RSS Rangers Team Notes

[New York Rangers]

Rangers ride fast start to 6-2 road win vs. Bruins: takeaways

The New York Rangers celebrated Black Friday with their biggest offensive showing in Boston in more than 18 years, defeating the Boston Bruins 6-2 at TD Garden in the NHL Thanksgiving Showdown.

Mika Zibanejad scored two power-play goals in 45 seconds, Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists, and the Rangers made it three wins in as many games this week by defeating the injury-depleted Bruins. It was their sixth win in seven games against their Original Six rival.

The last time the Rangers scored as many as six goals in Boston was Jan. 29, 2007, when they knocked off the Bruins 6-2.

The Bruins were without their leading scorer, David Pastrnak, who was sidelined with an undisclosed injury reportedly sustained Wednesday against the New York Islanders, as well as their top center, Pavel Zacha, also with an undisclosed injury. How much difference their presence would have made is questionable considering the way the Rangers (13-11-2) played, especially in the first 40 minutes.

The Blueshirts were on their game from the opening face-off; they were quicker to the puck than the Bruins, forcing them into eight turnovers in the first period alone and making life easier than usual for Igor Shesterkin, who finished with 19 saves.

The Rangers have scored 6+ goals in a game for the fourth time this season, tied for the second most in the NHL. #NYR

— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) November 28, 2025

The Bruins woke up in the third period, getting goals 1:47 apart by Casey Mittelstadt and Morgan Geekie, but the Rangers’ four-goal lead proved to be too much to overcome. Alexis Lafreniere hit the empty net with 3:24 remaining and Vladislav Gavrikov scored 26 seconds later to rub a little salt in the wound.

The Rangers grabbed a 1-0 lead 3:28 into the game on their second shot on goal. Will Cuylle’s neutral-zone takeaway from Bruins defenseman Jonathan Aspirot triggered a 2-on-1. He carried the puck into the Boston zone and fed Panarin, who beat Joonas Korpisalo for his eighth goal of the season and sixth in his past seven games against Boston.

THE BREADMAN FROM COOLS pic.twitter.com/H0KjAB8EjR

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 28, 2025

New York held Boston without a shot for more then eight minutes in the middle of the period and doubled its lead at 12:02. Vincent Trocheck’s pass from the right boards near the goal line zipped untouched through the slot and came to Carson Soucy at the top of the left circle. The big defenseman stepped into a shot that caught the top far corner, just under the bar, for his second of the season.

Korpisalo kept his team in the game with big stops on Brett Berard and Sam Carrick before Boston got the game’s first power play when Cuylle was called for tripping Hampus Lindholm with 41 seconds left in the period. The Bruins nearly tied it just before the buzzer, but Geekie misfired on a rebound just outside the left post.

Rangers ride fast start to 6-2 road win against undermanned Bruins​

Boston dominated the first few minutes of the middle period. Shesterkin kept them off the board 3:15 into the period when he robbed Alex Steeves on a 2-on-1 break, and the Bruins had a couple of other chances before the Rangers began controlling play again.

The game turned on two careless high-sticking penalties in a span of just under two minutes. Marat Khusnutdinov got a two-minute minor at 12:21, and after the Rangers forced Korpisalo to make three superb saves, Lindholm drew a double minor for high-sticking Jonny Brodzinski with six seconds remaining on the first penalty, giving the Rangers a brief two-man advantage.

Zibanejad took a perfect feed from Panarin and beat Korpisalo with a knuckling one-timer at 14:22, one second after the 5-on-3 power play expired. He scored again at 15:07 when Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov deflected his pass for J.T. Miller into the net.

Mika goes back back on the power play! pic.twitter.com/KMzxJ0voVn

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 28, 2025

Maybe it was being booed off the ice after going down 4-0 and failing to get a shot on goal in the final 15 minutes of the second period, or maybe coach Marco Sturm’s between-periods speech was inspiring. Whatever the reason, the Bruins came out on fire in the third period, cutting the deficit to 4-2 before the first TV timeout.

Mittelstadt broke up Shesterkin’s shutout bid at 4:07, banging in a rebound in the crease off a scramble. Rangers coach Mike Sullivan called time out at 5:54 as the Bruins continued to press, but the home team won the draw and Geekie cut the Rangers’ lead to two goals by deflecting Henri Jokiharju’s shot past a screened Shesterkin.

But that was as close as the Bruins got. The Rangers began controlling play again, holding Boston without a shot after Geekie’s goal until Lafreniere’s empty-netter sealed the win. Gavrikov rubbed it in a bit when he tipped in Trocheck’s shot 26 seconds later.

GAVI TIPS AND SCORES pic.twitter.com/NQfyPwCyyG

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 28, 2025

Key takeaways after Rangers defeat Bruins 6-2 for third straight win​

Fast start = two points​

The Rangers skated off the ice after the first period up 2-0, the first time in eight games they led after 20 minutes. The last was Nov. 12, when they were up 3-2 on the way to a 7-3 road victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This was the first time all season the Rangers led by two goals after the first period, and the first time since the win against the Lightning that they scored more than once in the opening 20 minutes.

“The puck went in, honestly.”

Mika Zibanejad straight to the point about his 2 goals w/ @NabilKarimTV after the Rangers took down the Bruins pic.twitter.com/J6crjYhEKU

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) November 28, 2025

The best sign was that they didn’t let up in the middle period, when they held an 8-2 advantage in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, and outscored the Bruins 2-0 again to grab a 4-0 lead.

After giving up two quick goals early in the third, they kept the Bruins off the scoreboard and the shot clock until the goals by Lafreniere and Gavrikov locked up the win. But the fast start meant the Rangers could overcome the push by the Bruins and head home with another road victory. They’re now an NHL-best 11-4-1 on the road.

“I thought after they scored, we started to respond again and started to play the game that we wanted to play,” coach Mike Sullivan said.

Stars step up​

The Rangers aren’t going anywhere without their top players leading the way. Panarin, Zibanejad, Adam Fox and Shesterkin did just that on Friday.

Panarin is up to 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in 26 games, including 19 in 16 contests since he shaved his head three weeks ago. The four-point game was his third of the season and second in the past nine games.

Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Zibanejad took over sole possession of the team lead with nine goals, and scored his fifth and sixth of the season on the power play. Fox quietly had three assists, and Trocheck had the primary assist on two goals, giving him 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games since he returned from an upper-body injury.

Shesterkin wasn’t severely tested but came through with a couple of big stops when the game was close.

The Rangers need a lot more efforts like this one from their top players.

Road warriors, home worriers​

The Rangers lead the NHL with 11 victories away from Madison Square Garden; they are the only team in the League to hit double figures in road wins.

The problem has come at home, where the Blueshirts are 2-7-1 — the worst mark in the League — and winning at home is about to become especially critical.

Beginning with a Saturday matinee against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers play four of their next five games at the Garden. All four of those games come against top-level teams; the Lightning and Colorado Avalanche lead their respective conferences, and the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights are perennial Cup contenders.

In all, the Rangers play eight of their next 11 games at home. They can’t afford to waste more opportunities at the Garden.

Does Igor go back to back?​

Shesterkin has been in goal for all three wins this week, allowing two goals in each game. The only game in which he was severely tested was the 4-2 road win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, when he made 36 saves. He saw 21 shots in a 3-2 home victory against the St. Louis Blues on Monday and the win at Boston.

Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Ordinarily, Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick split these back-to-back games. But Quick is on IR with a lower-body injury, and rookie backup Dylan Garand has yet to make his NHL debut.

So, the question is whether Sullivan wants to give Garand his NHL christening in a game against the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning, one of the League’s highest-scoring teams.

“I might,” the coach said when asked after the game whether he’ll ride with Shesterkin.

But will he?

“I’ll tell you tomorrow”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/fast-start-fuels-win-vs-bruins-takeaways

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Lightning: Lineups, storylines eyeing another win in MSG matinee

A pair of streaking teams clash in a Madison Square Garden matinee on Saturday afternoon, when the New York Rangers host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Rangers (13-11-2) won their past three games, including a 6-2 road victory over the Boston Bruins on Friday. It’s their third three-game winning streak this season; they’ve yet to win four in a row.

“It’s not perfect by any stretch, but certainly our intentions are in the right spot,” coach Mike Sullivan said postgame Friday. “I think our execution can continue to improve, just getting a little bit sharper with our puck-possession game, but I think the guys are buying into the game that we’re trying to play as a team.”

But the Rangers face an even hotter team Saturday. The Lightning (15-7-2) own a season-high six-game winning streak, following their 6-3 road victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. They also won five straight games earlier in the season, and enter play Saturday sitting atop the Atlantic Division with 32 points.

So, yes, the Rangers have a big challenge ahead of them. But their confidence is running high after dispatching the St. Louis Blues, Carolina Hurricanes, and Bruins already this week. The Rangers outscored those teams 13-6 after racking up six goals for the fourth time this season Friday. That ties them for the second-most such games in the NHL.

That the Rangers did so against an injury-depleted Bruins lineup doesn’t faze Sullivan at all. Boston played without injured stars David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, and Charlie McAvoy.

“Certainly it’s an opportunity that you have to take advantage of when it presents itself,” Sullivan said.

Similarly, the Lightning are beat up on the back end. Their top three defensemen, each a two-time Stanley Cup winner — Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak — are on injured reserve. The Rangers scored a season-high seven goals in their first meeting this season against the Lightning on Nov. 12 down in Tampa, when Hedman and McDonagh each was out of the home team’s lineup.

3 storylines when Rangers host Lightning​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

1. Time to become homers​

Beginning Saturday, the Rangers schedule gets very home heavy. Sixteen of their first 26 games were played on the road. But the Rangers play seven of their next nine games at The Garden. So, it’s time to become homers. Finally.

The Rangers woes at MSG are well-documented. They’re a League-worst 2-7-1 at home, and had a historic goal drought to begin the season at The Garden. They did win two of their past three home games, so perhaps the tide is turning.

But to be a serious playoff contender, the Rangers are well aware that they must build a home-ice advantage, preferably sooner rather than later.

2. Raddysh reunion​

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

With all the injuries on the Tampa Bay blue line, defenseman Darren Raddysh assumed more responsibility and plenty more ice time. And he’s thrived in the bigger role.

Raddysh had a goal and two assists Friday and logged 24:04 TOI. That’s his second three-point game in his past six contests; and he’s totaled 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in the past seven games. Raddysh did record 37 points last season and 33 in 2023-24, but that doesn’t diminish how much he’s stepped up for the Lightning in this recent stretch when they needed him to do so.

The 29-year-old is the older brother of Rangers forward Taylor Raddysh, who’s 27. Neither of the siblings recorded a point in the first meeting between the Rangers and Lightning this season. Taylor, who began his pro career with the Lightning, has five goals for the Rangers, including a hat trick against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23. However, he hasn’t scored a goal in his past 14 games, and has just two assists in that span.

3. More Igor?​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Typically, the Rangers split up the goaltending duties for a back-to-back set. But with Jonathan Quick on IR with a lower-body injury, Igor Shesterkin could start on consecutive afternoons.

Sullivan insinuated as much earlier in the week, when asked if rookie backup Dylan Garand might make his first NHL start during this busy stretch. But the coach was bit more coy after the game in Boston.

“I might,” Sullivan answered when asked if he could give Garand the start.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Shesterkin started and won each of the past three games, but wasn’t exactly overworked against the Blues or Bruins, though faced a stiffer test in the game Wednesday against the Hurricanes. He’s won six of his past eight starts, and allowed two goals or fewer a League-high 12 times.

It feels like Shesterkin gets this start against the high-octane Lightning, who are the seventh-highest scoring team in the League, averaging 3.33 goals per game. But we won’t know for sure until Saturday afternoon.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Alexis Lafreniere — Mika Zibanejad — J.T. Miller

Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Will Cuylle

Brett Berard — Noah Laba — Jonny Brodzinski

Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Braden Schneider

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Dylan Garand

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

When: Saturday Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...ing-preview-storylines-winning-streak-matinee

 

[New York Rangers]

‘We got outcompeted’; Rangers seek answers after awful loss to Lightning

“Stink. Stank. Stunk.”

That line from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” perfectly describes the New York Rangers’ horrendous performance in their non-competitive 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. The question for coach Mike Sullivan is how to put the wheels back on the bus after they were run off the road by the Bolts, who embarrassed them in front of a sellout crowd of 18,006 – many of whom either left early or serenaded the Blueshirts with boos.

“We got outcompeted from the drop of the puck,” an unhappy Sullivan said during his post-game media conference. “There’s got to be a willingness and a want to be first to pucks, to embrace physicality. We knew the type of game it was going to be. That team, they’ve got hard skill, they compete and they skate. That was the type of game it was going to be. I don’t think we had the wherewithal to match the intensity. I just feel we lost puck battles all over the rink and it’s hard to establish any sort of game that you want to play if you don’t win puck battles.”

“There’s going to be nights when you don’t have your best game, but you have to find ways to compete.”

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

It was a complete no-show by the Rangers, except for goalie Igor Shesterkin, who made 31 saves and was the only reason they didn’t lose 10-1.

“At no point in that game were we deserving of winning,” said captain J.T. Miller, who scored the Rangers’ lone goal. “Shesty does everything to keep it close.”

Sullivan and his staff have three days to come up with some answers before the Dallas Stars come to the Garden on Tuesday night. One area that’s sure to come up is getting more shots on goal.

