News Rangers Team Notes

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Ducks: Lineups, storylines when Kreider, Trouba return to MSG

There’s no escaping the fact that it’s going to be an emotional night Monday at Madison Square Garden, when the New York Rangers host the Anaheim Ducks,

That’s because Chris Kreider, one of the most popular players of this current Rangers era, returns to MSG for the first time since being traded to the Ducks this past offseason. There’s sure to be an outpouring of love for Kreider, who’s third in Rangers history with 326 goals, first with 48 goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and tied for first with 116 power-play goals.

As for a bit of revenge or extra motivation on Kreider’s part, don’t expect him to admit to anything, based on his comments to The Athletic last week.

“I don’t think that’s something that you can use consistently,” the 34-year-old forward explained. “I think that ends up being more of an energy sap. I’m intrinsically motivated. I don’t need anyone else to push me. That daily process, that daily mission — I know what I want to work on, what I want to accomplish. I think all the other stuff is just noise.”

Perhaps that’s so. But Kreider played 883 regular-season games over 13 seasons with the Rangers, and there’s a good chance his No. 20 gets raised to the MSG rafters one day after his career is over. He helped the Rangers reach the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, win the Presidents’ Trophy twice, and play in the Eastern Conference Final five times.

That video tribute Monday will bring cheers and a standing ovation from the Rangers Faithful. And more than a few tears from fans, and perhaps Kreider, too.

If all that’s not enough, it’s also Jacob Trouba’s first return to The Garden since the Rangers traded the 28th captain in franchise history to the Ducks on Dec. 6, 2024. He’s not nearly as beloved as Kreider, but the Trouba Train running through MSG again should elicit powerful memories, as well.

So, you’ve got the makings of a must-see event.

Plus, this should be a real good hockey game. The Rangers (16-13-4) come off a thrilling gut-check victory over the Montreal Canadiens, winning 5-4 in overtime Saturday after rallying from down 3-0 and 4-2. The Rangers earned points in eight of their past 10 games (6-2-2), including each of their past four home contests (2-0-2).

The Ducks (19-12-1) are second in the Pacific Division, and among the biggest surprises in the NHL this season. However, they lost two straight, including 4-1 at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, and are 8-9-0 since Nov. 11.

In their past 12 games against the Ducks, the Rangers have a 9-1-2 record. The Rangers are on a 10-game home-winning streak against the Ducks at MSG.

3 storylines when Rangers host Ducks​

John Jones-Imagn Images

1. Setting friendship aside​

An intriguing subplot to this one is how Kreider and his best friend on the Rangers, Mika Zibanejad, fare going head-to-head against one another. The longtime linemates are very close, with Zibanejad serving as Kreider’s best man in his wedding in 2023. Each is a proud athlete and competitor, as well, so this should be a doozy if each pushes the other on the ice Monday.

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

After struggles on and off the ice for each last season, Kreider and Zibanejad are back in top form in 2025-26. Kreider is third on the Ducks with 13 goals, and his six power-play tallies not only lead them, but are tied with Zibanejad for 10th most in the NHL.

Zibanejad leads the Rangers with 11 goals, and is third with 25 points. The 32-year-old set up J.T. Miller’s overtime winner against the Canadiens and has points in eight of his past nine games (three goals, six points). He also owns the Ducks, with points in 10 of his past 11 games against them (nine goals, eight assists).

2. It’s not just Kreider ​

The Ducks are second in the NHL, averaging 3.44 goals per game. Kreider’s a big part of the explosive Ducks core, one that features some of the best young talent in the NHL.

Forward Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 32 games, tied for 10th in the NHL scoring race. Teammates Cutter Gauthier (16 goals, 18 assists) and Troy Terry (10 goals, 24 assists) each have 34 points, giving the Ducks three players with more points than the Rangers leading scorer, Artemi Panarin (33 points; 11 goals, 12 assists).

Scoring goals isn’t an issue for the Ducks, but keeping the puck out of their own net is. Anaheim is 25th in the League with a team 3.34 goals-against average.

3. Power Ranger​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan simply gushed about Miller following the big win Saturday. Miller scored the tying and winning goals, including his second OT goal this season. And Sullivan loved how each was scored.

“The two goals he scored are prototypical J.T. Miller hockey. One’s at the blue paint, he plays his power game. And the overtime winner is, that one-timer is a missile. That’s a goal scorer’s goal, and that’s what he’s capable of,” Sullivan said postgame.

Miller arrived back on Broadway last season in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks, nearly eight weeks after the Rangers dealt Trouba to the Ducks. So, they weren’t Blueshirt teammates. But they’re forever linked since Miller became the 29th captain in Rangers history at the start of this season, replacing Trouba.

Miller now has nine goals and 20 points in 32 games this season. Trouba’s excelled with the Ducks as a top-pair defenseman, and has 14 points (five goals, nine assists), averaging 22:02 TOI in 32 games.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard

Jaroslav Chmelar — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen — Matthew Robertson

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Anaheim Ducks

When: Monday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/rangers-ducks-preview-kreider-trouba

 

[New York Rangers]

Ex-Rangers Kreider, Trouba ready for return to ‘amazing building’ with Ducks

Chris Kreider’s 13 seasons with the New York Rangers never involved dealing with which door the visiting team at Madison Square Garden uses to get on the ice. That’s why he needed directions when his new team, the Anaheim Ducks, hit the ice for their morning skate prior to their game against the Blueshirts on Monday night.

“No,” he told the assembled media when asked if he’d ever been in the visitors’ locker room, then nodded when asked if he needed to be shown the door the visitors use to take the ice at the Garden.

Kreider’s 912th NHL game will be the first at MSG as a member of the visiting team. The Rangers traded him to Anaheim in June for forward prospect Carey Terrance and a swap of draft picks.

Chris Kreider, ladies and gentlemen. Wearing orange. pic.twitter.com/B2KFaoPiJs

— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) December 15, 2025

He’s not sure how emotional it will be to step on the Garden ice wearing another team’s sweater for the first time.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Trying to go on with no expectations and just get ready to play a hockey game. But it’s a passionate fan base. It’s a place that I’ve spent the majority of my life, so I’m sure it’ll be emotional for me. To what extent, I don’t know. I’m just trying to worry about the here and the now.”

One thing that has helped him adapt to his new surroundings is the presence of three former teammates – forwards Frank Vatrano, center Ryan Strome and defenseman Jacob Trouba. The Rangers traded Trouba to Anaheim last December; he’s also making his first visit to the Garden since the deal.

“It’s made the transition easier,” he said. “Having Jacob there, having Frank, Stromer – that familiarity certainly helps. The entire group’s been great.”

Ex-Rangers Kreider, Trouba ready for return to ‘amazing building’​

Kreider’s 326 goals are third in Rangers history; his 48 playoff goals are first and he’s tied for the franchise record with 116 power-play goals. But the Rangers let him go after he dropped to 22 goals and 30 goals last season while battling injuries and illness.

