”

The win in Tampa was a goal-filled night that saw the Rangers send Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to the bench after 40 minutes. The Blueshirts scored seven goals on 21 shots, a 33.3 shooting percentage that matched a season best.

But it was far from a perfect effort in the eyes of Sullivan, who noted after the game that, “I don’t think we were at our best.”

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

In comparison, a total of two goals were scored in 65 minutes in Columbus. New York’s Mika Zibanejad and Dmitri Voronkov of the Blue Jackets traded power-play goals, in the second period. Scoring chances were few and far between.

“Everybody played just a solid road game today,” noted captain J.T. Miller, who scored the shootout winner with a lightning-quick shot that beat Columbus goalie Jet Greaves up top. “We took care of the puck. It was kind of a greasy game. It wasn’t really super exciting, I don’t think.”

JT Miller wins it in the shootout and the Rangers stay hot on the road pic.twitter.com/5k4Po1ZTsd

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 16, 2025

Columbus entered play with 41 goals at 5-on-5, tied for fifth in the League. But New York held the Blue Jackets scoreless at even strength and surrendered just 25 shots through three periods plus overtime, keeping things manageable for Igor Shesterkin.

“That’s a good team we played against,” Sullivan noted. “They’ve got a lot of young talent, they’re fast, they’ve got a real good transition game, they’re one of the best teams in the League off the rush. We knew that was gonna be an important aspect of the game, and I thought for the most part we played on top of them most of the night.”

“It seems like when we do give something up, it’s for the most part not the big ones,” Miller added. “We’ve done a good job of having a lot of layers and sticks in the middle of the rink.”

MSG analyst Steve Valiquette agreed.

“I think the outcome of the game, it all hinged on how the Rangers protected the inner slot against a very good 5-on-5 team from Columbus,” Valiquette said during the network’s postgame show. “They just didn’t let them get active in there.”

Headed by Kirill Marchenko and Norris Trophy-finalist Zach Werenski, the Blue Jackets rank fourth in expected-goals-for percentage at 5-on-5.

“They’re hard to play against at 5-on-5 because they’re so creative offensively,” Valiquette said. “But if you don’t let them in, you win the hockey game that way. And I thought that’s where the Rangers really won the game — it wasn’t offensively, obviously. It was how stout they were at protecting the house.”

“And I don’t think we compromised offense to do it,” Sullivan added. “We didn’t score a ton of goals tonight, but we generated offense. That’s what we’re looking for. I know the guys will score if they’re generating offense like they are.”

Rangers proving they ‘can win different ways’​

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

In a two-game span, the Rangers have won despite putting two very different products on the ice.

“I just think it’s evidence that we can win different ways,” Sullivan said.

New York’s offensive resurgence, sparked by Vincent Trocheck’s return and Artemi Panarin’s inspired play of late, should help them keep pace in a high-scoring affair. But they’re still more than capable of playing shutdown defense and grinding out narrow victories — as they showed Saturday.

“A sign of a good team is when they have a comfort level playing in a one-goal game, in a low-scoring game,” explained Sullivan. “And I believe that we’re developing that comfort level — when you can play in your endzone and defend and you don’t have to hit the panic button, and you just have a certain level of confidence that everybody’s gonna do their job.”

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

New York has certainly developed a proficiency for eking out these types of wins on the road. The Rangers continue to boast the NHL’s best record away from home; they are 9-1-1 after their sixth consecutive road victory.

And even the flawed efforts, such as the win against the Lightning, seem easier to stomach when the final score ends in their favor.

“We were playing against Nikita Kucherov and [Brayden Point], they’re gonna get their looks. I don’t wanna overthink it too much,” Miller said. “Finding a way to win on the road against teams in your conference is huge. We’re happy to keep going.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...hootout-in-columbus-shows-can-win-tight-games

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers waste brilliant Jonathan Quick effort in 2-1 loss to Red Wings

Jonathan Quick did everything within his power to will the New York Rangers to victory Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. But even a brilliant 40-save performance by their almost 40-year-old goaltender wasn’t enough for the Rangers, who dropped a 2-1 decision to the Detroit Red Wings.

Quick not only battled until the final buzzer, but afterward as well. On the bench for a sixth attacker when the clock struck triple zero, Quick was enraged that Detroit forward Mason Appleton sent a shot into the Rangers’ empty net after the horn sounded. He charged onto the ice to confront Appleton, and instead met up with Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who took a few shots to the face from the goalie’s blocker as both benches emptied.