Rangers seek answers after embarrassing loss to Lightning​

The Blueshirts managed just 13 shots against Jonas Johansson, Tampa Bay’s backup goalie. It was the seventh time in eight games the Rangers had 22 or fewer shots on goal, and Sullivan said he wants to see his players shoot and crash the net more often rather than trying to make the perfect play.

“We’re always looking for the next best play, instead of getting people inside, getting to the blue paint and delivering pucks to the net and creating some opportunity off the shot,” he said. “I don’t think we create off the shot nearly enough as we should. As a result, we don’t force teams to have to defend the inside of the ice. I think if we did, we’d get on the power play more. I think there would be more opportunity there. We’ve got to have a willingness to go there more.”

He cited the latter stages of the second period, when the Rangers had their best stretch of play.

Foxy with the shot + J.T. deflects it in pic.twitter.com/j2lsoWaFvb

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 29, 2025

“We had some significant O-zone time, but we didn’t get inside enough – no doubt,” he said. “We didn’t get the puck there, we didn’t get the people there, and that’s something we have to get better at.”

Even worse is that they might have to try to get better without their best skater. Defenseman Adam Fox, whose perfect pass resulted in Miller’s goal at 17:31 of the middle period, left the game seven minutes into the third period with an apparent injury to his left arm after a crunching hit by Hagel behind the Rangers’ net. He went to the locker room and didn’t return.

“He’s being evaluated for an upper-body injury,” was all Sullivan would say when asked about his No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback. Losing Fox for any length of time would make a tough situation even tougher.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

But a more important issue is their compete level. The Rangers followed perhaps their best performance of the season, a 6-2 road win against the Boston Bruins on Friday, with their worst effort — by far. They played like a team that didn’t care – and as a result saw its home record drop to an NHL-worst 2-8-1.

“I wish we had the answer,” forward Mika Zibanejad said of the team’s struggles at MSG. “We just have to find a way. I understand the reaction from our fans. We’re more frustrated than they are.”

Being outplayed is one thing. Being outcompeted is something no NHL coach can tolerate.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

“I think that’s something I’ll discuss with my coaching staff,” Sullivan said when asked about his team’s effort against the red-hot Lightning, who’ve won seven in a row. “Obviously our expectation is higher. I don’t think the players by any stretch have any intention of getting outcompeted.

“We’ve got to find a way to take more pride in that. That’s something we’ve got to work through as a group.”

They’d better do it soon.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/seeking-answers-after-loss-to-lightning

 

[New York Rangers]

Non-competitive Rangers have no answers, lose 4-1 to Lightning: takeaways

There’ve been a slew of ugly games played by the New York Rangers so far in 2025-26, mostly on home ice. But their 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon was as non-competitive as the Rangers looked all season.

Don’t let the final score fool you. Igor Shesterkin gave the undeserving Rangers every chance to stay in this one, even though they were outshot 35-13 in a game that was almost exclusively played in their end of the ice.

With the score 3-1 and still within reach, the Rangers didn’t record their first shot on goal in the third period until more than 13 minutes elapsed. Even with a power-play opportunity, and later when they pulled Shesterkin for an extra attacker, the Rangers managed only four shots on goal in the final period.

It simply was a terrible effort and loss for the Rangers (13-12-2), whose three-game winning streak ended one day after they hammered the Boston Bruins 6-2 on the road. But back at MSG, the Rangers dropped to a League-worst 2-8-1 on home ice.

Nikita Kucherov extended his point streak to nine games with three assists for the Lightning (16-7-2), who won their seventh straight game. Brandon Hagel scored twice and has a team-high 15 goals, including eight in a five-game goal scoring streak.

Nick Paul and Jake Guentzel also scored for Tampa Bay. Goalie Jonas Johansson could’ve taken an afternoon siesta at The Garden, called upon to stop 12 of 13 shots, and never facing more than seven in any one period.

Shesterkin started on back-to-back days for the first time this season and was New York’s best player by far, finishing with 31 saves.

Though they were nearly run out of their own building in the first period, the Rangers trailed just 1-0 after 20 minutes, due to equal parts good fortune and Shesterkin’s brilliant play. The Lightning owned the puck and lived in the Rangers’ end of the ice in the opening period, yet managed only Hagel’s goal at 10:53, when his shot hit Carson Soucy’s skate and caromed into the net.

Brandon Hagel gets things started for the @TBLightning on #NHLNShowcase Saturday! pic.twitter.com/SsuOwvmo1w

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) November 29, 2025

The Lightning outshot the Rangers 11-2 and had an 89.71 percent expected goals share after one period, per Natural Stat Trick. They just missed on a pair of prime scoring opportunities that didn’t require Shesterkin to make a save either time; Guentzel missed the net on a breakaway and Zemgus Girgensons hit the post later on.

In the second period, the Rangers leveled the playing field some, though they were still outshot 16-7. Hagel made it 2-0 at 8:57 when he patiently collected his own rebound after Shesterkin stoned him on a breakaway, took a step back and flipped it over the prone goaltender for his second goal of the game.

Shesterkin, though, remained the biggest difference maker on the ice, and kept the Rangers in this one. He made a sharp pad save on Hagel’s backhand chance from out front at 16:20, not only denying the Lightning forward a hat trick, but keeping New York’s deficit at a manageable two goals.

The Rangers almost immediately rewarded their goalie when Adam Fox zipped a pass from right wing into the blue paint, where the puck struck the skate of J.T. Miller and went over the goal line at 17:31 to make it 2-1.

J.T. Miller gives the Rangers some life pic.twitter.com/J1ZJxRqmmB

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) November 29, 2025

Less than a minute later, Shesterkin made a flashy glove save on J.J. Moser’s rising blast off the rush from the left-wing circle. Shesterkin did take an interference penalty against Hagel at 19:41, but made up for his miscue with several more sharp saves bridging the end of the second period and beginning of the third to keep it a one-goal game.

That good fortune didn’t last long, though. A slick Kucherov feed into the low slot was redirected home by Paul shortly after the power play ended to restore Tampa Bay’s two-goal lead, making it 3-1 at 2:02.

The Rangers showed very little pushback until they received a power play at 11:56. But even then they struggled getting pucks through to Johansson, despite better zone time. Guentzel put the game away, scoring his 14th goal into an empty net with 17.4 seconds left to play.

Key takeaways after Rangers’ embarrassing 4-1 loss to Lightning​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Adam Fox injury casts dark shadow over Rangers​

Fox sustained an upper-body injury in the third period on a clean shoulder-to-shoulder check by Hagel, and didn’t finish the game. Afterward, coach Mike Sullivan only stated that Fox is being evaluated by medical personnel.

Looked like Adam Fox’s left arm gets crunched by Hagel.

He’s still in the #NYR locker room. pic.twitter.com/jvaQLfA69S

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) November 29, 2025

Outside of Shesterkin, it’s difficult to think of a more indispensable player on the Rangers than Fox. The 2021 Norris Trophy winner drives their offense — just watch his patience and precision setting up Miller’s goal Saturday. He leads all NHL defensemen with 23 assists and is second with 26 points. He and Vladislav Gavrikov make up one the top defense pairs in the entire NHL, relied on for heavy minutes and consistently excellent xGF numbers.

Fox is also New York’s unquestioned power-play quarterback — so much so that when the Rangers had that third-period power play, Sullivan deployed five forwards — Miller, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, and Will Cuylle — since Fox was back in the dressing room. Should Fox miss some time moving forward, expect rookie defenseman Scott Morrow, a solid puck mover, and healthy scratch Saturday, to draw back into the lineup and join PP1 in his place.

Will Borgen’s back​

It would be ironic if Fox misses some games after the Rangers’ defense corps finally was complete Saturday. Will Borgen returned to the lineup after he missed the previous five games, and seven of eight, with an upper-body injury.

Borgen was back in his role on the second pair alongside Soucy, logged 19:50 TOI, and led the Rangers with six hits. He also was on ice for Tampa Bay’s first two goals, including the second one by Hagel when Borgen was a step behind on the breakaway.

Brandon Hagel doubles down on the breakaway ️ pic.twitter.com/1SxmHDJ1Yl

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 29, 2025

Soucy missed a shift or two after he blocked a shot midway through the third period. The veteran defenseman remained on all fours before pushing himself up and blocking two more shots with the Lightning pressing their advantage in the offensive zone. Soucy returned to play a 56-second shift late in the game before the Rangers pulled Shesterkin for an extra attacker.

No excuses for Rangers​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Losing to the red-hot Lightning is nothing to be embarrassed about. But what must gall Sullivan — not to mention the fans who paid good money to watch this tilt — is the utter lack of compete level displayed by the home team. This loss looked eerily similar to many that dotted the Rangers ledger a year ago, when their effort was often called into question.

Effort hasn’t been an issue this season. But it sure was Saturday.

“We did it to ourselves,” Miller said postgame. “There was no urgency today. We dipped our toe into the game and got outplayed most of the time. It’s unacceptable.”

Keep in mind that the Lightning were without four key regulars because of injury — defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak, and forward Brayden Point. In addition, Tampa Bay started its backup goalie, Johansson, who allowed fewer than three goals once in six previous starts this season. Consider this a major missed opportunity for the Rangers.

Home-ice disadvantage​

Saturday began a stretch for the Rangers in which they play seven of nine games at home. In any other season, it’d be normal for this to be good news for the Rangers, especially considering how great they’ve fared on the road (11-4-1). Instead, the spate of games at MSG could drag the Rangers down, instead of raise them up.

Their eight regulation losses at home are most in the League. The Rangers scored three goals in those eight games; they were shut out five times and held to a single goal three times. They also mixed in that wild 6-5 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23 — a game that proved they’re capable of scoring plenty and losing anyway at MSG.

Next up are the Dallas Stars on Tuesday at The Garden. Not only are they a perennial Stanley Cup contender, one that’s playing excellent hockey again this season, but the Stars are 9-1-3 on the road. After that on the Rangers’ home schedule is the 1-2 punch of the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights next weekend.

So, yes, things could get worse before they get better at home for the Rangers.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...ecap-takeaways-non-competitive-loss-lightning

 

[New York Rangers]

What’s next for Rangers with Adam Fox reportedly out weeks with injury

Coming off one of their most dispiriting losses of the season, the New York Rangers reportedly received more bad news Sunday. Per multiple reports, the Rangers plan to place Adam Fox on LTIR with a left-shoulder injury.

Fox sustained the injury in the third period of New York’s non-competitive 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. The 27-year-old defenseman was on the receiving end of a clean shoulder-to-shoulder check by Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, with his left arm and shoulder crushed into the boards.

Looked like Adam Fox’s left arm gets crunched by Hagel.

He’s still in the #NYR locker room. pic.twitter.com/jvaQLfA69S

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) November 29, 2025

Fox headed straight to the dressing room and didn’t return. After the game, coach Mike Sullivan said only that Fox was being evaluated for an upper-body injury. The Rangers didn’t practice Sunday, so there was no official update on his condition.

Per Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic, the Rangers consider Fox week to week, and he’ll be re-evaluated around Christmas.

Fox is tied with Artemi Panarin for the Rangers lead with 26 points. His team-high 23 assists are also tied with Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche for most among NHL defensemen. He assisted on J.T. Miller’s goal Saturday to extend his scoring scoring streak to six games (10 assists).

His loss is a massive one for the Rangers. Outside of goalie Igor Shesterkin, Fox, the 2021 Norris Trophy winner as top NHL defenseman, is likely the most indispensable player on their roster, and nearly impossible to replace in the lineup.

But there are no excuses for the Rangers (13-12-2), who are right in the thick of the jam-packed Eastern Conference playoff race. They begin this stretch without Fox sitting 12th in the conference on points percentage, though just one point out of a playoff spot.

So, what happens next for the Blueshirts?

Breaking down Rangers options with Adam Fox sidelined week to week with upper-body injury​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Opportunity is there for Scott Morrow​

The Rangers do not have another defenseman who moves the puck and drives the offense like Fox. The closest facsimile is rookie Scott Morrow, who is a skilled playmaker with a heavy shot from the blue line. However, the inexperienced Morrow is not going to log the 23+ minutes per game that Fox averages. Expect Morrow, a healthy scratch Saturday, to draw into the Rangers lineup and play sheltered third-pair minutes at even strength with Fox out.

John Jones-Imagn Images

It’ll be an opportunity to play regularly and get comfortable with the Rangers. But Morrow’s biggest opportunity to make a difference will be on the power play. Expect the 23-year-old who has 20 games of NHL experience with the Carolina Hurricanes and Rangers to replace Fox as the quarterback on New York’s top power-play unit. The Rangers deployed five forwards on the power play after Fox was hurt Saturday (and with Morrow watching in the press box), but that’s too risky a strategy to do consistently.

Morrow remains a work in progress, especially on the defensive side of the puck. But this is his chance to step in and prove that he’s not just a part of New York’s future, but can be trusted in the present.

More responsibility for Braden Schneider​

Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

No defense pairing in the NHL has more time on ice 5v5 (449:34) than Fox and his partner Vladislav Gavrikov. Per Natural Stat Trick, Fox and Gavrikov have an excellent expected goal share of 59.85 percent. They’ve been on ice for nearly double the amount of high-danger chances for opposed to against (97-50), and the Rangers outscored opponents 16-11 at 5v5 with that pair out there.

So, no matter who’s tasked with moving up to play with Gavrikov, there’s going to be some level of drop off in quality of play.