But Kreider is healthy this year, and his scoring touch has returned. The 34-year-old has 13 goals and 20 points in 28 games for Anaheim, which is second in the Pacific Division and trying to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.

“It’s great to be truly healthy,” he said.

He also paid tribute to the fans who supported him during his 13 seasons in New York.

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

“I think it’s hard to express my appreciation for all the support we had over all those years, over all those runs,” he said. “It’s an amazing building; it’s the most famous building in the world, right? But it’s a building. The fans are what makes it a special place. Just being out there this morning, pregame skating on that ice, it’s cool.

“But it’s an empty building; at the end of the day, it’s the fans that make it what it is. It’s hard to put into words my gratitude and appreciation for the support and the passion over all those years.”

The Rangers undoubtedly will give Kreider a video tribute, and he can expect an ovation from the fans who cheered him on in New York.

So, will he watch the video?

“I don’t know how the angle is from that (visitors) bench; probably. What am I going to do – stare at my shoes,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know. I’ll let you know after it happens.”

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Rangers kept Kreider in the loop after deciding to trade him. Trouba’s departure wasn’t as amicable, but he said Monday that he preferred to think of the good times with the Blueshirts rather than his departure.

“I didn’t enjoy it in the moment, but it’s just a small piece of what was a very, very memorable and impactful 5 1/2 years for me,” he said. “That’s not the moment I focus on.”

Trouba faced his former team in Anaheim on March 28, when the Ducks rallied for a 5-4 win. But this is his first visit to the arena he called home for five-plus seasons.

“You don’t know exactly how you’re going to feel,” he said of coming back to the Garden. “It was pretty good for me. I went downtown, back by my apartment, last night and walked around. That one got me a little bit. It’ll be fun being back here tonight.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/kreider-trouba-return-to-msg-with-ducks

 

[New York Rangers]

‘A little weird’: Kreider, Trouba honored by Rangers in return to Garden

Chris Kreider left the Madison Square Garden ice high-fiving his teammates after a win Monday night. There was nothing unusual about that — except for the fact that he wasn’t wearing a New York Rangers uniform as he did it.

Kreider and his Anaheim Ducks teammates — including former Rangers Jacob Trouba, Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome — left the Garden with a solid 4-1 victory. Kreider didn’t hit the score sheet, but Trouba, who was traded to the Ducks last December, started the play that led to the game’s first goal, a shorthanded tally by Jackson Lacombe at 7:18 of the second period.

That came after Kreider was honored for his 13 seasons on Broadway with a video tribute during the first media timeout in the opening period, as well as a standing ovation not only from the sellout crowd of 18,006 but also from his former teammates.

Kreider said playing against the Rangers was “a little weird. It took me a couple of shifts to remember the guys in blue weren’t my teammates.”

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Though Kreider said he didn’t see most of the video tribute because coach Joel Quenneville was talking strategy, he caught the end before taking a lap in front of the Ducks bench, waving his stick and patting his heart to the crowd while trying to control his emotions.

“What I did see was awesome,” he said. “Just really grateful for the experience. It was certainly a warm welcome back. That was incredible. Really, really, really cool moment.

“It’s hard to put into words what the experience was like for 13 years, what that experience was like tonight. I don’t know. It kind of leaves you speechless.”

A few minutes later, it was Trouba’s turn.

Unlike Kreider, the Rangers’ former captain faced his former teammates on March 28 in Anaheim after being dealt to the Ducks just over a year ago. He received his own video tribute and a warm ovation.

“Means a lot to me,” he said of The Garden and the fans who cheered him there, “and this place will always be special.”

After the game, Kreider and Trouba shared the “Bombay Jacket,” Anaheim’s version of The Broadway Hat.

For the first time ever, the Bombay Jacket is being shared!!#FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/KKOq2m5wKJ

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) December 16, 2025

Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba get huge welcome in return to Garden​

Those teammates were very aware that this was no ordinary game – something that was apparent when all four ex-Rangers took the ice for the opening face-off.

“That was a cool move by coach,” Kreider said. “It’s a fun building to play in, even as an opponent.”

The Ducks were very conscious of wanting to win one for Kreider and Trouba.

“We said before the game that we’ve got to play for these guys,” said Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal, who made 26 saves and was sharp all night.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Kreider and the Ducks left MSG with the win after Cutter Gauthier broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal 5:51 into the third period, then hit the empty net with 22 seconds left to ice the win. He slapped gloves with his teammates and received the game puck as a souvenir of his first MSG victory as a visiting player after 13 seasons with the Rangers.

“It’s hard to put into words what the experience was like,” he said after the game. “Kind of leaves you speechless, I guess.

“Maybe next time it’ll feel a little more normal. I had a little adrenaline dump in the first period, a little bit of tunnel vision and nerves like my first game here in New York.”

One ex-teammate Kreider didn’t face on the ice was one of his best buddies, center Mika Zibanejad, who was scratched for the game after missing a meeting. Zibanejad was on hand for the game and was seen catching up with his old teammate in the hallway after the game.

The fans in New York welcome back Chris Kreider, who played 13 seasons with the @NYRangers, in his return to the world's most famous arena. pic.twitter.com/hWHVHi4AnK

— NHL (@NHL) December 16, 2025

Kreider’s 326 goals are third in Rangers history; his 48 playoff goals are first and he’s tied for the franchise record with 116 power-play goals. But the Rangers let him go after he dropped to 22 goals and 30 goals last season while battling injuries and illness.

However, Kreider is healthy this year, and his scoring touch has returned. The 34-year-old has 13 goals and 20 points in 29 games for Anaheim, which is second in the Pacific Division and trying to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.

Chris Kreider gets his tribute video and takes a lap to salute the MSG faithful pic.twitter.com/tDR0ukGFIA

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 16, 2025

“It’s great to be truly healthy,” he said after the morning skate.

Rangers forward Matt Rempe, who returned to the lineup after missing 24 games with a broken thumb, was happy that his comeback coincided with the return of two former teammates.

“It was real cool,” he said. “Both of those guys were really good mentors to me and awesome teammates. It was great seeing them.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/kreider-trouba-honored-in-return-to-garden

 

[New York Rangers]

Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Brennan Othmann Finds Scoring Touch

The Hartford Wolf Pack are trending in the wrong direction, after they lost three of their past four games.

Last week featured mixed results. The New York Rangers AHL affiilliate was shut out for the second time this season, when they lost 3-0 to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday. Hartford responded with a 2-1 win over Utica on Friday. But unable to carry that momentum forward, the Wolf Pack dropped a 7-2 decision to Syracuse on Saturday, allowing a season high in goals against (the previous high was six against Bridgeport on Dec. 6).

The Wolf Pack are tied for sixth (9-12-4-0, 22 points) with Bridgeport in the Atlantic Division. They play two games this week before heading into AHL holiday break.

Hartford Wolf Pack News-n-Notes​

Brennan Othmann Finds Scoring Touch​

Third-year pro Brennan Othmann is heating up for the Wolf Pack. After slow start and mired in a scoring drought prior to his first goal this season on Nov. 26, Othmann has four goals in his past seven games, including on consecutive nights last weekend.