APPLETON SHOT IT INTO THE NET AFTER THE BUZZER AND THE BENCHES CLEARED pic.twitter.com/SQAhvEADJB

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 17, 2025

At least one Rangers player showed fight from start to finish — and beyond. The Rangers (10-8-2) were outshot 42-19 and out-attempted 77-59. Over the final 40 minutes, Detroit outshot New York 33-13. Per Natural Stat Trick, the Red Wings had a 72.18 percent expected goal share in a dominant third period, when Lucas Raymond snapped a 1-1 tie at 16:13.

MY GOODNESS, LUCAS RAYMOND!!

What a beautiful goal! pic.twitter.com/Mz6NqXWl2o

— NHL (@NHL) November 17, 2025

Raymond had a goal and an assist; and he, Patrick Kane, and Dylan Larkin each recorded seven shots on goal for the Red Wings, who blew a 4-1 lead and lost in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres the night before. Alex DeBrincat also scored for Detroit, and Cam Talbot finished with 18 saves.

Mika Zibanejad scored his team-high seventh goal for the Rangers, whose three-game winning streak ended. New York dropped to 1-7-1 at MSG this season.

Quick did some of his best work when the Rangers were short-handed in the second period, so it was a bit ironic that the Red Wings opened the scoring with a power-play goal. Raymond’s shot from the right circle crept between Quick’s pads, and as the puck rolled toward the goal line, DeBrincat pushed it across the goal line at 9:30 for his ninth goal of the season and fifth in the past three games.

Alex DeBrincat – Detroit Red Wings (9)
Power Play Goal
pic.twitter.com/8XB0crNA92

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) November 17, 2025

Prior to the goal, Quick fought through traffic to make some big-time saves, but the Rangers failed to clear the puck out of their zone. Quick also had to deal with contact from Larkin that knocked him off balance, though the Rangers goalie did reset himself before Raymond’s shot.

Quick was furious with the officials after the goal.

“It was confusion. You’re getting tripped in your crease. That’s supposed to be a whistle right away,” he explained. “It’s tough enough killing a penalty as is. When you’ve got guys in the crease tripping you, it makes it more difficult.”

The Rangers weren’t thrilled with the officiating throughout. They ended up with two power plays compared with five for the Red Wings.

Earlier in the second period, Quick stopped all four shots on Detroit’s first power play of the game. That included a terrific 1-2 sequence at 4:30, when he made a sharp pad save and then denied Raymond’s rebound try, using his paddle on the ice to keep the low shot out of his cage.

Quick also caught a break near the start of that power play, when Simon Edvinsson whistled a backhand shot from the right circle across the grain far side and off the post at 3:30.

The Rangers tied things up with a power-play goal of their own by Zibanejad at 11:59 of the second period. But that was only after Quick kept the deficit at one, turning aside a short-handed scoring opportunity off the rush by Detroit’s J.T. Compher 30 seconds before Zibanejad’s goal.

Zibanejad buried a loose puck from the side of the net after Talbot lost sight of the puck following a save. It was his team-leading fourth power-play goal, and second in as many nights on the man advantage. He also scored a second-period power-play goal in a 2-1 shootout win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME. pic.twitter.com/y0ElXAKxId

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 17, 2025

Zibanejad then had a partial break short-handed at 14:25, but his shot sailed wide from right wing, as he looked gassed at the end of his shift.

With the score tied 1-1 in the third period, the Red Wings looked like the fresher and hungrier team. But Quick remained the biggest difference maker on the ice, and the main reason why the Rangers weren’t run out of their own building.

Detroit recorded 10 of the first 11 shots in the period, many of which came on consecutive power plays at 6:39 and 8:38. Raymond, Larkin, and Kane were among the Red Wings flat-out robbed by Quick, who also caught a break when a Kane shot caught iron. Zibanejad and Vladislav Gavrikov made heady defensive plays during the PK to help out their goalie, as well.

Quick had another gem stored up when he made a sensational pad save on Nate Danielson’s blast off an odd-man rush, with the teams playing at even strength. But before he could pick up his 40th save on the night, Raymond scored the go-ahead goal for Detroit on a terrific solo effort with 3:47 remaining in regulation.

The Rangers now head out on a three-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights.

Key Rangers takeaways after frustrating 2-1 home loss to Red Wings​

John Jones-Imagn Images

No Sully​

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan wasn’t at Madison Square Garden to witness the latest home defeat nor Quick’s sensational night. He missed the game due to personal reasons.

But the Rangers were in good hands. David Quinn and Joe Sacco served as co-head coaches Sunday, which is fitting since each New York assistant has plenty of head coaching experience in the NHL. Of course, Quinn was Rangers coach for three seasons from 2018-21, and also coached the San Jose Sharks for two seasons before joining Sullivan’s staff with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.

Sacco coached the Colorado Avalanche from 2009-13 and the Boston Bruins for the final 62 games last season after Jim Montgomery was fired.