That someone should be Braden Schneider. His underlying numbers never are great, and always pale in comparison to Fox. But the Rangers hope that those metrics improve for Schneider when he gets the chance to play regularly alongside Gavrikov, one of the top defenders in the League, as opposed to his usual bottom-pair partners.

Braden Schneider nets his first of the season and then snaps home the equalizer to tie it for @NYRangers!@KennyAlbert | @DaveMaloneyMSG | #NYR pic.twitter.com/3FPj3XxW9a

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) October 31, 2025

Schneider is the right choice here. He’s a good skater, has some offensive upside (though just five points in 27 games), and is experienced enough to go up against opposing team’s best players. Plus, it keeps the veteran second pair of Carson Soucy and Will Borgen intact. Perhaps, that pair will take more shifts 5v5 now that Fox is out; but breaking them up in order to move Borgen up alongside Gavrikov doesn’t make sense.

You don’t simply replace Fox with one player, whether 5v5 or on the power play. It’ll take the entire defense corps stepping up, and consistently diligent efforts by the forward group, along with continued stellar goaltending, to cover for Fox, who’s been their best all-around player this season.

Trade options​

Reportedly, the Rangers do not fear that Fox will be out longer term, say for a few months or the rest of the season. So, general manager Chris Drury is less likely to seek a trade to fill the gaping hole on the Rangers defense corps. If Fox was out longer term, that’d be a different story. Drury likely would have his Calgary Flames counterpart Craig Conroy on speed dial to check in about Rasmus Andersson.

By landing on LTIR, Fox must miss 10 games or 24 days. Not ideal, but the Rangers survived a similar situation in 2023-24 when their star defenseman missed 10 games on LTIR with a knee injury. Zac Jones, Erik Gustafsson, and Jacob Trouba were among those who stepped up in Fox’s absence then, and the Rangers went on to win the Presidents’ Trophy. So, that’s to say Drury not need act in a rash manner.

On the flip side, though, might the Rangers GM consider this a chance to further break up the roster and rebuild the foundation of this organization should the Rangers falter badly without Fox? Even with Fox playing — and playing exceedingly well — the first 27 games, it’s not exactly like the Rangers looked the part of a Stanley Cup contender nor a lock to simply make it into the postseason.

How the Rangers handle this stretch without Fox may go a long way to help Drury decide whether the Rangers are buyers or sellers, and , perhaps, sooner rather than later.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/rangers-adam-fox-injury-update

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers Week Ahead: 4 difficult games without injured Adam Fox

The New York Rangers enter their second straight four-game week on the heels of their worst effort of the season – and without their best defenseman for the foreseeable future.

A pitiful performance (with the exception of goalie Igor Shesterkin) in a 4-1 home loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday took a lot of the glow off a week that saw them win three straight games – including a 4-2 road win against the first-place Carolina Hurricanes on Thanksgiving Eve. The Rangers basically mailed it in against the Bolts, earning serenades of boos from the Madison Square Garden faithful.

But the really bad news came a day later, when the Rangers reportedly put their best defenseman, Adam Fox, on long-term injured reserve with a left shoulder injury stemming from a big hit by Lightning forward Brandon Hagel seven minutes into the third period.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Going on LTIR means Fox has to miss at least 10 games and 24 days, effectively meaning the earliest he could return is after the Christmas break.

Fox had been on a roll before the injury, piling up 10 assists in six games to earn a share of the team scoring lead with Artemi Panarin; each has 26 points. The 2021 Norris Trophy winner is second to Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche among NHL defensemen in scoring; he and Makar are tied for the most assists among defensemen with 23. He had the primary assist on J.T. Miller’s goal Saturday.

His absence blows a giant hole in the Rangers’ defense corps. Coach Mike Sullivan must replace his No. 1 power-play quarterback, a D-man who’s averaged 70 points during the past four seasons – and a defenseman who’s averaging 23:50 of ice time.

Fox is as irreplaceable a skater as the Rangers have. Being without him, even for the LTIR minimum, will make getting into the Stanley Cup Playoffs even more difficult.

Who’s hot​

Shesterkin had a terrific week, posting a 3-1-0 record, allowing nine goals on 114 shots, starting all four games. He stole the win in Carolina by outplaying Frederik Andersen and kept the Rangers in the game against the Lightning on a day they were outshot 35-13.

Who’s not​

Conor Sheary came to training camp on a PTO and earned a roster spot as a lineup regular. His lack of production, though, earned him a seat in the press box in each of the past three games. He’s gone nine games without a point and has no goals and five assists in 24 games.

Rangers lookahead this week includes …​

A second straight stretch of four games in six days, with three of the four at The Garden. Whether that’s a good thing for the League’s worst home team (2-8-1) is a separate question.

Dallas Stars at Rangers (Dec. 2, 7 p.m.; MSG2)​

Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The Stars swept their four games last week to improve to 17-5-4, a record that would put them on top of any division except the one they play in. Dallas enters the week four points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the Central Division lead.

The Rangers and Stars split road wins last season, with Dallas winning 5-4 at MSG on Jan. 7.

The Blueshirts must find a way to shut down Jason Robertson, who has 13 goals and 22 points in his past 10 games. Robertson has three goals and six points in seven games against the Rangers. Jake Oettinger, the Stars’ No, 1 goalie, is 1-2-1 against the Rangers with a 3.62 goals-against average and .871 save percentage. Backup Casey DeSmith is 3-2-2 with a 3.51 GAA and .874 save percentage.

Panarin is a point-a-game player against the Stars (23 games; two goals, 21 assists). Shesterkin dominates the Stars; he’s 6-1-1 with a 2.38 GAA and .929 save percentage.

Rangers at Ottawa Senators (Dec. 4, 7 p.m., MSG)​

Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

This is the Rangers first visit to Canadian Tire Centre since March 8, when they blew a 3-1 lead in the final 10 minutes of regulation and lost 4-3 in overtime, missing a chance to move into a wild-card spot. It was one of the landmark games in their fall from Presidents’ Trophy winners in 2023-24 to early vacationers a year later.

The Senators begin the week at 12-9-4, tied with the Rangers at 28 points despite playing two fewer games. They’ve struggled to keep the puck out of their net; starting goalie Linus Ullmark has a save percentage of just .880. He is 6-3-1 all-time against the Rangers.

New York is 4-0-1 against Ottawa in their past five meetings. Mika Zibanejad has fared well against his former team; he has nine goals and 22 points in 19 games against them. Panarin has 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 25 games vs. the Senators.

Colorado Avalanche at Rangers (Dec. 6, 12:30 p.m., MSG)​

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

The Rangers seek some revenge when the League-leading Avalanche come to the Garden for a Saturday matinee. They battled the Avalanche inch for inch on Nov. 20 in Denver, before losing 6-3 (the last two goals were empty-netters).

The Avalanche won three in a row and seven of the past 10 against the Rangers. New York hasn’t beaten Colorado in regulation since a 5-3 win at the Garden on Jan. 7, 2020.

Nathan MacKinnon, the NHL scoring leader who had the game-winner in Denver, has 10 goals and 25 points in 21 games against the Rangers. Scoring against the Avalanche isn’t easy – their 55 goals allowed (in 25 games) is 16 fewer than the runner-up Stars, and they’ve lost just once in regulation.

Miller has 10 goals in 22 career games against the Avs.

Vegas Golden Knights at Rangers (Dec. 7, 7 p.m.; MSG/NHL Network)​

Danny Wild-Imagn Images

This is another rematch – the Golden Knights edged the Rangers 3-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Nov. 18. New York swept the two-game season series in 2024-25 and is 3-2-2 against the Golden Knights at MSG.

Vegas struggles to win games that go beyond regulation. It’s lost six times in overtime and twice in as many shootouts.

The Rangers could face former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, who was recalled from Henderson of the AHL on Sunday. He’s expected to make his debut for Vegas on Tuesday in Chicago. His suspension, stemming from the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial, expires Monday. He is 4-6-3 lifetime against the Rangers.

With the Blueshirts playing back-to-back games and Jonathan Quick entering the week still sidelined with a lower-body injury, Spencer Martin could make his Rangers debut against the Golden Knights, He’s 2-0-0 against them, allowing one goal in each game.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/rangers-adam-fox-injury-weekly-preview

 

[New York Rangers]

Why 5-forward power play is best path for Rangers after Adam Fox injury

Losing star defenseman Adam Fox is the last thing the New York Rangers’ power play needed.

New York placed Fox on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) after he sustained an upper-body injury during a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. That means the 2020-21 Norris Trophy winner must miss at least 10 games or 24 days before he can return to the ice.

“‘Foxy’ is not an easy guy to replace for so many reasons,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged after practice Monday. “I’m sure I’m stating the obvious when I say that.”

Fox’s 26 points through 27 games are tied with Artemi Panarin for the team lead, and are second-most among all NHL defensemen, trailing only Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche (32).

His impact is felt particularly on the power play, where he quarterbacks New York’s top unit.

Despite a slow start this season, New York’s power play ranks 12th in the League with a success rate of 21.3 percent. Fox recorded points on eight of New York’s 13 power-play goals, including assists on five of their past six.

“Foxy is an elite power-play defenseman with how he distributes the puck up there, the way he sees the game,” Sullivan lauded. “He’s got really good instincts.”

Replacing Fox is no easy task. The Rangers don’t have another defenseman on par with Fox’s playmaking skills nor ability to drive offense — few teams across the League do.

That’s why Sullivan is opting to roll with five forwards on the top power-play unit, when the Rangers host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. The coach decided to bypass defensemen Vladislav Gavrikov, Braden Schneider, and Scott Morrow on PP1 for a simple reason.

“We don’t think that’s the strength of their games to this point,” Sullivan explained. “We’re trying to put a power play together that we think gives us the best opportunity to have success.”

For now, that’s the unit they rolled out against the Lightning after Fox’s injury in the third period. It features Will Cuylle joining fellow forwards Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, and J.T. Miller.

Rangers coach keeps open mind on 5-forward power-play unit​

Though Cuylle won’t replace Fox positionally at the point, it’s wise to pivot to a player who’s already had success on that unit this season.

Cuylle got a six-game stint earlier this season with PP1, manning the net front and scoring twice — including a goal on his first shift with the top group. In that stretch, the Rangers’ No. 1 unit scored power-play goals in all but one game.

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

It’s a formula that’s worked before, and it’s worth revisiting. Plus, with Cuylle in front of the net, players like Zibanejad and Miller have more freedom to hunt scoring chances on the wing.

As for who replaces Fox at the point, Sullivan mentioned Panarin and Zibanejad as the top options, although it was Panarin who played quarterback at practice Monday.

“I think ‘Bread’ sees it really well,” noted Sullivan. “His ability to get pucks down to the net — into the areas of the rink where we want to get them — I think is a particular attribute that he’s good at.”

If the Rangers seek a player who can best mimic Fox’s playmaking on the power play, Panarin’s skillset provides the closest match. Much like Fox, Panarin has the vision and patience necessary to be an elite distributor, and it shouldn’t limit him from being a scoring threat.

Here's Artemi Panarin on playing the point for PP1:

"I think I have more options. More play with the puck, which I like… It's probably the best position to see the ice, because you can go on both sides. From the right side or left side, it's hard to make it seam (passes) and…

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) December 1, 2025

While there’s nothing that indicates this unit will suddenly ascend to an elite level in Fox’s wake, there’s enough talent remaining to keep it competitive. Bigger issues lie on the defensive side.

The main concern with an all-forward power play is the increased risk of short-handed chances going back the other way. And though the Rangers are more reliable defensively this season, they’re far from immune to surrendering odd-man rushes.

“We’re going to see how it plays out,” the coach said. “Obviously, we need to have some conscience when we’re on the power play with five forwards — without a doubt — and that’s a conversation that we’ll have.”

For the time being, it’s a risk New York should accept. The Rangers struggled to put together a successful second power-play unit in past years, and this season is no different.

Thus, the onus falls on the top unit to find the back of the net. And for now, a five-forward group is the most potent look New York can piece together.

Rangers can pivot to defensemen if top power-play unit falters​

John Jones-Imagn Images

Sullivan isn’t locked into a five-forward power play if results disappoint, or if the defensive risk is too much.

Gavrikov ranks second among Rangers defensemen with 11 points. Schneider is third with six points. Each would be defensively responsible substitutes, albeit a bit lacking as power-play distributors — something Sullivan indicated. Schneider will take Fox’s spot on the top pairing at even strength alongside Gavrikov, however.

Of course, the most intriguing option is Morrow, who profiles as a puck-moving defenseman and, in theory, a natural fit on the power play.

Morrow was an offensive standout at the University of Massachusetts and displayed similar ability in the American Hockey League last season with the Chicago Wolves, tallying 39 points in 52 games en-route to an AHL All-Star nod.

But he’s been less impressive thus far with the Rangers, who acquired him over the summer from the Carolina Hurricanes in the K’Andre Miller trade. Inconsistent play on the back end led to sheltered minutes through four NHL games with New York, and he didn’t stand out with the Hartford Wolf Pack either. Morrow was minus-6 with one goal and three points in 12 games to begin the 2025-26 AHL season.

With stronger competition and a faster game in the NHL, it’s quite the leap to thrust Morrow — who’s logged under a minute on the man-advantage with the Rangers — into the top power-play unit after limited production and playing time.

Asked what Morrow needs to do to earn trust, Sullivan responded, “Assertive play, making decisions with conviction, and not being in between — eliminating hesitation from his game.”