The 22-year-old forward scored Hartford’s first short-handed goal of the season Friday, after netting his first power-play goal on Dec. 6.

Ottsy snipe on the PK pic.twitter.com/ztnTM0h9m3

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) December 13, 2025

It’s been a rough season for the 2021 first-round pick. Othmann struggled during the preseason when there was an NHL job to be won in New York. And his play in the AHL hasn’t cut it.

Not surprisingly, there are many Othamnn trade rumors out there. But he remains a key cog for the Wolf Pack. His 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 19 games are tied for seventh on the team with Bryce McConnell-Barker. Hartford needs steady production from Othmann, who recorded 20 points (12 goals, eight assists) in 27 games for them last season 2024-25, and was second on the Wolf Pack with 21 goals in 2023-24.

TIC-TAC-GOAL pic.twitter.com/DZdj3Xr4zg

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) December 14, 2025

Adam Sýkora Providing Strong Two-Way Play​

Adam Sýkora continues to provide a reliable game at both ends of the ice for Hartford. The second-round pick (No. 63 overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Rangers has five goals through 25 games, and is on pace to surpass his professional career high of nine set last season. More importantly, he continues to be a trusted forward defensively.

Syky turned on the jets for this one pic.twitter.com/T38pcgpigY

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) December 13, 2025

The 21-year-old is a force on the penalty kill. He scored a short-handed goal this past weekend, and is smart, disruptive player defensively. At even strength, Sýkora is reliable and adept at forcing turnovers, helping Hartford in its transition game.

He’s also more physical this season, despite being somewhat undersized (5-foot-10, 179 pounds). Sykora does not back down from opponents and has shows plenty of feistiness in his game.

His potential fit in the NHL clearly is in a bottom-six role, though he needs to add some size before the Rangers give serious thought to recalling him.

Roster Updates​

• Center Justin Dowling is day to day with an upper-body injury. He left in the first period of the game Friday and did not return.
• Hartford called up forward Kyle Jackson from Bloomington of the ECHL on Monday. Jackson appeared in 23 games with the Bison, recording a team-high 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists), second most in the league.

Upcoming Games​

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

Friday, December 19 vs Syracuse Crunch (Lightning) at 7:00pm, PeoplesBank Arena​

• This is the second and final meeting in the season series. Hartford lost the first game, 7-2 on Dec. 13.
• Syracuse is 15-9-1-0 (31 points), tied for second in the North Division (with Rochester) and tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference (with Rochester).
• Jakob Pelletier leads the Crunch with 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) and is tied for the AHL scoring lead. Next on the Crunch is Nick Abruzzese with 24 points (six goals, 18 assists), who is tied for 13th in the league’s scoring race.

Saturday, December 20 vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Flyers) at 7:05pm, PPL Center​

• This is the fourth of six meetings in the season series. Hartford is 0-1-2-0 against Lehigh Valley.
• Lehigh Valley is 13-9-1-2 (29 points), third in the Atlantic Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference.
• Alex Bump leads the Phantoms with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists). Next is Anthony Richard with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists).

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...wolf-pack-brennan-othmann-finds-scoring-touch

 

[New York Rangers]

‘Same thing every game’: Rangers seek answers after 6th home shutout loss

Perhaps the biggest cheer at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night came after the announcement that there was one minute remaining in what turned out to be a 3-0 loss by the New York Rangers to the Vancouver Canucks.

Before that, the Rangers spent most of the evening being booed during their sixth shutout defeat in 17 home games (4-10-3) – this one against the team that began the night last in the NHL standings. Despite allowing just 17 shots on goal and out-attempting the Canucks 60-34, the Rangers again came up empty – and were left frustrated.

“We feel good during the game, but right now it (stinks),” captain J.T. Miller said after New York dropped to 1-3-2 in its past six games overall. “This can’t be the standard we expect to play to. Go home tonight and feel we outplayed the other team. We didn’t score. To come up 0-2 this week at home, it (stinks). Same thing every game, it feels like.”

For the second straight night, the Rangers failed to turn opportunities into goals in front of their home fans. They had the better of play in a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday and did the same for much of the night against the Canucks – but have now scored one goal or fewer in 13 of their 35 games this season – including 10 of 17 at The Garden.

Coach Mike Sullivan’s concern about the Rangers’ offensive struggles continues to grow.

“If I had the solution, we would certainly bring it,” he said postgame. “We’re doing our best to control the process, because that’s really, at the end of the day, what’s within our control. I thought we defended hard tonight. They had a few looks. Their first goal was a little unfortunate. After that, they had a few looks, but not a lot.

“I thought we defended hard. I thought we controlled territory. We had a significant amount of O-zone time. The power play had a lot of good looks. So, I feel like we’re trying to solve it, for sure. But is it a little bit concerning at this point? Yeah.”

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Adam Fox-less power play continued to produce nothing but short-handed goals for the other team. Conor Garland’s empty-netter was the third short-handed goal the Rangers allowed since Sullivan opted for a five-forward first unit after Fox went down with a left arm injury on Nov. 29 and landed on long-term injured reserve soon after.

The Rangers were 0-for-4 with the extra man against Vancouver, and the five-forward group hasn’t scored on 21 power plays in the seven games since the injury to Fox.

“I thought we did a better job today,” said center Mika Zibanejad, one of the five-forward PP1 unit. “I would say it’s a good job if we score and we win. A better job of creating chances. We’ve got to find a way to get a few for us.”

Rangers look for goals, answers after shutout loss to Canucks​

One challenge for Sullivan and his players continues to be keeping morale up on a team that struggles to put the puck in the net, especially at home.

“We can score goals,” said Zibanejad, who returned after being scratched Monday for missing a team meeting. “How many games have we played on the road that we’ve shown that we can score? I’d be more worried if it’s all through the season. I don’t know what else to say. I just wish we scored more goals.

“We have to find a way to add on to what we did today and maybe be a little bit more desperate and more resilient in front of their net and force that puck to go in. That’s what I see from tonight’s game.”

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

To Miller, the answer is just to work harder.

“Bear down,” he said. “Like myself, I had chance after chance, I feel like. It’s just not enough. It’s not enough to my standard, it’s not enough to the team’s standard to just play well, outplay the other team and not bury your chances. We deserve better a lot of these nights, but that being said we’re not bearing down and the other teams are. We’re kind of stuck. Win three, lose a couple, win three, and we are where we are. It’s very frustrating.

“I’m just (angry). You feel like you work so hard and you make a lot of plays and a lot of nights, I feel like we’re outplaying the other team, and we end up in here (angry) because we didn’t score enough goals. It’s a fine line.”

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It’s a problem that the Rangers must solve soon. They continue a brutal stretch of seven games in 11 days before the Christmas break when they visit the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night, followed by a home game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon and visits to the Nashville Predators on Sunday and Washington Capitals on Tuesday.