“Obviously, from the coaches to the players of the organization, we certainly are thinking about Mike and his family,” Quinn told reporters postgame. “[It’s] never an easy situation when you’ve got to tend to your family. That’s all I can give you right now.”

Welcome to Broadway​

Scott Morrow made his Rangers debut after the Rangers recalled the 23-year-old defenseman from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Sunday morning. He skated 15 shifts in total, including one on the second power-play unit, and partnered with fellow rookie Matthew Robertson on the third defense pair. The Rangers outshot the Red Wings 6-3 and were even in scoring chances (6-6) with Morrow out there 5v5.

Morrow got caught at the Red Wings’ blue line on his first shift five minutes into the game, but Quick bailed him out with a sharp pad save on Marco Kasper’s blast off a 2-on-1 rush. Morrow, who had 16 games of previous NHL experience with the Carolina Hurricanes, was called up since Will Borgen remained out with an upper-body injury.

Rookie forward Gabe Perreault was assigned to Hartford to make room on the roster for Morrow.

Centennial sartorial splendor​

John Jones-Imagn Images

How about those centennial sweaters each team wore Sunday? Pure fire.

The Rangers and Red Wings are each celebrating their 100th season in the NHL. We’d already seen the awesome threads the Rangers wear on select home dates to commemorate their centennial, and they broke them out again Sunday for this Original Six clash.

What we didn’t expect was for the Red Wings to wear their equally impressive centennial sweaters in this one. Those lighter shade blues playing against the sharp classic reds on the white MSG ice? Yes, give us more of that please. A simply awesome, and classic, look.

Centennial sartorial splendor, for sure.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...recap-jonathan-quick-brilliant-loss-red-wings

 

[New York Rangers]

Why Rangers home woes at ‘snake pit’ Madison Square Garden not so surprising

Six weeks into the 2025-26 season, the New York Rangers are the NHL version of Jekyll and Hyde. They seemingly have a split personality as it pertains to their results at home and on the road.

The Rangers are tied for the most road wins (nine) in the League with the Los Angeles Kings, and are one point behind them for most road points (20-19), The Blueshirts are 9-1-1 away from the Garden, and the Kings are 9-1-2 on the road.

Conversely, the Rangers are 1-7-1 on home ice, worst in the League, after wasting Jonathan Quick’s brilliant 40-save performance Sunday in a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. New York was 0-6-1 at MSG before a 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators last Monday, the worst start on home ice in franchise history.

Count former Rangers general manager Neil Smith as someone who’s surprised by the stark home/road splits, but not about the extended struggles at the Garden.

“I can honestly say I could see that happening at Madison Square Garden because you know and I know how tough it can be in that building when things aren’t going well. It is a snake pit when things are not going well,” Smith told Forever Blueshirts on the RINK RAP podcast.

The architect of the 1994 Stanley Cup champion Rangers did add, “Now, it can turn positive on a dime and they’ll be cheering for you like crazy.” But his point is valid. It can get mighty ugly when the Rangers don’t perform well on home ice, and the Blueshirts Faithful let loose with their frustrations.

Smith knows firsthand. By the end of a massively disappointing 1992-93 season, even Mark Messier was booed off the ice in the Garden finale.

More than one former Rangers player in past years told this reporter that, when things are going well, there’s no better building to play in as a home team than Madison Square Garden. But when things are going poorly for the Rangers at home, it quickly becomes a massive impediment to actually play at MSG. The negative momentum is hard to break. Think of sliding down an icy mountain with a direct vertical plane.

This season, the Rangers were shut out in each of their first three home games, and five times total already. They’ve been held to one goal or fewer in seven of nine games at MSG, the lone exceptions being a 6-5 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks and their lone win against the Predators. They scored 13 goals on home ice so far this season.

“I can imagine those players were squeezing their sticks like probably putting fingerprint indentations in them, they were squeezing them so tight, trying to get a goal,” Smith shared. “And probably when they got on the road is when they [exhaled]. They relaxed because they were on the road and didn’t have that pressure over them that was going on at the Garden.”

Former GM unsure ‘what the Rangers are’ or if they’ll make playoffs this season​

John Jones-Imagn Images

The Rangers have won six straight road games for the first time since 2019-20, when they won nine in a row. New York’s scored 38 goals on the road and owns a sizeable plus-17 goal differential, after a 2-1 shootout win Saturday in Columbus over the Blue Jackets.

Their defensive play and structure is typically solid, whether at home or on the road. But the Rangers remain much more consistent in all facets of their game away from MSG this season, and are far more effective offensively.

But the home/road splits cause serious concern about where the Rangers are headed this season.