It’s likely Morrow will have the chance to showcase that ability since he practiced with the second power-play unit on Monday. Should he impress, it’s not unreasonable to think the 23-year-old could get bumped up to the top group at some point.

As it currently stands, though, New York is better off banking on their star forwards to keep an inconsistent power play afloat.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...orward-power-play-best-option-adam-fox-injury

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Stars: Lineups, storylines seeking rebound against elite foe

Coming off one of their least inspired efforts of the season, and in the wake of unwelcome injury news for one of their star players, the New York Rangers look to regroup Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, when they host the Dallas Stars.

Outside of goalie Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers (13-12-1) were mostly uncompetitive — admittedly so, too — in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon. Compounding the head-scratching defeat was losing top defenseman Adam Fox for at least 10 games, after he landed on LTIR with an upper-body injury.

Looked like Adam Fox’s left arm gets crunched by Hagel.

He’s still in the #NYR locker room. pic.twitter.com/jvaQLfA69S

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) November 29, 2025

Needless to say, that made for a pretty brutal 1-2 punch the Rangers received this past weekend. And to think, they were riding high, tying their season-high three-game winning streak, heading into that Lightning game.

So, what level of resiliency do these Rangers have, needing to bounce back against one of the better teams in the NHL on Tuesday night?

“We just got to find a way to win at home, pretty much,” defenseman Will Borgen said Monday after practice. “We laid an egg last game and it wasn’t good. It’s time to respond.”

The streaky Rangers won three in a row three times this season. However, they’ve also failed to maintain any semblance of consistency, since they had a four-game losing streak and a pair of three-game skids (0-2-1). And, of course, there’s that wide disparity between their road record (11-4-1) and home-ice results (2-8-1).

On Tuesday, the Rangers face one of the most consistent teams year-over-year recently in the NHL. The Stars (17-5-4) are winners of four straight, and have points in six straight games (5-0-1). Since Nov. 8, the Stars are 10-1-1.

And despite coaching changes and personnel changes, the Stars made the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times in the past seven seasons, and advanced to the Western Conference Final in each of the past three years.

The two teams split the season series in 2024-25, with each winning on the road. Overall, the Rangers have points in eight of their past nine games against the Stars (6-1-2), after they were 1-0-1 last season.

3 storylines when Rangers host Stars​

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

1. Lineup decisions​

With the injury to Fox, and another sustained by fourth-line forward Adam Edstrom in practice Monday, the Rangers needed to juggle their lineup a bit. Rookie Scott Morrow draws in on the third defense pair, and Braden Schneider moves up to the top pair alongside Vladislav Gavrikov in Fox’s absence.

“Obviously, ‘Foxy’ is not an easy guy to replace, for so many reasons,” coach Mike Sullivan said Monday. “But we’re going to put a game plan together with the guys that we have to try and set our group up for success.”

Either veteran Conor Sheary, a healthy scratch the past three games, or 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann, who was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Monday, replaces Edstrom in the lineup. Edstrom is day to day with a lower-body injury.

Taylor Raddysh, who missed practice for personal reasons, is in the lineup Tuesday.

2. Rangers to use 5 forwards on top power-play unit​

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Not having Fox quarterback the top power-play unit is a big issue for the Rangers. Fox is one of the best puck distributors in the League, and has points on eight of New York’s 13 power-play goals this season. And the Rangers should have even more power-play goals considering how many great looks Fox created.

Without him Tuesday, the Rangers plan to utilize five forwards on the top unit, with Artemi Panarin up top replacing Fox as the PP quarterback. Will Cuylle’s been added to the grouping for his excellent net-front play. Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, and Vincent Trocheck round out the top unit.

So, why no defenseman, like Morrow, Schneider, or Gavrikov?

“Because we don’t think that’s the strength to their games at this point,” Sullivan responded Monday. “Obviously, I think ‘Foxy’ is an elite power-play defenseman with how he distributes the puck up there, the way he sees the game. He’s got really good instincts. We don’t necessarily think that’s the strength of some of the guys just mentioned.”

Sullivan added that he’s not married to the decision, should that five-forward unit go south at some point. Morrow is most likely to move up from the second power-play unit, if needed.

3. Pick your poison​

Here’s the issue with the Stars: they’re among the best in the NHL on both sides of the puck. They average 3.50 goals scored per game, third most in the League. And their team goals-against is 2.65 per game, seventh best. Dallas’ plus-22 goal differential is second best in the NHL, behind the Colorado Avalanche, who are a whopping plus-48.

Schneider’s assessment of the Stars?

“Talented, fast, hard group. I think they’re been a playoff team that’s been close a couple times and they play fast and they can score goals,” the 24-year-old said.

“So, we have to make sure that we’re being the aggressor and taking it to them.”

Here’s an interesting nugget: both the Rangers and Stars are 11-2-0 when scoring first this season.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Jonny Brodzinski

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard

Conor Sheary — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Spencer Martin

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Dallas Stars

When: Tuesday Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG2

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...iew-storylines-lineup-changes-adam-fox-injury

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers rally, stun Stars 3-2 in OT for biggest win of season: takeaways

Three nights after one of their most dismal efforts of the season, the New York Rangers pulled a 180-degree U-turn Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Playing with a serious compete level against one of the best teams in the NHL, the Rangers rallied for a 3-2 overtime win over the Dallas Stars.

Vladislav Gavrikov buried the rebound of Artemi Panarin’s shot at 1:09 of OT for the game-winner. That came after Will Cuylle tied the score at 17:47 of the third period, also on a rebound, with Igor Shesterkin on the bench for a sixth attacker.

VLADISLAV GAVRIKOV!

He nets the @Energizer overtime winner for the @NYRangers! pic.twitter.com/wIQ9K9KHxV

— NHL (@NHL) December 3, 2025

It was the biggest win of the season for the Rangers (14-12-2), especially playing without injured star defenseman Adam Fox and coming off a non-competitive 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. It also came against a Stars team that entered the night on a four-game-winning streak and was 10-1-1 since Nov. 8.

“We showed how we can play. Raise the bar. Got to keep the standard like that and play like that every night,” Gavrikov stated postgame.

New York outshot Dallas 41-25 and had the only two shots in overtime. Despite outshooting the Stars (17-5-5) by a whopping 18-3 margin in the third period, the Rangers trailed 2-1 after Mikko Rantanen finished a 2-on-1 feed from Wyatt Johnston for his 11th goal after a J.T. Miller turnover at 9:32. It was Dallas’ first shot of the period.

But Cuylle saved the day and kept the Rangers from a very frustrating loss with his 6-on-5 goal in the final minutes. Stars goalie Casey DeSmith made an excellent save on a Vincent Trocheck deflection, but Cuylle banked his rebound shot off his pads and into the net.

WILL CUYLLE. TIE GAME! pic.twitter.com/Lvy5yeTtqF

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 3, 2025

Carson Soucy also scored for the Rangers, who’ve won four of their past five games and are now 3-8-1 on home ice. Panarin played a team-high 22:35 and finished with two assists.

Soucy opened the scoring at 6:51 of the first period, 10 seconds after he hopped out of the penalty box. The Rangers killed off his cross-checking minor, and Soucy rewarded them by joining Noah Laba on a 2-on-1 rush up ice, finishing the scoring play when he tapped the puck over the goal line after Laba’s shot leaked through DeSmith.

Conor Sheary, back in the lineup after he was a healthy scratch the previous three games, got the scoring play started with a bank pass off the boards to spring his two teammates. The assist was his first point in his past 10 games.

Carson Soucy knocks it in for the opening goal! pic.twitter.com/IDTWPtx1cn

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 3, 2025

The Stars didn’t trail for long. An own-zone turnover by Gavrikov put the puck right on the stick of Kyle Capobianco just inside the blue line. The Stars defenseman then sent a low shot between Shesterkin’s pads at 9:04 for his first goal of the season, tying the game 1-1.

Each team had 10 shots on goal in the first period, but the Rangers had a significant edge in 5v5 scoring chances (14-4) and high-danger chances (4-1), and an impressive 74.09 percent goal share, per Natural Stat Trick.

Trocheck came close to giving the Rangers the lead in the first minute of the second period. However, his backhand attempt off the rush 35 seconds into the period hit the post.

The Rangers were outshot 12-11 in the scoreless second period, though each team had some Grade-A chances. Shesterkin denied Rantanen off an odd-man rush after Will Borgen lost his footing up ice, leading to a 3-on-1 for Dallas.

At the other end, DeSmith denied Sam Carrick’s drive off a 2-on-1 rush at 9:53, and then made two big stops, first on Borgen’s short-handed deflection in front at 16:59, and then against Trocheck point-blank seconds later.

The Rangers turned up the heat in the third period; they were credited with the first 11 shots, thanks in large part to a four-minute power play,after Sam Steel cut Alexis Lafreniere on the cheek with a high stick at 4:13.

DeSmith, appearing in his 200th NHL game, stopped all six Rangers shots during the double minor, including a trio of prime looks for Mika Zibanejad. Then the Stars goalie caught a break when the teams were back at even strength. At 9:03, Carrick’s deflection of a Gavrikov shot hit under the crossbar and stayed out, much to the center’s dismay.

After the media timeout, it took less than a minute for the Stars to capitalize on their first shot of the period. But the Rangers showed tremendous resolve and got what they deserved, a well-earned, hard-fought victory on home ice.

Key takeaways after Rangers defeat Stars 3-2 in overtime​

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Braden Schneider puts his big boy pants on, delivers for Rangers​

In his first game on the top defense pair, replacing Fox, Braden Schneider looked confident and far from overwhelmed with the extra responsibility. The 24-year-old logged 20:38 TOI, including 2:25 short-handed, where he played a major role in diffusing Dallas’ potent power play on its two opportunities.

Schneider was active in all three zones, leading the Rangers with three blocked shots, and credited with five shot attempts (two on goal). He also leaned into his physical play with three hits, including a crunching hit that flattened Roope Hintz on a Dallas rush.

The No. 19 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft said Monday that he was ready to put his “big boy pants on,” a remark likely touching on how the Rangers sheltered him over the years on the third defense pair. Even though he was on ice for both goals by the Stars — neither his fault — Schneider still looked pretty darn good in his first game in those big boy pants.

Kids are alright​

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Panarin, Trocheck, and Zibanejad were difference makers Tuesday, and Gavrikov scored the game-winning goal. Each is an important veteran player on the Rangers roster, carrying much responsibility on their shoulders night-in and night-out. But let’s not overlook the big hand that the kids had in this uplifting victory.

Start with Cuylle, the 23-year-old power forward, who was around the Dallas net all night, making life miserable for DeSmith. He had five shots on goal, several great looks, and team-high eight attempts. And he was rewarded for his diligence and gritty play with his eighth goal, which made Gavrikov’s game-winner possible.

Laba was a force all night, skating with jets on his skates. He appeared to be shot out of a cannon on New York’s first goal by Soucy, picked up his fourth assist, recorded five shots on goal, and had three hits in 16:41 TOI. The 22-year-old center and his 23-year-old linemate Brett Berard generated some good looks off the rush, using their speed to gain clean entry over the blue line.

Rookie defenseman Scott Morrow logged 14:29 TOI, including 2:01 quarterbacking the second power-play unit, and looked poised with and without the puck. He attempted five shots and recorded two shots on goal.

Rangers deploy 5-forward power play​

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Fox must’ve been jealous watching this game, since the Rangers had five power plays. With him in the lineup this season, the Rangers had as many as four power plays in a game just twice.

Coach Mike Sullivan went with five forwards on the top unit, with Cuylle added to the mix and Panarin replacing Fox as the quarterback. New York recorded 11 power-play shots in the game, including six on that third-period double minor. The Rangers had plenty of great looks and near misses, but were 0-for-5. Still, the puck movement looked good, especially once the Rangers settled in — they didn’t get enough shots toward the net on their first couple power plays.

Only once did the Stars challenge the Rangers with a good short-handed scoring chance, a fear of using five forwards on the same unit. However, Colin Blackwell, the former Rangers forward, sailed his shot over the net after a steal and partial break-in.

The second unit didn’t get much run but they did a good job funneling pucks to the net. That group is less flashy and more meat and potatoes when they’re out there, but it was an intriguing and effective unit, led by Laba, Morrow, Lafreniere, Jonny Brodzinski, and Sheary.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/rangers-overtime-win-dallas-stars

 

[New York Rangers]

Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Brendan Brisson heats up on 4-game point streak

The Hartford Wolf Pack are finding ways to win lately. After snapping a seven-game losing streak (0-3-4-0) on Nov. 18 with a3-2 overtime victory over Springfield, the New York Rangers AHL affiliate won four of their past six games.

Last week started out badly, with a 6-3 loss to Springfield on Wednesday. Brennan Othmann played his best game of the season, scoring his first goal since Feb. 16 and adding an assist. He also led the Wolf Pack with six shots on goal. Dylan Roobroeck also contributed two points (one goal, one assist).

Otter with the rebound pic.twitter.com/rtx519ZGFE

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 27, 2025

The Wolf Pack followed up with a pair of victories against Cleveland over the weekend, though. The 6-4 win Friday included two-goal performances from Trey Fix-Wolansky and Bryce McConnell-Barker. Then on Saturday, Gabe Perreault recorded the first two-goal game of his professional career to lead a 3-2 comeback win in the third period.

GABE PERREAULT WITH THE GAME WINNING GOAL pic.twitter.com/8e9QLqivOm

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 30, 2025

The sixth-place Wolf Pack (7-9-4-0, 18 points) can move to .500 with two wins this weekend.