The Rangers (16-15-4) played more games than anyone else in the 16-team Eastern Conference and are 15th in points percentage (.514). They must solve their problems soon or risk missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs a second straight season.

“It’s tight in the standings, and the points really matter,” Zibanejad said. “We have to start winning games, especially at home.”

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/jt-miller-rangers-seek-goal-solutions

 

[New York Rangers]

What’s next for Rangers after top 2 prospects called up from minors

The day after suffering their seventh shutout loss of the season, the New York Rangers recalled Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann from Hartford of the American Hockey League in hopes that their top two forward prospects can pump some life into an anemic offense.

Each is a past first-round pick by the Rangers and is known for his offensive skill set. Perreault, selected in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft, leads Hartford with 10 goals and 17 points in 20 games. The 20-year-old also picked up his first NHL point, an assist, during a three-game call-up in mid-November.

Othmann, a 2021 first-round pick, has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 19 games with Hartford this season; he was pointless in one game with the Rangers back on Oct. 26. The 22-year-old scored 21 goals with Hartford as a rookie pro in 2023-24 but has yet to score a goal in 26 NHL games over parts of three seasons.

However, Othmann’s playing his best hockey of the season right now. He scored three goals in his past four AHL games and has five points (four goals, one assist) in his past seven contests with Hartford. This comes after a slow start led to a slew of Othmann trade rumors.

Perreault was AHL Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 2 and largely played well in his first pro season, after two outstanding seasons at Boston College. However, his production dried up recently — Perreault was pointless and minus-7 in his past four games with Hartford.

UPDATE: #NYR has recalled forwards Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann from the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Additionally, the Rangers have assigned forwards Brett Berard and Jaroslav Chmelař to the Wolf Pack. pic.twitter.com/AbsxO7uyFK

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) December 17, 2025

To make room on the active roster, the Rangers assigned forwards Brett Berard and Jaroslav Chmelar to Hartford. Berard was without a point in 11 games, mainly playing on the third line, where he averaged 10:59 TOI. Chmelar averaged 7:51 TOI in six games on the fourth line. He didn’t record a point and totaled seven penalty minutes.

What’s next for Rangers after calling up Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann​

Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

Why Rangers called up two rookies at same time​

The Rangers are 30th out of 32 NHL teams in scoring, averaging 2.51 goals per game. They’ve been shut out in 20 percent of their games (seven times in 35 games) and held to one goal or fewer 13 times, after a 3-0 loss to the last-overall Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

New York’s power play is a mess, especially without injured defenseman Adam Fox available to run point the past seven games. The Rangers are 20th in the NHL on the power play, converting at 18.3 percent.

The Rangers need a pretty drastic change to shake them out of their doldrums. Thus, even though coach Mike Sullivan has reservations about each youngster plays defensively, their offensive upside is too appealing right now.

Perhaps NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek explained it best when he discussed Perreault on the RINK RAP podcast last week.

“It’s interesting to see what’s going on with Gabe Perreault, because he’s playing real well in the American [Hockey] League,” Hradek told Forever Blueshirts. “I am someone who believes in letting guys ripen at the lesser levels, and so that’s probably a good thing that he’s getting that experience there. But that said, they need help at the NHL level, which is a problem. Maybe that injection of, as they say, that youthful enthusiasm and youthful talent to your mix up front would give them a little bit of a jump.”

Where Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othman fit in Rangers lineup​

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

To paraphrase Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider, it’s time for Perreault and Othmann to put their big boy pants on. Or maybe a better way to phrase it is that Sullivan must let the rookies put their big boy pants on.

His concern about their readiness on the defensive side of the puck is valid. But unless one or both is so in over his head defensively, the coach must let the kids play and do what they do best. That starts with putting each in a position to do so, improving the chance for success.

Start with Perreault. Put him in the top-six forward group. He’s uber creative, thinks the offensive game at a high level and has the skills to make plays with the best players on the roster. Playing him with J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck is appealing, as is having him riding shotgun with Mika Zibanejad in some iteration. Or maybe with Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere? Or have him queue up Artemi Panarin?

Also, get the kid some power-play time. The idea of Perreault out there with more open ice is exciting.

Former @BC_MHockey star Gabe Perreault opens the scoring with the Rangers’ first goal of the preseason pic.twitter.com/pUp3H9uzJB

— Game Notes (@GameNotesBud) September 21, 2025

As for Othmann, his confidence should be at its highest level this season right now. So, tap into that. No fourth-line duty please. A third line of Othmann, Noah Laba, and Will Cuylle? That’s intriguing, since each plays a North-South style and is physical. A top-six role for Othmann? There’s absolutely a case for that — just not at the expense of Perreault getting that shot.

Would the Rangers move Lafreniere into a third-line role to get Othmann and Perreault into the top six? Unlikely. Lafreniere continues to drive play and his analytics are always good, but he’s got one goal in nine games and seven all season. So, there’s an argument to be made here. But it just feels like Sullivan’s not going to do anything that drastic with Lafreniere or his top-six group.

brennan othmann with the shorty pic.twitter.com/kuOHovbQ0O

— hope (@nohopeleague) December 13, 2025

Odd men out​

The obvious odd men out are Berard and Chmelar. Berard did bring energy to the lineup, playing 11 straight games after his recall before he was a he was a healthy scratch against the Canucks. But unlike last season, when he scored six goals and totaled 10 points in 35 games on Broadway, Berard barely sniffed the score sheet this time around. With Perreault and Othmann in New York, Berard should get quality top-line minutes on the wing in Hartford, which certainly can’t hurt.

Chmelar didn’t look out of place in a limited fourth-line role with the Rangers. But there’s no room for the rugged 22-year-old with Matt Rempe back in the lineup and Taylor Raddysh available to play on the fourth line.

Conor Sheary works hard and plays a committed 200-foot game. But he simply can’t score. He’s got one goal in 32 games and logged far too many minutes in the top six. The 33-year-old two-time Stanley Cup winner is a bottom-six forward at this stage of his career — and likely ends up a healthy scratch Thursday, when the Rangers visit the St. Louis Blues.

Jonny Brodzinski remains an extra forward, trusted to play up and down the lineup as needed. Assuming no one gets hurt, and Perreault and Othmann play well enough to remain in the lineup, Brodzinski remains in the press box for the foreseeable future.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...-gabe-perreault-brennan-othmann-boost-scoring

 

[New York Rangers]

Towering Rangers prospect Nathan Aspinall having breakout OHL season

Nathan Aspinall is used to standing above most everyone else. That comes with being 6-foot-7, even before the New York Rangers prospect puts his skates on.

But right now, the 19-year-old forward also stands above everyone else in the Ontario Hockey League, leading the OHL in scoring with 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists) in 30 games for the Flint Firebirds.

This is most definitely a breakout campaign for Aspinall, whom the Rangers selected in the fifth round (No. 159 overall) of the 2024 NHL. Draft. He’s had at least one point in all but five games this season, and his recent 13-game point streak ended Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Sarnia.