“Jekyll and Hyde. I don’t know what the Rangers are. I can’t figure them out yet,” Smith said. “If somebody asked ‘Are they going to make the playoffs?’ I’d have to say ‘I don’t know. It depends which team shows up.’ So, we’re going to wait and see on that.”

A quarter of the way through the 2025-26 campaign, the Rangers are just outside the top eight in the Eastern Conference. But they need more consistency, and certainly more wins at home, because the East playoff race is jam-packed, with only two teams under NHL-.500.

The Rangers must keep up their strong road play this week, when they embark on a challenging three-game trip against the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Utah Mammoth. Each upcoming opponent has a better record than the Rangers, including the Avalanche (13-1-5), who sit atop the NHL standings.

Once December rolls around, the Rangers schedule gets home-heavy. They’ll play seven of their first 10 games next month at the Garden, which is a chance to turn things around, or could be doomsday for the Blueshirts.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...truggles-not-surprising-madison-square-garden

 

[New York Rangers]

Top Rangers prospect learns ‘this is a man’s league,’ heads back to AHL

Gabe Perreault’s second tour of duty with the New York Rangers didn’t last long. The question now is when the next one will come.

One week after calling up the 20-year-old forward from Hartford of the American Hockey League in hopes he could give the offense a spark, the Rangers sent Perreault back to the minors Sunday, calling up defenseman Scott Morrow.

With the Rangers struggling to score at home, coach Mike Sullivan put Perreault on the top line with J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad and used him on the second power-play unit against the Nashville Predators on Nov. 10. Perreault responded by recording his first NHL point, the primary assist on Alexis Lafreniere’s power-play goal in a 6-3 victory, their first of the season at Madison Square Garden.

Power play Laffy feat. Gabe’s first NHL point. pic.twitter.com/aWvLH0BsBW

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 11, 2025

But that was just about the only highlight for Perreault, New York’s first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. He was demoted to the third line, saw limited touches and got another lesson in how difficult life can be for talented-but-smallish (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) forwards. He had one assist and two shots on goal in the three games, and averaged 13:09 of ice time – but less than 13 minutes in each of the last two.

“This isn’t an easy league,” assistant coach David Quinn said Sunday after the Rangers fell to 1-7-1 at the Garden with a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. “He’s got an awful lot of talent, and he’s got a bright future in this league, but this is a man’s league.”

Perreault signed with the Rangers on March 31 after his college team, Boston College, was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. He dressed for five games in April but was scoreless, finishing minus-1, with an average TOI of 14:26.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

He played well during the preseason, but Sullivan and his staff felt Perreault would be better off getting more ice time and playing top-six minutes in Hartford.

“Obviously, I think Gabe has NHL talent. I think that’s on display,” Sullivan said during the preseason. “He’s a really talented kid and I think he’s a terrific hockey player. He’s young, and in my experience of coaching young players like that, a lot of it is just about the thankless jobs – knowing when to put a puck deep, defensive responsibilities, awareness in the defensive zone and then strength, just being strong on puck battles. He sees it extremely well.

“My impression of him, in just watching him, is that he’s an NHL player in the making.”

Gabe Perreault returned to Hartford after 3 games with Rangers: ‘part of the growing process’​

Perreault found his stride after a slow start in the minors. He was the AHL Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 2 after putting up six points (three goals, three assists) and finishing plus-5 in three games.

“I think it was really good for me to go down there, play a lot of minutes, work on a lot of the little things that I needed to work on,” Perreault said after his recall. “Wall play, defensive details, little stuff like that — and also tried to work on my strengths at the same time, so a mix of all those things.”

Perreault was leading the Wolf Pack in scoring with 10 points (five goals, five assists) in nine games when he was called up. He’s still Hartford’s leading scorer despite missing five of their games.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

But instead of flying to Las Vegas with the Rangers on Monday for their Tuesday night game against the Golden Knights, the son of former NHL center Yanic Perreault will be on the ice at XL Center in Hartford for an 11 a.m. game against the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Quinn, who split the coaching duties with fellow assistant Joe Sacco on Sunday because Sullivan was absent for personal reasons, is optimistic that Perreault will succeed in the NHL. But he believes there will be some growing pains along the way for the talented youngster.

“Gabe did some good things while he was up here,” Quinn explained. “But when Gabe’s here, he plays on the top two lines, and when you [do], you play against everyone’s top [defensive] pairings and everybody’s best players. That can get a little overwhelming for you physically and with the pace.

“We just felt like this was part of the growing process and the development process for him. Give him an opportunity to come here, play meaningful games, and now he’s going back down, and I’m sure this experience will be beneficial to his development.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...perreault-learn-lessons-assigned-ahl-hartford