Juuso Pärssinen, who cleared waivers and was assigned to Hartford by the Rangers last week, sustained an upper-body injury on Friday in the second period. He is week to week with the injury.

Hartford signed Daniel Walcott to a Professional Tryout (PTO) on Nov. 27. Walcott, a gritty 31-year old forward, was the Rangers’ fifth-round pick (No. 140 overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft. He returns after spending nine seasons with Syracuse in the AHL (56 goals, 91 assists for 147 points in 495 games). He attended AHL training camp with Charlotte, but was released prior to opening night.

The Wolf Pack’s roster shuffle continued when goalie Spencer Martin was called up to the Rangers on Sunday, and Dylan Garand was assigned to Hartford. Other transactions included Scott Morrow, and Brennan Othmann recalled by the Rangers, and Connor Mackey returned to the Wolf Pack. Goalie Hugo Ollas was also sent to ECHL Bloomington.

Hartford Wolf Pack News-n-Notes​

Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

Brendan Brisson heats up​

Brendan Brisson, a first-round pick (No. 29 overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, is on a four-game point streak (three goals, one assist). This burst comes after a very slow start with Hartford this season, when he recorded three points (two goals, one assist) in 16 games.

Despite the poor start, the 24-year-old center is tied for fourth on Hartford with five goals, and is fifth with 37 shots on goal. Furthermore, his two power-play goals are third most on the Wolf Pack (one behind Roobroeck and Fix-Wolansky).

Make that goals in straight for Brendan Brisson pic.twitter.com/YCzXaXmofy

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 29, 2025

Brisson has seven points (five goals, two assists) in 20 games. He is two goals away from tying last season’s total (seven), when he split the campaign with Hartford and Henderson. He also was pointless in nine games with the Golden Knights.

Bryce McConnell-Barker developing nicely​

Second-year forward Bryce McConnell-Barker is on a roll. McConnell-Barker, a third round pick (No. 97 overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Rangers, has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 20 games. He is tied for fourth on the team (with Roobroeck) in scoring, and is tied for fourth in goals (with Brisson). His 38 shots is the fourth most on the Wolf Pack. McConnell-Barker also recorded his first professional two-goal game on Nov. 28 against Cleveland.

pic.twitter.com/q5Xqrpncnm

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 29, 2025

Defensively, McConnell-Barker plays a disciplined and impactful game. He recorded three penalties this season and is plus-2. He helps the Wolf Pack transition quickly from defense to offense, showing how his skating is a tremendous asset.

McConnell-Barker is on pace to exceed his totals from 2024-25 (15 points). In fact, he is two goals and three assists away from replicating last season.

Callum Tung impresses during AHL call up​

Since he was recalled by Hartford from ECHL Bloomington on Nov. 16, Callum Tung impressed and showed he’s capable of playing in the AHL. The 22-year-old goaltender, who signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Rangers on April 1, won three of his four starts with Hartford the past two weeks. He faced 109 shots and stopped 95 of them. While his sample size is limited (3.44 GAA, .872 save percentage), Tung showed the ability to compete in the AHL. In addition, he joined Hartford at the end of 2024-25 and impressed in two starts (1-1-0, 2.28 GAA, .893 save percentage).

Following his 31 save performance, Wolf Pack goaltender Callum Tung met with local media.

Full Media Availability pic.twitter.com/xbBkqDrWPY

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 22, 2025

Garand is the clear-cut No. 1 goalie in Hartford, and Martin will back him up once Jonathan Quick returns from a lower-body injury for the Rangers. That leaves Tung likely heading back to the ECHL, where he is 4-1-2 with a 2.47 GAA and .921 save percentage for the Bison.

Upcoming Games​

All games can be viewed on AHLTV and heard on Mixlr.

Friday, December 5 vs Springfield Thunderbirds (St. Louis) at 7:00pm, PeoplesBank Arena​

• This is the fifth of 10 meetings in the season series. Hartford is 3-1-0-0 against Springfield.
• Springfield is 5-10-2-2 (14 points), eighth (last) in the Atlantic Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. However, the Thunderbirds are on a five game point streak (3-0-1-1).
• Matt Luff (seven goals, seven assists) leads the Thunderbirds with 14 points. Next is Juraj Pekarcik with 12 points (five goals, seven assists).

Saturday, December 6 vs Bridgeport Islanders (New York) at 7:00pm, Total Mortgage Arena​

• This is the second of 12 meetings in the season series. Hartford was shut out in the first meeting, 3-0 on Oct. 24.
• Bridgeport is 7–10-1-1 (16 points), seventh in the Atlantic Division and tied for 12th in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders are 4-5-0-1 in their past 10 games.
• Matthew Highmore (four goals, 10 assists) and Matthew Maggio (three goals, 11 assists) co-lead the Islanders with 14 points apiece.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/hartford-wolf-pack-brendan-brisson-heats-up

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Senators: Lineups, storylines trying to build off big win

When the puck drops Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre, the New York Rangers seek to replicate their winning formula from two nights prior. So, they’ll want to play a fast, hard, committed game, and dictate its terms, when they visit the Ottawa Senators.

The Rangers (14-12-2) come off their biggest win of the season, a 3-2 overtime victory against the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden. For 61 minutes Tuesday, the Rangers largely outplayed the team with the second best record in the NHL. They deserved the result they got, even if the Rangers had to rally late in the third period to tie the score on Will Cuylle’s 6-on-5 goal, before Vladislav Gavrikov netted the OT winner.

“When you win games like that in the fashion that we won it, I think it’s a big boost of confidence that gives us another level of energy. Winning cures a lot of ills,” coach Mike Sullivan said Wednesday after practice.

The Rangers are winners in four of their past five games. The one blemish in that stretch was a non-competitive 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Clearly that lack of will and execution caught everyone’s attention.

“I thought it was a great response to a game we were disappointed in,” Sullivan stated.

One thing the Rangers have going for them trying to build off the big win Tuesday is that they’re on the road in this one. The Rangers lead the NHL with 11 road wins and 23 road points. So, there appears to be less of a chance they have a dip in their play or take anything for granted after knocking off the Stars.

Like the Rangers, the Senators (13-9-4) have 30 points in a largely uneven season to this point. They, too, come off a feel-good victory Tuesday, after the Senators handily defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-2.

Despite being tied in points, the Rangers are one point out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and the Senators are second in the Atlantic Division. Such is the Rangers burden that the Metropolitan Division is better this season than the Atlantic.

But there’s a chance that the Rangers and Senators may contend with one another for a playoff berth in the East before all is said and done. So, that makes these head-to-head meetings very important.

“It’s another really hard opponent,” Rangers captain J.T. Miller said Wednesday. “Honestly, I just think we prefer that at this point. No reason not to get up for these games. It’s going to be a fun game to play. They’re a great hockey team, they play fast, they play physical. It’s a game we should be ready for, a game we should want to be in.”

3 storylines when Rangers visit Senators​

Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

1. Keep shooting​

Sullivan said Wednesday it’s not the Rangers intent to be a high-volume team when it comes to shots, despite their season-high 41 shots on goal against the Stars. But they do want to apply relentless pressure to consistently generate prime scoring chances.

If they can do that against the Senators, the Rangers should be in good shape. Ottawa has the ninth worst goals-against average in the NHL (3.31), and goalie Linus Ullmark hasn’t played to his past Vezina Trophy-winning form (3.05 GAA; stunning .876 save percentage). So, getting pucks and bodies to the net should be a recipe for success for the Rangers, who lead the NHL with 54 goals scored on the road.

2. Turn up the power​

The Rangers spent much of practice Wednesday working on the power play. Adam Fox is on LTIR with an upper-body injury, so Sullivan now deploys a five-forward look on the top power-play unit. He thought that grouping got better as the game wore on Tuesday. And he’s right. The Rangers whizzed the puck around plenty their first two power plays, but didn’t send enough shot attempts toward the net. That changed during a double-minor four-minute power play in the third period, when they totaled six shots on goal, including a slew of Grade-A chances.

New York finished 0-for-5 on the power play against the Stars, but Sullivan believes that with more reps — especially for Artemi Panarin, who replaced Fox as the quarterback — the power play should be successful.

That success could come as soon as Thursday because Ottawa has the worst penalty kill in the League (68.4 percent), and allowed four power-play goals the past two games combined.

3. Brady’s back​

Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Senators captain Brady Tkachuk missed 20 games with torn ligaments in his thumb, but returned Nov. 28 against the St. Louis Blues. He looked like his usual self against the Canadiens, scoring his first goal of the season, assisting on Artem Zub’s goal, and tying for the team lead with 10 shot attempts.

BRADY TKACHUK HAS HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON! pic.twitter.com/i9YIg9XCgp

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 3, 2025

Perhaps the 26-year-old is not quite full speed just yet, though. He logged around 15 minutes TOI in two of the three games since returning, roughly 3-4 minutes off his norm. But there’s no question he’s a welcome addition to the Senators lineup. Tkachuk is not only a skilled, hard-working two-way player, he’s the emotional focal point of the Senators.

The Rangers tend to get the best from Tkachuk. Just flash back to New York’s most recent visit to Canadian Tire Centre on March 8, when Tkachuk scored in overtime to cap a 4-3 Ottawa victory.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Jonny Brodzinski

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard

Conor Sheary — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Spencer Martin

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators

When: Thursday Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Canadian Tire Centre

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...senators-preview-storylines-build-off-big-win

 

[New York Rangers]

Former Rangers captain still trucking, lands 3-year extension with Lightning

Ryan McDonagh apparently doesn’t even need to be in the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup to keep his career trucking along. The former New York Rangers captain, who’s currently on injured reserve, signed a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension with the Lightning on Thursday.

The $4.1 million AAV deal kicks in next season and carries through McDonagh’s age-39 season in 2028-29. The veteran defenseman is due back soon for the Lightning, after he sustained an unspecified injury blocking a shot against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 8.

*beep beep*

Mac Truck's locked in for three more years!

https://t.co/FKD7n2mCs3 pic.twitter.com/B3p9Z9ysE3

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) December 4, 2025

This month-long injury absence is a blip on the radar for the ultra-reliable defenseman. McDonagh played all 82 games last season for the Lightning, and 1,025 in the NHL since debuting with the Rangers on Jan. 7, 2011. In that time, he’s averaged 22:32 TOI and owns a cumulative plus-290 rating, that is best among all active NHL defensemen. Not once in 15 NHL seasons did McDonagh finish with a negative plus/minus rating.

Known throughout his career to be an absolute warrior, McDonagh’s blocked over 2,000 shots in the NHL (2,037), third most among active defensemen and third all-time among United States-born players.

“Mac Truck” helped the Lightning win consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021 and reach the 2022 Cup Final, where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in six games. In 196 postseason games, McDonagh averaged 24:16 TOI and totaled 68 points (12 goals, 56 assists).

With the Lightning (16-8-2) currently leading the Atlantic Division, it appears likely McDonagh will surpass 200 career Stanley Cup Playoffs games this coming spring. Even without McDonagh nor fellow defense stalwart Victor Hedman in the lineup, the Lightning manhandled the Rangers 4-1 this past Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Ryan McDonagh part of best, worst trades in Rangers history​

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

McDonagh’s history with the Rangers is bittersweet. His acquisition in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on June 30, 2009, goes down as one of the best deals in Rangers history. They surrendered underachieving veteran center Scott Gomez, along with Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto, for McDonagh, and forward Chris Higgins and Pavel Valentenko.

This was a coup for Glen Sather, then the Rangers general manager, an absolute steal. McDonagh became a force on New York’s blue line, a foundational piece of John Tortorella’s Black and Blueshirts. And when Alain Vigneault replaced Tortorella as coach, McDonagh helped the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, became team captain the following season, and appeared in consecutive NHL All-Star Games in 2016 and 2017.

However, he was the centerpiece of one of the worst trades of Jeff Gorton’s tenure as Rangers GM on Feb. 26, 2018. As the Rangers started to rebuild, they traded McDonagh and J.T. Miller for three players who never amounted to much of anything on Broadway (center Brett Howden was the best of the group for them) and two draft picks, one of which ended up being first-rounder Nils Lundqvist, who never did much in New York and is now with the Dallas Stars.

Interestingly, that trade tree did ultimately produce Noah Laba, though only after the Rangers swapped Howden to the Vegas Golden Knights and acquired a 2022 fourth-round selection and used it to pick the center.

McDonagh, who also played briefly with the Nashville Predators before a second tour of duty with the Lightning, remains largely beloved by Rangers fans. And deservedly so. Even if his biggest successes came off-Broadway in Tampa.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/ryan-mcdonagh-contract-extension-lightning

 

[New York Rangers]

Artemi Panarin milestone point helps Rangers defeat Senators 4-2: takeaways

Buoyed by Artemi Panarin’s 900th NHL point and a stellar performance by Igor Shesterkin, the New York Rangers chalked up another road win Thursday, defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-2 at Canadian Tire Centre.

The Rangers (15-12-2) now lead the NHL with 12 road wins and 25 road points this season. But they’re beginning to fire on all cylinders, no matter the locale. This win was their fifth in their past six games overall, and second in as many tries without the injured Adam Fox in the lineup, following a 3-2 overtime victory at home against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.

Shesterkin made 25 saves in his season-high sixth straight start. He surrendered only a pair of power-play goals, one of which deflected off a skate, and held the Senators at bay until Panarin finished them off with an empty-net goal for his milestone point.