Aspinall already surpassed his previous OHL best of 47 points, set in 62 games last season. His 22 goals are second in the OHL and four more than his previous career high of 18 set in 2023-24 with Flint.

The big man continued his big season

Nathan Aspinall currently leads the #OHL in points with 48 as he scored last night to extend his point streak to 13 games!@FlintFirebirds | #NYR pic.twitter.com/gl6wzHD6SH

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) December 13, 2025

Flint (22-7-2-2) sits atop the Western Conference in the OHL with 48 points, due in large part to Aspinall’s major uptick in production and leadership as team captain. He had a career-high five points and recorded his first OHL hat trick in a 9-1 rout of Guelph on Dec. 10.

A first for the captain of the Firebirds

The @FlintFirebirds has his first career #OHL hat-trick with three big-time goals.@FloHockey | #NYR pic.twitter.com/JylKgmvbvH

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) December 11, 2025

In his fourth season of major junior hockey, the towering forward acted on the advice to shoot more, and averages 4.25 shots on goal per game this season. Improvements to the power and accuracy of his shot, especially shooting the puck in stride, helped Aspinall immensely in his breakout season. His fast start was recognized when he won OHL Player of the Month honors for November.

After playing five games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League on an amateur tryout at the end of last season, Aspinall took part in training camp with the Rangers this fall. Aspinall opened some eyes when he fought rugged forward Nathan Legare in the preseason opener against the New Jersey Devils.

The Rangers signed Aspinall to a three-year, entry-level contract in October. He’s expected to rejoin Hartford once his season with Flint is over.

Rangers prospect Artem Gonchar also playing well in OHL​

Artem Gonchar is another Rangers prospect playing well in the OHL this season. The 19-year-old defenseman from Russia scored his eighth goal Saturday, helping Sudbury to a wild 7-6 shootout victory over Owen Sound.

Gonch gets a friendly deflection and puts us within one!

6-5 pic.twitter.com/MWewTWoczm

— Sudbury Wolves (@Sudbury_Wolves) December 13, 2025

He has 15 points in his past 12 games, and is third on Sudbury with 19 points in 29 games.

The Rangers selected the left-shot d-man in the third round (No. 89 overall) of the 2025 draft. He is the nephew of Sergei Gonchar, who played 1,301 games in the NHL.

“Artem is a player that we have been high on from this past season.”, Sudbury general manager Rob Papineau said prior to the season. “He is a very intelligent smooth skating defenseman who was just selected in the third round in the NHL. He has great vision and offensive instincts and is a skilled playmaker.”

Gonchar played most of his 2024-25 season in the MHL with Magnitogorsk Stalnye Lisy, recording 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 50 games

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...gers-prospect-nathan-aspinall-breakout-season

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Blues: Lineups, storylines with Artemi Panarin ‘under the weather’

The New York Rangers will have to try to regain their scoring touch and get back on the winning track Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues without Artemi Panarin. Their leading scorer is “under the weather” and was scratched after skipping the morning skate at Enterprise Center.

Panarin has 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) while playing all 35 games so far this season. The durable 34-year-old’s missed just two games since the start of the 2022-23 season. He’s also led the Rangers in scoring each of his first six seasons after signing a seven-year, $81.5 million contract as a free agent on July 1, 2019.

Though Panarin’s production is more inconsistent this season, his absence from the lineup is a major concern.

Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The Rangers (16-15-4) average 2.51 goals per game, 29th of 32 teams in the NHL. New York was shut out 3-0 by the last-overall Vancouver Canucks at home on Tuesday to complete a miserable back-to-back set at Madison Square Garden. The blanking by the Canucks followed a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday.

New York’s been shut out seven times this season, with six of those defeats on home ice. Though the Rangers lead the NHL with 12 road wins, they were blanked in Chicago by the Blackhawks in their most recent road contest eight days ago.

So, yes, they’ll miss Panarin. But reinforcements did arrive from the minors leagues on Wednesday, when the Rangers recalled Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann from Hartford of the American Hockey League. Neither former first-round pick scored a goal yet in a combined 34 NHL games, but each possesses plenty of offensive skill.

Perreault leads Hartford with 10 goals and 17 points in 20 games as a rookie pro. The 20-year-old also picked up his first NHL point, an assist, during a three-game recall earlier this season. Othmann scored 21 goals for Hartford two seasons ago and had three in his past four AHL games before this recall.

The Blues (13-15-7) are one of the three teams that actually scores fewer goals than the Rangers. St. Louis is 31st in the League, averaging 2.49 goals per game, and its unsightly minus-36 goal differential is worst in the NHL.

Still, the Blues found a way to win two of their past three games despite scoring a total of six goals. They’re coming off a 1-0 victory at home over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, the first of this back to back for them.

Joel Hofer shut out Winnipeg, so Jordan Binnington likely starts against the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin gets the call for the Rangers.

3 storylines when Rangers visit Blues​

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

1. Going fourth​

The Rangers didn’t do line rushes at the morning skate, but Othmann told reporters he’s slated to skate on the fourth line with Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe. If coach Mike Sullivan actually gives that line some decent playing time, it could be a source of much-needed energy. When Othmann is at his best, he’s engaged and playing physically, which often leads to offensive success.

It would be nice to see Othmann get some run in the top-nine. But Sullivan trusts Carrick and Rempe, so hopefully that means Othmann earns some trust, too, and plays more than a handful of minutes.

Credit: Brennan Othmann

Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

After a slow start this season that led to plenty of Othmann trade rumors, the 22-year-old forward has five points (four goals, one assist) in his past seven games with Hartford.

“The last two or three weeks it’s been trending upwards,” he explained after the morning skate. “I feel like I’ve been playing pretty good hockey in Hartford and getting good feedback from the top of the organization to the bottom.”

There’s no indication where Perreault slots in Thursday, though a top-six role is likely — whether Panarin plays or not. Perreault also practiced with the second power-play unit at the morning skate.

2. Hit parade​

Outside of not scoring a lot of goals, there’s another thing the Rangers and Blues have in common. They are among the most physical teams in the NHL, at least according to one statistic. The Rangers lead the NHL with 927 hits; the Blues are fourth with 820.

Will Cuylle again leads the Rangers, and is third in the NHL, with 121 hits in 35 games. Last season, Cuylle set a franchise record with 301 hits, tied for third in the League.

Nathan Walker leads the Blues with 95 hits and averages a whopping 18.05 hits per 60 minutes. Dylan Holloway is second on the team with 91 hits. Neither of these rugged forwards will play Thursday. Walker remains out longer-term with an upper-body injury; Holloway injured his ankle a few days ago and won’t be evaluated again for six weeks.

3. Did you see the red Fox?​

Good morning from St. Louis, where the Rangers are having a morning skate at the Enterprise Center. The man in red is Adam Fox. pic.twitter.com/HlxJS8KSeO

— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) December 18, 2025

This won’t help the Rangers against the Blues, but it’s certainly good news that Adam Fox took part in the morning skate, albeit wearing a red no-contact jersey. He remains on LTIR with an upper-body injury, and will miss his ninth game Thursday.

New York is 3-3-2 since Fox sustained his injury in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 29. Without Fox quarterbacking their top power-play unit, the Rangers are 2-for-21 with the man advantage. The second unit scored one of those power-play goals and the other was a 4-on-3 score in overtime. The five-forward PP1 unit is without a power-play goal.

It should be noted that in Panarin’s absence Thursday morning, rookie defenseman Scott Morrow ran point on PP1, either signaling a change of plans or that he’s a placeholder for the Breadman.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Will Cuylle — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary

Gabe Perreault — Noah Laba — Taylor Raddysh

Brennan Othmann — Sam Carrick — Matt Rempe

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. St. Louis Blues

When: Thursday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Enterprise Center

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...-storylines-artemi-panarin-game-time-decision

 

[New York Rangers]

‘Sometimes they go in’: Miller’s 3rd OT goal of season ties Rangers record

New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller isn’t generating much offense in regulation so far this season. But it’s a whole different story when the game goes past 60 minutes.

Miller scored his third overtime goal of the season at 2:21 of the extra period to give the Rangers a 2-1 road win against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night, ending their two-game slide. He’s responsible for their past two victories; Miller also got the OT winner on Saturday in a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden, after which they lost 4-1 to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday and 3-0 to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, also at MSG.

The overtime goal Thursday, a rocket of a shot from the high slot through defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov’s screen that beat goalie Jordan Binnington, was the 17th of Miller’s career. He’s tied for seventh on the all-time NHL list.

HE DOES IT AGAIN pic.twitter.com/FeZP0sZsjE

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 19, 2025

Miller also scored the OT winner in a 4-3 road victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 30 and had the primary assist on Will Cuylle’s OT goal in a 3-2 road win against the Seattle Kraken two nights later. For good measure, he also scored the deciding goal in a 2-1 shootout win on the road against the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Nov. 15.

“Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t,” Miller said Thursday about his OT success. “I feel like I’ve had some success in previous years in overtime. Today was kind of a weird one. I was pretty tired out there and they had a little breakdown in their coverage and [Vincent Trocheck] made a [heck] of a play. Tried to shoot the puck a little bit more today, and it’s nice to get off the schneid a little bit.”

J.T. Miller’s latest OT goal lifts Rangers to 2-1 win against Blues​

Miller is hard on himself for not producing more in regulation for an offense-starved team – he has just seven goals and 17 non-OT points in 34 games. He has seven points (three goals, four assists) overall in his past eight games, and said his success in extra time should give him more of a boost.

“It’s good for the confidence,” he said. “Last couple weeks, I feel like my game’s there. I don’t think it’s kind of back to the same as the beginning of the year. It’s like not getting as much as I’d like, I think, on the score sheet.

“But I’ve got to believe that if you just play like that most games than not over the course of the season, good things will happen. Just try to be confident.”

HUG. YOUR. CAPTAIN. pic.twitter.com/HsEvjY1Kql

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 19, 2025

Goalie Igor Shesterkin, who made 26 saves, said Miller is “a huge player for us.”

“He’s a leader,” Shesterkin told the New York Post. “He has a great personality. He played great. He always plays hard. So we just try to follow him, especially in overtime.”

Miller passed Max Pacioretty for the most overtime goals by a U.S.-born player in NHL history. And he tied a Rangers record for most OT goals in a season – matching Tomas Sandstrom, Adam Graves, and Marian Gaborik.

“It was a great shot, and a great screen by ‘Vladdy’ – Vladdy goes to the net.” coach Mike Sullivan said postgame. “It was a good play all around.”

Sullivan wants Miller to let ‘er rip more often rather than looking for the perfect play.

“I had a conversation with him this morning and tried to encourage him to shoot the puck a little bit more,” the coach explained. “Sometimes he passes up the opportunity to shoot it. He has a heavy shot.

“He’s one of the few guys we have on our team (who) can beat goaltenders clean, with a clear-sided shot. That’s how heavy I think his shot is. That was a great example of it.”

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Sullivan also liked with the teamwork and smart puck play that led to Miller’s OT winner.

“[Overtime] is a possession game. You’ve got to be selective about when you shoot. Overtime, for me, is all about possession. Those guys were patient when they needed to be. They came up the ice together. Vinny made a nice play, Vladdy goes to the net – it’s a good screen.

“Good players make good plays.”

The Rangers need more plays like that when they continue their grueling five-games-in-seven-days week with a Saturday afternoon contest against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Garden, followed by visits to the Nashville Predators on Sunday and the Washington Capitals on Tuesday before the Christmas break.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...t-miller-overtime-success-ties-rangers-record

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Flyers: Lineups, storylines for Metro matinee

It’s been nearly a month since the New York Rangers last played a game within the Metropolitan Division. But that’ll change Saturday, when the Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers in a matinee at Madison Square Garden.

In fact, the Rangers schedule features five of their next six games through the end of the calendar year against divisional foes. So, this is a good time for them to start playing consistently better within the division if the Rangers wish to make a serious run at a playoff spot this season.

The Rangers (17-15-4) are 3-4-0 against Metropolitan Division teams, most recently skating to a 4-2 road win over the first-place Carolina Hurricanes on Thanksgiving Eve. This upcoming stretch through Dec. 31 sees the Rangers face-off twice against the Washington Capitals, and once each against the Flyers, Hurricanes, and Islanders.

As of Friday, the Rangers are sixth in the eight-team Metropolitan Division, though just three points behind the third-place Islanders. They’re two points behind the Flyers, who hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

This is the first meeting in 2025-26 between the Rangers and Flyers. Neither team qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, when the Flyers took two out of three in the season series.

The Rangers come off a 2-1 overtime win in St. Louis against the Blues on Thursday. Gabe Perreault scored his first NHL goal early in the second period to tie the game, before J.T. Miller netted his third OT winner this season.

That was their second win in seven games (2-3-2) and their League-leading 13th on the road. It’s well documented that the Rangers are not nearly as successful this season on home ice, where they have a 4-10-1 record. Earlier in the week, New York scored one goal when they lost back-to-back home games to the Anaheim Ducks and Vancouver Canucks.

The Flyers have points in five of their past six games (2-1-3), but lost 5-3 to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. Philly hasn’t lost consecutive games in regulation since Nov. 1-2, and is 5-1-3 within the Metropolitan Division.

3 storylines when Rangers host Flyers​

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

1. Working overtime​

With these two teams playing one another, be prepared for the game to last more than 60 minutes Saturday. The Rangers played their 10th overtime game Thursday, improving to 6-4. They’re 5-4 in sudden death and 1-0 in the shootout. Miller had a direct hand in five of those six OT wins. He scored three goals in overtime and assisted on one by Will Cuylle, and also notched the shootout winner against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

MILLER TIME IN OVERTIME

J.T. Miller scores the Subway Canada OT winner for the Rangers pic.twitter.com/NXdtaiW29g

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 19, 2025

Thirteen of the Flyers’ 33 games to date were decided in overtime. That’s a whopping 39.4 percent of their games. Three of their past five games went past 60 minutes. Philly is 7-6 in overtime this season — 2-4 in sudden death and 5-2 in the shootout.