Artemi Panarin with the empty net goal and gets his 900th career point! pic.twitter.com/R2gNTAKVUi

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 5, 2025

“Happy to get that, but glad we win tonight. Especially in a winning game, I have that number. So nice. But, to be honest, I [didn’t] know,” Panarin shared postgame.

Panarin also assisted on Mika Zibanejad’s game-opening goal. Defensemen Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen scored New York’s other goals, and J.T. Miller had a season-high three assists.

Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson scored for the Senators, who’ve lost four of their past six games. Leevi Merilainen finished with 23 saves.

The Rangers scored on two of their first three shots to grab a quick 2-0 lead in the first period. Zibanejad got the visitors started on the right foot when he finished a pretty 2-on-1 feed from Miller just 3:19 into the game. It was his team-leading 10th goal of the season, and also his 10th in 20 games all-time against the team that selected him in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft.

Mika Zibanejad opens the scoring in Ottawa! pic.twitter.com/ElsugLnTq4

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 5, 2025

The Rangers doubled their lead at 9:45, when Gavrikov zipped a left-wing shot through a Brett Berard screen and over Merilainen’s glove for his third goal in the past four games. Noah Laba didn’t land on the score sheet, but he made this goal happen.

The rookie center first knocked Senators defenseman Dennis Gilbert off the puck at center ice, then gained entry into the offensive zone, before fending off Brady Tkachuk along the boards. From there quick passes from Miller and Braden Schneider set up Gavrikov’s sixth goal of the season, tying the 30-year-old defenseman’s single-season career high.

Vladislav Gavrikov snipe alert!

And how about the work here from Noah Laba! pic.twitter.com/uOLbJZ5SI0

— NHL (@NHL) December 5, 2025

In between those goals, the Senators had two prime chances to, at least, tie the score. But Shesterkin stoned Tkachuk on a breakaway, and then caught a break a few minutes later when Batherson wired a shot off the post.

There was more good luck for the Rangers goalie on the shift after Gavrikov made it 2-0. This time Ottawa forward David Perron was left frustrated when his shot clanked off iron at 10:10.

The Senators did find the back of the net before the first period ended, though. Cozens beat Shesterkin glove side for a power-play goal at 18:30, with Will Cuylle sitting in the penalty box.

The Rangers responded by dominating the second period, and increasing their lead to 3-1. They out-shot the Senators 12-7 and held a decisive 63.61 percent expected goal share, per Natural Stat Trick.

They also got a rare goal from Borgen, just his second of the season, at 7:24. It came after the Senators were pinned in their own end for nearly two minutes and couldn’t get a full change of players. The Rangers did get fresh players on the ice, and capitalized when Borgen sent a shot through Taylor Raddysh’s screen in front to make it 3-1, following a pretty swing pass from his defense partner Carson Soucy.

Aided by a pair of power plays, Ottawa picked up the pace in the third period, and did pull within one at 13:08. Tkachuk flung the puck toward the net, where it hit Batherson’s skate and deflected over the goal line to make it 3-2.

Shesterkin, though, shut the door and Panarin iced New York’s latest impressive road effort and victory. That sets the Rangers up for fascinating weekend back-to-back at home against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday and Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.

Key takeaways after Rangers skate to 4-2 road win over Senators​

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Milestone night for the Breadman​

Panarin reached 900 NHL points in 781 games, the sixth fastest to do so among undrafted players since 1963-64. The five players ahead of him, led by Wayne Gretzky, are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. That’s pretty legit company for the Breadman to keep.

Artemi Panarin factored on two of four @NYRangers goals and reached 900 career points!#NHLStats: https://t.co/X6JJO0GQlA pic.twitter.com/UTtYIT8o1y

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) December 5, 2025

The 34-year-old winger has 311 goals and 589 assists in that span. More importantly for the here and now, Panarin is rolling after a slow start this season. He leads the Rangers with 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 29 games, with 10 of those points (three goals, seven assists) notched in his past five contests. He has eight multi-point games this season, including three four-point outings.

Remember, he had just two assists in the first six games this season. That seems like forever ago.

Also remember that Panarin is scheduled to be the biggest name on the UFA market next summer. Despite his age, he’s going to get paid. By the Rangers or someone else.

Igor is dialed in​

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

With Jonathan Quick sidelined by a lower-body injury the past two weeks, the Rangers are riding Shesterkin between the pipes. And that decision by coach Mike Sullivan is paying off handsomely. Shesterkin is 5-1-0 and allowed 13 goals starting all six games since Quick got hurt. No matter the situation, Shesterkin is the unquestioned No. 1 goalie for the Rangers. But he’s really living up to that billing now with the heavier workload.

Shesterkin was dialed in again Thursday, making a slew of clutch saves, including that breakaway stop against Tkachuk early in the game and another against Tim Stutzle in the third period, when Tkachuk sprung his teammate in alone with a perfect pass.

With the Rangers’ lead cut to 3-2, Shesterkin calmly made big-time saves against Perron and Stutzle down the stretch before Panarin restored the two-goal lead.

Perhaps his best save, though, was late in the second period, when Cuylle’s blind backhand pass into the slot landed on Tkachuk’s stick. The Ottawa captain wasted little time firing a hard shot on net; but Shesterkin was in perfect position to stone Tkachuk, yet again.

The new Kid Line​

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

You know which line really was good and effective Thursday, even if none of its members recorded a point? The Kid Line. No, not that one. Two-thirds of that Kid Line, except for Alexis Lafreniere, are long gone.

No, this is the new Kid Line, centered by Laba, with Cuylle and Berard on the wings. They played a super-energized, simple, north-south style again Thursday, and were major contributors to this victory. Laba made that Gavrikov goal happen. It didn’t hurt that Berard set the screen, either.

Laba was a force all over the ice against the Senators, making the most of his 13:48 TOI. He applied consistent puck pressure and won numerous puck battles. He was credited with four hits and won seven of nine face-offs. Sullivan took notice.

“I thought ‘Labs’ was physical all night,” the coach said. “He brings a speed element with his size and his strength. When he brings some physicality to his game, I think he’s a lot more effective … I thought this was one of his more physical games that he’s had in a while.”

Speaking of physical play, Cuylle led the Rangers with seven hits and three blocked shots. And Berard brought his typical firebrand of energy to the proceedings. This version of the Kid Line is quickly turning into a trusted and impactful third option for the Rangers.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/panarin-reaches-900-points-rangers-victory

 

[New York Rangers]

Artemi Panarin ‘driving offense’ for Rangers on way to 900th NHL point

Artemi Panarin moved into some pretty heady when he scored into an empty net to wrap up the New York Rangers’ 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night.

The “Breadman,” who had an assist on Mika Zibanejad’s first-period goal, got his 900th NHL point by scoring into the vacated cage after the Senators pulled goalie Leevi Merilainen for an extra attacker. He became the sixth undrafted NHL player since 1963-64 to reach 900 career points in 800 games or fewer, joining Wayne Gretzky (385 games), Peter Stastny (599 games), Bobby Orr (638 games), Phil Esposito (692 games) and Adam Oates (735 games). Each of those players is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Panarin reached 900 points (311 goals, 589 assists) in career game No. 781.

career points officially in the books for the Breadman! pic.twitter.com/1jLth0gE7h

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 5, 2025

“It means a lot,” the best free-agent signing in Rangers history said of the milestone. “It also means I’ve had a long time in this League.”

Panarin has 580 of those points (195 goals, 386 assists) in 459 games since signing with the Rangers on July 1, 2019. His average of 1.26 points per game is best in franchise history. His 120-point performance in 2023-24 represents the second-highest single-season total in Rangers history, trailing only Jaromir Jagr’s 123 points in 2005-06.

Ironically, Panarin wasn’t aware that the empty-netter was his 900th NHL point. When the Rangers bench asked for the puck after his milestone goal, he wondered why because he had no idea.

“Happy to get that, but glad we win tonight,” Panarin said. “Especially in a winning game, I have that number. So nice. But, to be honest, I [didn’t] know.”

Artemi Panarin with the empty net goal and gets his 900th career point! pic.twitter.com/R2gNTAKVUi

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 5, 2025

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan, who spent the previous six seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins trying to find ways to shut down Panarin, wasn’t aware of the milestone either.

“I didn’t realize that he got 900 points tonight,” Sullivan said during his postgame press conference. “I was just informed after the game.

“It doesn’t surprise me. He’s a unique talent and he drives offense in so many different ways. He just has an ability to see the ice and see plays develop; he’s one step ahead of everybody on the rink. And that’s the game that he’s played for so long.”

Artemi Panarin on roll for Rangers​

Panarin now has 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 29 games this season – including 23 (six goals, 17 assists) since he shaved his head in early November following a career-long six-game pointless streak. He’s excelled during the past 10 days, scoring three goals and assisting on seven others to help the Rangers win five of six games and improve their record to 15-12-2.

The two-point night in Ottawa was his eighth multiple-point game this season and fourth in the past five games.

Getting that bread – congratulations to Artemi Panarin on NHL career point No. 900 pic.twitter.com/2gB5BfiDRe

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) December 5, 2025

“I think he’s done a great job over the last little while just driving offense for our team, whether it’s 5-on-5 or on the power play,” Sullivan said. “He has scoring ability himself, but his playmaking ability is really something that might fly under the radar. I’ve certainly gained much more of an appreciation for it watching him up close.”

The 34-year-old left wing’s increased production isn’t hurting his hopes of a big payday this summer, either.

Panarin is in the final season of the seven-year contract that he signed on July 1, 2019, and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Rangers want to keep him beyond this season, but not for the $11.642 million average annual value of his current deal.

However, Panarin reportedly doesn’t want to take a pay cut. With his scoring touch returning and most of the big-name potential free agents off the board after signing new deals, Panarin is helping himself at the bargaining table, while helping the Rangers on the ice.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/artemi-panarin-900-nhl-points

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Avalanche: Lineups, storylines for must-see matinee

Your head may tell you not to build up the importance of this early December matinee for the New York Rangers against the Colorado Avalanche at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon. But your heart tells you otherwise.

Admit it. This is a must-see matinee at MSG.

It just feels like the Rangers (15-12-2) are primed to measure up against the best team in the League. That doesn’t guarantee the final outcome. But it sure does mean the Rangers are heading into this game confident and believing they’re on a level playing field with the Avalanche.

Coming off two straight solid wins, the Rangers are 5-1-0 in their past six games. Yes, the one loss was an ugly no-show at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning one week ago. But they knocked off two of the best teams in the NHL during this stretch — the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars — and come off a strong showing Thursday, when they never trailed in a 4-2 road win over the Ottawa Senators.

Igor Shesterkin is at the heart of this mini-revival. The highest-paid goalie in the NHL is earning every penny lately, and the Rangers likely will ride him for a seventh straight start Saturday. With backup Jonathan Quick nearly at full health after sustaining a lower-body injury two weeks ago, Shesterkin probably will empty the tank Saturday and watch from the bench Sunday, when the Rangers host the back end of this difficult weekend stretch against the Vegas Golden Knights.

First things first, though. There is no looking past the Avalanche (19-2-6), whose 44 points are tops in the NHL. They’re coming off only their second regulation defeat of the season, 6-3 losers to the Islanders at UBS Arena on Thursday.

The Rangers should expect the best from the Avalanche, who are not accustomed to the sloppy play — nor the early 4-0 deficit — that pockmarked their loss on Long Island. Colorado is the highest-scoring team in the League, averaging 4.04 goals per game, and the stingiest defensively. Even after the loss Thursday, the Avs’ goal differential is plus-47, head and shoulders better than any other team.

They’re led by Nathan MacKinnon, the early frontrunner for the Hart Trophy as League MVP. MacKinnon leads the NHL with 22 goals and 46 points, and is plus-32 (!) in 29 games. The reigning NHL Player of the Month for November, scored two goals, including the game-winner, in a 6-3 Avalanche victory over the Rangers at Ball Arena on Nov. 20.

The Rangers battled in that one but just weren’t quite good enough. Let’s see what Saturday brings in a true measuring-stick game for the Rangers.

3 storylines when Rangers host Avalanche​

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

1. Score first and win, usually​

It’s not a stretch to say that all NHL teams wish to score the first goal of any game they play. But it might just be more so with the Rangers and Avalanche. Each has 13 wins this season when scoring the game-opening goal, tied for second in the League. The Rangers are 13-2-0 when doing so; the Avalanche are 13-1-3.

That stat leans into how good each team is defensively. The Avalanche have the lowest goals-against average in the NHL (2.19) and the Rangers are tied for fourth (2.59). Each team is exceptionally difficult to come back against, even from a 1-0 deficit.

The difference between the teams is that the Avalanche have much more success in games they surrender the first goal than the Rangers do. Even after losing to the Islanders after giving up the first goal, the Avalanche are 6-1-3 this season when the opponent scores first. The Rangers are a woeful 2-10-2 in such games.

2. New York’s hidden key to success​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It also wouldn’t hurt the Rangers to get a goal or any kind of point from Alexis Lafreniere to greatly enhance their chances to win Saturday. The Rangers are 6-0-0 this season when Lafreniere scores a goal and 9-0-1 when he records a point. However, the 24-year-old forward has points in just 10 of New York’s 29 games. He’s pointless in his past three games and has two points (two goals) in his past 11 contests.

Similarly, the Rangers typically fare well when Will Cuylle lands on the score sheet. They are a perfect 7-0-0 when the 23-year-old forward scores a goal and 11-3-0 when he has a point. For the record, Cuylle is fifth on the Rangers with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) this season, one spot and two points ahead of Lafreniere (six goals, eight assists).

3. Blue-line production​

Rangers defensemen scored 16 goals in the first 29 games this season, fifth-most in the NHL. Four of those goals came in the past two games, and that’s with Adam Fox sidelined by an upper-body injury.

Vladislav Gavrikov leads the blueliners with six goals, tying his full-season career high; he’s scored in consecutive games and netted three goals in the past four contests. Carson Soucy has three goals this season, tied with Fox for second among Rangers defensemen. Will Borgen scored what turned out to be the game-winner against the Senators.

Will Borgen makes it 3-1! pic.twitter.com/kqLCFaLx94

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 5, 2025

None of this is a small deal to Rangers coach Mike Sullivan.

“Any time you can get production from your blue line, it certainly helps your team offense,” he explained postgame Thursday. “So much in today’s game, the way the game’s being played, you need to have your defenseman involved, be it off the rush or in the offensive zone.”

Of course, facing the top scoring team in the League on Saturday, the Rangers’ defense corps must focus on doing its main job — playing defense — though point production is a nice bonus.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard

Jonny Brodzinski — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Spencer Martin

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Colorado Avalanche

When: Saturday, Dec. 6 at 12:30 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/key-game-rangers-vs-avalanche-preview

 

[New York Rangers]

More controversy for ex-Rangers captain on 1-year anniversary of Ducks trade

Almost exactly one year to the day that the New York Rangers traded him to the Anaheim Ducks, Jacob Trouba found himself in the middle of the NHL news cycle yet again Friday.

The former Rangers captain delivered a massive and controversial hit on Washington Capitals forward Ryan Leonard late in the first period of Anaheim’s 4-3 shootout victory. Trouba caught Leonard from the blind side with his shoulder on a thunderous hit behind the Ducks net.

Leonard’s head snapped back and he fell hard to the ice. After a few moments, the rookie skated off on his own, bleeding from the mouth. He didn’t return to the game and Washington coach Spencer Carbery said postgame only that Leonard will “be out” with an upper-body injury.

Ryan Leonard leaves for the dressing room after taking a blindside hit from Jacob Trouba. pic.twitter.com/UACbHsY1Zw

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 6, 2025

Officials originally assessed Trouba a five-minute major penalty. That allowed them to review the hit on video, after which they reversed course and rescinded the penalty. Apparently, the officials believed Trouba didn’t target Leonard’s head, and took into account that the defenseman committed to the hit before Leonard leaned back to look the other way, and was blindsided.

Trouba’s no stranger to controversy, penalties, nor suspensions when it comes to his crushing body-checks. The 31-year-old routinely walks that fine between legal and illegal hits. This incident is just that, the latest in a long list of borderline hits.

Carbery was irate on the bench when the referees overturned the original penalty call. After the game, though, the Capitals coach didn’t say if he thought the hit was illegal. But he did take issue with Trouba’s intent

“The thing I don’t like about the hit, so there’s big hits, and guys get hurt. It’s a fast game,” Carbery explained afterward. “What I don’t like about that specific hit is that he’s engaged with another player. When [Leaonard is] engaged with — I think it was [Radko] Gudas behind the net, or whoever he was engaged with — as he was going around the net. So he’s being checked. So to me, that’s now a player looking for someone that’s in a vulnerable spot. And I think those are dicey hits.”

Rugged Capitals forward Tom Wilson, no stranger to controversial borderline hits himself, said he challenged Trouba to fight twice after the Leonard incident, but the Ducks veteran turned him down each time.

“[Trouba] knows exactly what he was doing,” Wilson said postgame. “Kid’s in a vulnerable spot and obviously Leno’s pretty banged up.”

Jacob Trouba back in NHL headlines, 1 year after Rangers traded him to Ducks​

Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Trouba was in his third season as Rangers captain and sixth with the team, when they traded him on Dec. 6, 2024, to the Ducks for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a mid-round draft pick. Rangers general manager Chris Drury sought to move the hard-hitting captain for several months to clear salary cap space and change the roster mix.

The Trouba trade was the first of several Drury made last season to shake up the Rangers core amid a lousy season, one that ended without a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four years. The overhaul continued into the offseason, when the Rangers traded Chris Kreider to the Ducks.

Trouba and Kreider return to Madison Square Garden for the first time since their respective trades, when the Ducks visit the Rangers in less than two weeks, on Dec. 15.

Thanks in no small part to Trouba and Kreider, the Ducks (17-10-1) are among the biggest surprises in the NHL this season, currently first in the Pacific Division. Trouba leads the Ducks with 51 blocked shots and is second with 62 hits. He also has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) and is averaging 21:59 in 28 games. Kreider tops the Ducks with six power-play goals in 24 games, is third with 13 goals, and tied for fifth with 19 points.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/jacob-trouba-borderline-hit-ducks-capitals

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers ‘played a good game’ but lose 3-2 in OT to Avalanche: Takeaways

The New York Rangers scored a sixth-attacker goal to force overtime for the second straight home game Saturday at Madison Square Garden. But the Colorado Avalanche, the best team in the NHL, got a goal from League scoring leader Nathan MacKinnon at 2:46 of OT to edge the Rangers 3-2.

MacKinnon broke a 1-1 tie when he scored with 4:34 remaining in the third period. But with Igor Shesterkin on the bench for an extra attacker, Artemi Panarin forced overtime when he beat Mackenzie Blackwood through traffic from above the left circle with 40.9 seconds left.

However, MacKinnon dangled his way past defenseman Will Borgen during the 3-on-3 overtime and beat Shesterkin with a high backhander for the win, leaving the Rangers disappointed but not heartbroken after another solid effort.

“I thought we played a good game,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We played hard and competed all night against one of the best teams in the League.”

It was a disappointing ending for the Rangers, who went toe-to-toe with the team that leads the League with 46 points all afternoon. Shesterkin made 39 saves to keep the Rangers in position to earn a point, and Conor Sheary scored his first goal with the Rangers.

The Rangers (15-12-3) lost for the first time in three games. But they’re 5-1-1 in their past seven entering the second half of a back-to-back against the Vegas Golden Knights at The Garden on Sunday.

ARTEMI PANARIN.

TIE GAME WITH UNDER A MINUTE LEFT pic.twitter.com/6N8xnFLxwe

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 6, 2025

The Rangers had the better of the play for most of the scoreless first period, holding the League’s highest-scoring team without a shot on goal for more than 10 minutes in one stretch. New York got the only power play of the period when Cale Makar went off for interference at 7:26 and beat Blackwood twice in a 17-second span – but Panarin drilled the left post on a one-timer from the left circle and Will Cuylle did the same from close in.

Shesterkin made his best save of the period and drew chants of “Igor” from the Garden crowd with 1:34 left by denying Martin Necas after he got behind the defense and came in alone.

The Avalanche stepped things up in the second period and took a 1-0 lead at 7:06. Sam Malinski took a shot from the right point that Parker Kelly, while on his knees, deflected just enough to beat Shesterkin, who never saw the puck through a maze of bodies.

But after Colorado dominated the first 12 minutes of the period, the Rangers found their game again. They pressed the play and controlled the tempo but still couldn’t beat Blackwood, who made his best stop in the final minute on a snap shot through traffic by Panarin from the high slot.

Sheary got the Rangers even at 4:23 of the third period with his first NHL goal since April 11, 2024, with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 33-year-old forward took a pass from Vincent Trocheck near the red line, raced into the Colorado zone and saw that Necas was the only Colorado player back. Sheary drove into the left circle and shot against the grain, beating Blackwood past the catching glove.

SHEARY ON THE BREAKAWAY pic.twitter.com/Qmz9WZlHuz

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 6, 2025

MacKinnon batted an airborne rebound into the net to put Colorado ahead, then got the game-winner after Panarin forced overtime – giving him four goals (and two game-winners) in two games against the Rangers this season.

“It was a hell of a hockey game I think for both teams,” Rangers captain J.T. Miller said. “There’s a lot of things we can look for and build on going into tomorrow.”

Key takeaways after Rangers lose 3-2 to Avalanche in OT​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Shesterkin steals a point​

No. 31 had to settle for being the game’s No. 2 star after being No. 1 on Thursday in the 4-2 win at the Ottawa Senators. But make no mistake – he was the Rangers best player, as he’s been for most of the season.

Shesterkin did his best work in the third period, when the Rangers were outshot 19-8 and allowed seven of the nine high-danger chances at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick. MacKinnon’s go-ahead goal in the third period came when he swatted a rebound out of the air and into the net; the puck was barely below the crossbar, and Shesterkin had no chance. The game-winner was a great shot by MacKinnon after he slipped through the defense.

Without another Grade A effort from Shesterkin, who made his season-high seventh straight start, the game would never have gotten to overtime and the Rangers wouldn’t gained an important point in the standings.

“He looks so comfortable out there right now,” Hall of Fame goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said on MSG Network’s postgame show. “He’s patient and on his feet all the time.”

Sheary scores at last​

The Rangers signed Sheary to a PTO during the summer, and he earned a roster spot with a solid training camp. But he produced just six assists in 26 games and was scratched for three in a row before injuries gave him an entry back into the lineup this week.

Sullivan, who coached Sheary with the Pittsburgh Penguins, moved him into a top-six role for most of the win Thursday and kept him there Saturday as the left wing on a line with Trocheck and Miller. It paid off in the third period.

“I feel like I’ve been getting a lot of good chances, and throughout this year it’s a relief to get one,” Sheary said. “Hopefully I can build off that.”

Right back to work​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Rangers are playing back-to-back games for the second straight week and the fourth time this season. Shesterkin played both ends last week, when they won 6-2 against the Boston Bruins on Friday before no-showing (except for their goaltender) in a 4-1 home loss to the Lightning on Saturday.

But with Jonathan Quick activated off IR before the game Saturday and Shesterkin having played seven straight games, expect the winningest U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history to be in the crease against Vegas on Sunday.

Quick hasn’t played since Nov. 22, when he sustained a lower-body injury during a 3-2 road loss to the Utah Mammoth. He finished the game after Michael Carcone slid into him late in the third period but hasn’t played since.

The 39-year-old, who was on the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup-winning team in 2023, is 3-3-0 this season. But he has the lowest goals-against average (1.69) and is tied for the best save percentage (.944) of any NHL goalie who’s played at least six games.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/lose-3-2-in-ot-to-avalanche-takeaways

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Golden Knights: Lineups, storylines seek back-to-back rebound

It’s right back to work for the New York Rangers on Sunday night, when they host the Vegas Golden Knights in the second of back-to-back games at Madison Square Garden this weekend.

The Rangers (15-12-3) lost the front end of this back to back, falling 3-2 in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche in a Saturday matinee. Though they didn’t defeat the top team in the NHL, the Rangers did secure a vital standings point when Artemi Panarin scored a 6-on-5 goal in the final minute to tie the game and force overtime.

That, and their continued strong team effort and play against such an elite opponent left the Rangers feeling pretty good about things afterward. They enter play Sunday with points in their past three games (2-0-1) and six of the past seven (5-1-1).

“It was a helluva hockey game for both teams,” Rangers captain J.T. Miller said Saturday. “There’s a lot of things we can look for to build on going into tomorrow. Sometimes you lose and you don’t feel good about. But there’s other times when you don’t get the result, but you can sleep good tonight knowing we played a pretty good hockey game.”

For sure, it’s not about moral victories for the Rangers, the two-point variety are the ones they seek. But there’s much good to be said about their play the past couple of weeks, and how they responded to an ugly 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last weekend.

“The last few games, we’ve just had a consistent effort, given ourselves a chance to win every night,” veteran forward Conor Sheary explained Saturday. “I think throughout the season you’ll have some bad games, but if you give a good effort, have everyone locked in, I think you give yourself a chance.”

Different contributors continue to step up for the Rangers, especially in the wake of Adam Fox set to miss his fourth game with an upper-body injury. Sheary is one of those players. The veteran forward scored his first goal of the season in the loss Saturday.

Of course, Sunday provides another big challenge for the Blueshirts. They’ll host the Golden Knights (13-6-8), who are one point out of first place in the Pacific Division. Vegas has a three-game winning streak, and defeated New York 3-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Nov. 18. Last season, the Rangers swept the season series, including a 4-2 win at MSG on Feb. 2.

This is the second of a five-game road trip, where the Golden Knights visit only Metropolitan Division teams. They shut out the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Friday and are 4-0-1 against Metro teams this season.

3 storylines when Rangers host Golden Knights​

Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Expecting Quick start​

Well, this can be taken two ways. Yes, the Rangers would love to start quickly Sunday. Keep in mind, they’re 13-2-0 when scoring first this season.

But this is more about goalie Jonathan Quick, who’s expected to make his first start since Nov. 22 for the Rangers. The 39-year-old sustained a lower-body injury following a collision late in that game against the Utah Mammoth, and Igor Shesterkin started seven straight games since. Quick dressed as the backup Saturday and should get the call against the Golden Knights, his former team with whom he won his third Stanley Cup championship in 2023.

For goalies who’ve played at least six games this season, Quick (3-3-0) is tops in the NHL with a 1.69 goals-against average and .944 save percentage.

Vegas likely counters with Akira Schmid, who blanked the Devils and won his career-high 10th game Friday. Carter Hart, who won his first start with the Golden Knights this past Tuesday, is sidelined with a lower-body injury.