2. Goalie focus​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

This is an intriguing goalie match up. The Rangers starting goalie is expected to be Igor Shesterkin, who stopped 26 of 27 shots in St. Louis, the sixth time he’s allowed one goal or fewer in 28 starts this season. Since 2021-22, no NHL goalie has more starts allowing one goal or less than Shesterkin, who’s done it 74 times.

Among goalies to start at least 20 games this season, Shesterkin is tied for the sixth lowest goals-against average (2.49). His 16.0 goals saved above expected is sixth most in the League, per MoneyPuck. And he has a solid .910 save percentage, which is tied with Flyers goalie Dan Vladar for seventh in the NHL among those who’ve played 20 games.

Vladar signed a two-year, $6.7 million contract with the Flyers this past offseason. After spending four seasons as the No. 2 goalie with the Calgary Flames, where he never played more than 30 games, Vladar already started 20 for the Flyers as their No. 1. The 28-year-old’s been excellent, and his 2.41 GAA, so far, is the best of his career and better than his New York counterpart heading into their clash Saturday.

3. Flyers pain could be Rangers gain​

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, the Flyers revealed that forward Tyson Foerster is out for the rest of the regular season following arm surgery. That’s a big blow to the Flyers. The 23-year-old scored at least 20 goals in his first two NHL seasons, including 25 a year ago. He was off to a fast start with 10 goals in 21 games before sustaining an injury two weeks ago.

Foerster, you might remember, had a hat trick against the Rangers last April in an 8-5 Flyers win. So, it’s safe to say the Blueshirts won’t miss playing against him.

In his absence, the Flyers must find more production within their lineup. Trevor Zegras, the Bedford, New York native, is off to a nice start with 14 goals, and Travis Konecny scored his 10th of the season in the loss Thursday. But the rest of the forward group is hit or miss. Especially Matvei Michkov, the uber-talented 21-year-old, who scored 26 goals as a rookie in 2024-25, but has eight so far this season.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Will Cuylle — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary

Gabe Perreault — Noah Laba — Taylor Raddysh

Brennan Othmann — Sam Carrick — Matt Rempe

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers

When: Saturday, Dec. 20 at 12:30 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...ineups-storylines-metropolitan-division-clash

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers get uninspiring glimpse at life without Artemi Panarin

For the first time in 2025-26, the New York Rangers hit the ice without star forward Artemi Panarin, who was sidelined Thursday against the St. Louis Blues with an illness. Not surprisingly, offense came at a premium.

The Rangers eked out a 2-1 overtime win over the Blues, thanks to another clutch game-winner from captain J.T. Miller.

New York will take wins any way it can get them, especially after losing five of its previous six games (1-3-2). But it’s also a sobering reminder of what this squad looks like without its biggest threat and leading scorer.

Happily, Panarin was back in the lineup for the Rangers’ Saturday matinee against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden. He’s missed just three games since the start of the 2022-23 season, and been productive as well as consistent.

Since joining the Rangers ahead of the 2019-20 season on a blockbuster seven-year, $81.5 million contract, Panarin’s 584 points rank fifth among all NHL skaters — only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and David Pastrnak have more. He maintained a point-per-game rate through his first six seasons, leading New York in scoring each time.

CUYLLE TO PANARIN HITS ONE LEG OF THE BIZZY BETS JUST 3 MINUTES IN pic.twitter.com/YPEJIHTBX5

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) November 28, 2025

He’s continued to be a bright spot for the Rangers, even as their scoring rate dipped to third-worst in the NHL (2.50 goals per game) this season. Panarin’s 11 goals and 34 points in 35 games pace the Blueshirts.

Less-inspiring performances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs draw the ire of fans, but Panarin’s regular-season production remains invaluable to the Rangers. Still, his future on Broadway remains uncertain.

The prolific forward, who turned 34 in October, can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

Panarin reportedly declined New York’s more team-friendly extension offer, one similar to the extension agreed to by Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar.

Elliotte Friedman: Re Artemi Panarin: They went to him and said, would you be willing to take a Kopitar kind of deal and the answer was no; you know it's gonna be a big number; you just wonder where this is all gonna go – FAN Hockey Show (10/15)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) October 16, 2025

Kopitar decided to finish out his NHL career with the Kings, the only team he’s ever played for, inking a two-year deal worth $7 million annually on July 6, 2023 — a drop of $3 million in average-annual value (AAV) from his previous eight-year contract.

Rangers offense without Panarin leaves much to be desired​

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

New York celebrated a much-needed win over the Blues, but it was hardly an inspired performance offensively, especially at even strength.

It stands out that the Rangers failed to score a 5-on-5 goal Thursday. For reference, St. Louis ranks third-worst in goals-against-average and allowed 86 goals at 5-on-5 — the most in the NHL.

Their only tallies came on the power play, when Will Cuylle’s second-period shot deflected into the net off the skate of rookie forward Gabe Perreault, and during the 3-on-3 overtime period on Miller’s one-timer.

They outshot the Blues 31-27, but Panarin’s puck skills were sorely missed — particularly when St. Louis tilted the ice in the third period. Too often, New York’s offensive possessions lacked bite without the threat of a dynamic playmaker.

COACHES: Here's a great clip from Artemi Panarin on buying time entering the offensive zone.

He enters the zone on a 1v3. But rather than try to beat everyone 1v1 like you see all the time in youth hockey, he moves laterally to the open ice and buys time for his teammates to… pic.twitter.com/OCopKJXSFs

— Topher Scott (@HockeyThinkTank) November 13, 2025

Panarin is the only Ranger with more than five goals at 5-on-5 this season. The offensive outlook is bleak in his absence, and that’s a scary thought given his murky future with the team.

New York already has three 32-year-old forwards — Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, and Miller — on the downturn production-wise and under contract until at least 2028-29. It’s possible general manager Chris Drury isn’t inclined to commit to another aging forward, especially if Panarin commands a high AAV.

Allowing the four-time 90-point scorer to walk was more appetizing when a slew of high-profile forwards — including Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Martin Necas, Kyle Connor, and Adrian Kempe — were eligible to become free agents. But each re-upped with his respective team, leaving the 2026 free-agent class lacking in star power.

Panarin is one of two players on expiring contracts who recorded at least 70 points last season. The other is Alex Ovechkin, who turned 40 in September and remains noncommittal about his future beyond 2025-26. If Panarin elects to sign elsewhere, New York will be hard-pressed to find a similar-level talent on the open market.

They can seek to fill the void internally, although that’s an awful lot of pressure on the likes of Alexis Lafreniere, Noah Laba, and Cuylle. Lafreniere has yet to take the next leap after a breakout 2023-24 season. Cuylle and Laba are forwards to build around and should continue to develop offensively, but neither projects to be an elite point producer.