Captain’s milestone game​

Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Miller plays his 900th NHL game Sunday. The milestone contest comes nearly 13 years after his League debut for the Rangers on Feb. 5, 2013 against the New Jersey Devils, and well before the Golden Knights inaugural season in 2017-18.

The 32-year-old center, in his second tour of duty with the Rangers, has 727 points (267 goals, 460 assists) in 899 games. He’s played 40 games with the Rangers, 404 with the Vancouver Canucks, and 94 with the Lightning.

This season, Miller has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), including four assists in the past two games. In his past five games against Vegas, Miller has seven assists.

Change of power?​

The Rangers are 0-for-8 on the power play in three games without Fox, their PP1 quarterback. Coach Mike Sullivan said he liked one of their two failed opportunities against the Avalanche with the five-forward grouping again leading the way.

Might Sullivan consider changing up the look Sunday?

“That’s always the art of coaching, when to make a change, when to stay with it and allow them to play through certain things. That’s just a feel thing,” Sullivan explained Saturday.

He did acknowledge that if a change is made, rookie Scott Morrow is most likely the first option to join the top power-play unit. That makes the most sense considering Morrow’s pedigree as a skilled, puck-moving defender, currently running PP2.

“We recognize Scotty is a guy we can plug in there,” Sullivan noted.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard

Jonny Brodzinski — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Jonathan Quick

Igor Shesterkin

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Vegas Golden Knights

When: Sunday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...olden-knights-preview-storylines-seek-rebound

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers blow late lead, furious with officials after 3-2 OT loss to Vegas

To say that the New York Rangers believe they deserved a better fate than than what turned out to be a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday at Madison Square Garden is a massive understatement.

But in the end, what mattered most was Tomas Hertl’s game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation and Jack Eichel’s phenomenal game-winner in the dying seconds of overtime that handed the Rangers their second OT defeat this weekend. The Rangers lost 3-2 to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday after Artemi Panarin tied the game in the final minute of the third period.

What angered the Rangers (15-12-4) most on Sunday was a curious call by referee Chris Lee at 18:02 of the third period. Lee sent New York’s Will Borgen and Vegas center Brett Howden off for coincidental roughing minors for what appeared to be an innocuous battle behind the play.

“There was nothing going on,” a frustrated Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said postgame.

That opened up the ice for the Golden Knights — when they pulled goalie Carter Hart for the extra attacker, they had a 5-on-4 advantage, as opposed to a 6-on-5.

“I think the coincidental minors had a huge implication, right? There’s a big difference between a 6-on-5 and a 5-on-4 and trying to defend it. It had a huge implication,” Sullivan explained.

Sullivan was livid behind the bench when the calls were made, and even more so when Hertl cashed in, burying a rebound with 51.3 seconds to play to tie the score.

the goal that evened the game pic.twitter.com/kEbucturGP

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) December 8, 2025

The game-winning goal came off a set play, after Vegas won a defensive zone face-off, and defenseman Shea Theodore banked a long pass off the boards to a streaking Eichel, who flew past Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson. Eichel caught up to the puck, broke in on goalie Jonathan Quick and,beat him with a gorgeous finish, eight seconds before the buzzer would’ve sounded.

JACK EICHEL

How about this set play at the end of @Energizer overtime!? pic.twitter.com/JWG2RwhvTM

— NHL (@NHL) December 8, 2025

Making his first start since Nov. 22 after sustaining a lower-body injury, Quick finished with 26 saves. Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere each scored a goal and had an assist for the Rangers, who have points in their past four games (2-0-2), and seven of eight (5-1-2).

Hart made 21 saves for the Golden Knights, who won their fourth straight game. Eichel and Howden each had a goal and an assist.

It didn’t take long for the Rangers to fall behind in this one — 36 seconds to be exact. A failed clearing attempt by Vladislav Gavrikov quickly turned into an odd-man chance down low for Vegas. And Howden, the former Rangers center, buried a slick feed from Mitchell Marner for his fifth goal of the season, and second in the past 14 games, to make it 1-0 Vegas.

From that shift on, the Golden Knights were the superior team in almost every way the in the first period. But the one thing they couldn’t do was add to their lead. Brandon Saad missed the net on a 3-on-2 rush; Quick snuffed a Hertl deflection after the Vegas forward got behind New York’s defense; and Howden and defenseman Kaedan Korczak each rang shots off the post.

After spending most of the first period defending, and managing only three shots on goal and 10 attempted shots, the Rangers came alive and tilted the ice in their favor in period No. 2. New York outshot Vegas 16-6, had an expected goals share of 78.57 percent in all situations, per Natural Stat Trick, and scored the only two goals in the middle stanza to carry a 2-1 lead into the final period.

Planted near the blue paint, Zibanejad swatted a rebound past Hart to tie the game at 9:08. His team-leading 11th goal of the season came seconds after Zibanejad just missed on a nearly-identical opportunity, when Hart managed to get a sliver of his pad on the shot attempt.

Mika Zibanejad ties the game at 1! pic.twitter.com/7G87XTX9yO

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 8, 2025

Lafreniere assisted on that Zibanejad goal, then had the favor returned at 13:01, when the Rangers took a 2-1 lead. Zibanejad feathered a pretty cross-ice pass to Lafreniere, who wired a shot under the crossbar from the right-wing circle for his seventh goal this season.

Alexis Lafreniere with an absolute SNIPE

Puck might've came off the bar harder than it went in the net pic.twitter.com/emv8odCtuj

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 8, 2025

Hart made a sensational diving save to rob J.T. Miller’s rebound try at 13:42, and later denied Will Cuylle’s spinning short-handed chance off a rush in the final seconds of the period to keep the score 2-1. A bit earlier, the Rangers caught a break at 15:15, when Korczak kissed iron for the second time in the game.

Conor Sheary had an opportunity to push New York’s lead to 3-1 at 7:38 of the third period, but Hart denied his breakaway with a sharp pad save. Quick answered back at 12:25, making his own big pad stop to deny Ivan Barbashev on a clean breakaway.

Vegas took it to New York in the third period, with a 14-3 shots advantage. So, perhaps the Golden Knights would’ve found a way to tie and win this game anyway. But you can’t convince the Rangers that the referee’s call late in the third period didn’t change how this final result played out.

“Give Vegas credit, they played hard in the third and I thought our guys did as well,” Sullivan said. “I thought we were defending the lead hard. For the most part, we were doing our best to defend the scoring area and the good area of the ice. We felt on the bench that we were in control the way we needed to be. It’s disappointing.”

Key takeaways after Rangers lose 3-2 in overtime to Golden Knights​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Over and out​

This was a pretty unique overtime period. The teams played 4-on-4 for over four minutes after Borgen and Howden finished serving their respective penalties and rejoined play two seconds into OT. Rules stipulate that in this type of circumstance, teams don’t go back to 3-on-3 play until the first whistle. And there wasn’t a single whistle in the cautiously played overtime period until Hart froze the puck after he made a really good save, hugging the post to squeeze a short-side snipe by Zibanejad, with 16.9 seconds remaining in the five-minute period.

So that opened up the ice again for the Golden Knights, who won the ensuing face-off (Howden), and Eichel beat everyone up ice for his 12th goal of the season.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

There was a chance for a whistle earlier in OT, but neither referee used it when Robertson was tripped at center ice. Needless to say, that non-call made the Rangers even more furious.

“Like, really? Zero power plays (for the Rangers in the game) and you don’t call that? I don’t know,” Zibanejad said with disgust postgame. “Again, we can’t control it. It stings now. We could probably look at other things that we could’ve done better not to get to that point, but thought that one was pretty obvious.”

Quick return​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Though he allowed a goal on the second shot faced, Quick looked sharp and battled hard Sunday. He missed seven games with that lower-body injury, but fell right back into form, and was especially sharp in the third period when the Golden Knights made a serious push.

The first goal he allowed was an odd-man chance down low. The tying goal late came off a scramble after he made the initial save. And the one in OT was a breakaway by one of the top offensive players in the NHL. Hard to fault Quick on any of them.

Quick’s started seven games this season and hasn’t allowed more than three goals yet. And as good as Igor Shesterkin was starting all seven games in his absence, it’s really good that Quick is back, giving the Rangers that terrific 1-2 punch between the pipes.

Tough numbers​

The Rangers were so close to flipping the script on some ugly trends, but the numbers only got worse after this one. They remain winless in the second of back-to-back games this season (0-4-1), and their record when allowing the first goal dipped to 2-10-4. They’re also 2-6-3 when trailing after the first period.

And this was the first loss this season for the Rangers, after taking a lead into the third period (9-0-1). New York also dropped to 4-4 in overtime.

Mika’s got Hart’s number​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Zibanejad continued his dominating ways against Hart. He now has 13 goals in 15 career games against Hart, all but one of those contests when the goalie played for the Philadelphia Flyers. Hart did get the last laugh in this one, however. He only had to make one save in overtime, but it was a difficult one on a quick release off the stick off Zibanejad on the shift before Eichel scored the game-winner.

New York’s 32-year-old forward did extend his point-scoring streak to seven games overall (four goals, five assists) with two more points Sunday. His 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 31 games is third on the Rangers this season.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/recap-overtime-loss-vegas-golden-knights

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers Week Ahead: A chance to catch their breath as schedule slows down

The New York Rangers get a bit of a breather this week after a stretch that saw them play 19 games in 37 days from Nov. 1 through Dec. 7 – including eight in the previous 13 days.

The Rangers schedule includes only two games in the next seven days, each against Original Six rivals, after consecutive four-game weeks.

They’ll also get two days off before making their lone visit to Chicago on Wednesday for a nationally televised matchup with the Blackhawks, followed by two more days off before the Montreal Canadiens come to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

They can use the time off on Monday and Tuesday to think about what might have been over the weekend. The Rangers went toe-to-toe with the two division leaders from the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights. But they had to settle for one point in each game after losing twice in overtime.

New York scored a sixth-attacker goal with 40.9 seconds left in regulation to force OT against Colorado on Saturday. But the Rangers lost 3-2, when the League’s leading scorer, Nathan MacKinnon, netted the game-deciding goal 2:46 into the extra period.

The script was reversed Sunday, but the result was the same. Vegas scored the tying goal with 52 seconds left after pulling goalie Carter Hart for an extra skater, before Jack Eichel’s highlight-reel game winner at 4:52 of OT handed the Rangers another 3-2 defeat.

Still, a 2-0-2 week that also included an overtime win at home against the Dallas Stars, who are second to Colorado in the overall standings, and a road victory in Ottawa is nothing to sneeze at. The single point on Sunday gives the Rangers a 15-12-4 record, 34 points, and possession of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference – although they’ve played at least two more games than all but one team in the East.

Who’s hot​

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Mika Zibanejad scored the Rangers’ first goal Sunday, and assisted on their other one, to extend his point streak to seven games (four goals, five assists). That is tied for the third-longest active streak in the League. He leads the Rangers with 11 goals.

Artemi Panarin’s assist on Sunday was his 582nd point with the Rangers, tying Chris Kreider for 10th in franchise history. Panarin’s empty-net goal in Ottawa was his 900th career point.

Who’s not​

Taylor Raddysh scored his fifth goal of the season on Oct. 30 – and has none since. He’s gone six games without a point and has one assist in his past 16 games. On Sunday, the Rangers scratched Raddysh, who missed practice earlier in the week for personal reasons.

Rangers lookahead this week includes …​

Two of everything — two games plus two breaks of two days each before the schedule heats up again ahead of the Holiday break in the schedule.

Rangers at Chicago Blackhawks (Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m.; TNT/truTV)​

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The Rangers are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games against Chicago, which hasn’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a non-Covid season since 2016-17. The Blueshirts are 5-0-0 in their past five trips to United Center, including a 6-2 win on Jan. 5.

Year 3 of the Connor Bedard Era in Chicago is going a lot better than the first two, although the Blackhawks are returning home after a rough weekend and lost eight of their past 10 games (2-6-2). The first player taken in the 2023 NHL Draft is on target to blow past the 100-point mark (he has 40 points in 29 games) after 61- and 67-point efforts in his first two seasons in the League. Bedard has two assists in three career games against the Rangers.

Panarin, who played his first two NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 13 career games against his old team. Zibanejad (18 points; eight goals, 10 assists in 18 games) is also a point-a-game player against Chicago.

Montreal Canadiens at Rangers (Dec. 13, 7 p.m., MSG)​

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The Rangers are 134-131-54-2 against the Canadiens at Madison Square Garden, their poorest home mark against any of their fellow Original Six teams. But they’re 3-0-0 in Montreal’s past three visits, including a last-minute 4-3 win on Nov. 30, 2024. Overall, they’re 6-0-2 against the Canadiens since a 2-1 loss at MSG on Jan. 15, 2023.

Two reasons for their recent success against the Canadiens are Panarin and Igor Shesterkin. Panarin had a four-point night (one goal, three assists) in the Rangers’ 4-3 win at Montreal on Oct. 18, giving him 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) in 24 games against the Canadiens.

Shesterkin is 5-1-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .931 save percentage, though he didn’t play in the game at Montreal. Backup Jonathan Quick got the win that night and is 10-4-2 against the Habs with a 2.54 GAA and .912 save percentage.

Montreal captain Nick Suzuki scored one of the goals in the loss to the Rangers in October, giving him five goals and 12 points in 15 games against New York.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/week-ahead-schedule-preview-catch-breath