GABE PERREAULT HAS HIS FIRST NHL GOAL pic.twitter.com/EgNolawavw

— NHL (@NHL) December 19, 2025

Panarin’s departure could open up a coveted top-six spot for Perreault, their 2023 first-round pick (No. 23 overall) — but under coach Mike Sullivan, that role must be earned, not given.

The Rangers recalled Perreault and 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann ahead of the Blues game. But even with Panarin scratched, neither forward cracked the top six.

Veteran Conor Sheary, who sits on one goal in his age-33 season, remained in the top six on a line with Miller and Trocheck, and Cuylle moved up to replace Panarin.

Perreault skated on the third line next to Laba and Taylor Raddysh, finishing the night with 13:09 TOI and his first NHL goal. Othmann was on the fourth line and logged just 7:14, the lowest ice time of any Rangers skater.

Sullivan is transparent about what he wants from his rookies — quick decisions and a defensively responsible game. Those standards won’t change, even if Panarin leaves or is traded at some point this season.

Why Rangers must address offensive woes​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

There’s a case to be made for moving on from Panarin, despite his highly accomplished Blueshirts tenure.

New York’s offense is floundering this season, even with another solid campaign from Panarin. The most valuable path for the Rangers may be to deal their star forward ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.

A tightly packed Eastern Conference makes it difficult for even a flawed Rangers squad to fall out of the postseason picture. But perhaps Drury considers such measures if a reasonable extension is unlikely.

Panarin wields a full no-movement clause, potentially limiting New York’s leverage. Still, he could net a sizeable return if he finds another destination appealing. It’s hard to see the Rangers punting on this season, but there’s major value to be gained in a potential trade.

That doesn’t mean the Rangers must enter a full-scale rebuild.

Beyond Miller, Trocheck, and Zibanejad, the Rangers already tied up Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin long term. And that was before they signed Sullivan to a five-year deal, making him the highest-paid coach in the NHL, and added Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency on a seven-year, $49 million contract on July 1.

Those are the moves of a team that envisions itself a contender — and it’s unrealistic to expect Drury to abandon that mindset so quickly, even if the Rangers miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

The defensive structure under Sullivan is sound enough to keep the Rangers competitive. But if the game Thursday is any evidence, it’s hard to put much faith in a Panarin-less offense, at least without significant additions. The Rangers may part ways with Panarin, but if they do little to address their offensive woes, they’ll remain in a similar purgatory.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...panarin-out-illness-glimpse-future-free-agent

 

[New York Rangers]

Gabe Perreault earns promotion, makes impact in Rangers’ win over Flyers

Mike Sullivan’s plan for promising rookie forward Gabe Perreault looks like it’s working out better than even the New York Rangers coach expected, so far.

Before a Saturday matinee against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden, Sullivan spelled out for the media why the promising 20-year-old forward is best suited to play a third-line role right now. However, Sullivan also noted Perreault may be elevated in the lineup at any point.

In his second game since the Rangers recalled him from Hartford of the American Hockey League earlier this week, Perreault made his coach look prescient.

Perreault was a key contributor Saturday, helping the Rangers rally from two goals down in the third period to stun the Flyers 5-4 in a shootout victory on home ice. His most important moment came midway through the third, when he made a nifty move off a broken play to gain zone entry and get the puck to J.T. Miller, who set up Vincent Trocheck’s goal with 9:13 remaining that cut their deficit to 4-3.

REBOUND, SCORE

Troch cleans it up pic.twitter.com/WQK8R8NfkG

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 20, 2025

Being in position to make that play was a testament to Perreault earning his way onto the ice in crunch time of a crucial game against a Metropolitan Division opponent. The kid now has three points (one goal, two assists) in five games with the Rangers this season, including points in consecutive games following his recall to the NHL.

Rangers coach didn’t wait long to move Gabe Perreault into top 6 against Flyers​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Perreault began the contest Saturday on the third line with Will Cuylle and Noah Laba, He also played on the third line in the 2-1 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, when he scored his first NHL goal, a power-play deflection assisted by Cuylle and Laba.

The bottom-six role was a departure from his three-game stint with the Rangers in November, when Perreault played in the top six. But Sullivan sought to tamp down the pressure and expectations on the youngster initially — but left the door open a crack.

“Our observation when we had him up the last time was, it was a really difficult task,” Sullivan said Saturday morning. “And our thought process was, when we put him right up into the top six, is we understand the type of player that he is, and we’re trying to put him in a position to be successful. He’s an offensive player with good offensive instincts, and so our intention was to put him with our best offensive people, and that’s what we did.

“The flip side of that is you’re going to play against the opponent’s top players. You’re going to get the top defense players. You’re going to get the very best players that you’re playing against. And so, this time around, we thought more in terms of, ‘Would it make sense for Gabe if we put him around some different people, and maybe he doesn’t get the top defense pair?’ It gives him an opportunity to act on his instincts and do his thing that way, and then we’ll watch him and we’ll see. If there’s an opportunity to move him up, we’ll move him up.”

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It was as if Perreault listened — and then followed his coach’s blueprint for him to a tee.

Perreault played a strong first period for the Rangers, helping to drive play with Laba and Cuylle. The trio established a strong forecheck and generally dominated possession and chances when they were out there 5v5. Perreault hit a wide-open Laba with a perfect pass from behind the net for a point-blank chance that was stopped by Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson in the first period. He also fearlessly went to the front of the net and had several chances on loose pucks and shots from the point.

With the line also getting regular time on the second power-play unit, Perreault’s shot toward the net during a man advantage was knocked down in front, and nearly led to a goal by first Cuylle and then Laba.

Gabe Perreault’s importance to Rangers increases if J.T. Miller misses time with injury​

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Perreault was engaged and on the puck through the period, and Sullivan liked what he saw. Keeping to his word in the pregame news conference, the coach moved Perreault up to replace Conor Sheary on the Miller-Trocheck line to start the second period – where he stayed for the rest of the game.

“We liked Gabe’s game, we thought he was playing really well, we thought we’d give it a shot,” Sullivan said afterward, looking very much like the cat who ate the canary. “I had this conversation with you guys before the game, so it’s probably nothing that you didn’t expect, so when you saw it, I hope that’s proof that I’m speaking the truth to you guys.”

Perreault was a plus-1 and posted a 73.3 expected goal share when playing 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick. He logged a season-high 15:31 TOI.

GABE DEFLECTS IT IN FOR HIS FIRST NHL GOAL pic.twitter.com/6TCB3vfvKX

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 19, 2025

Time will tell if Sullivan decides that Perreault did enough to remain in the top six on a regular basis. Based on his pregame comments, it seems likely that the coach will be cautious with Perreault’s assignments and make decisions about his role on a game-by-game, situational basis.

But with Miller leaving midway through the third period with an upper-body injury, that could sideline him, the Rangers will need all the help they can get.

J.T. Miller left for the locker room after this collision with Nick Seelerpic.twitter.com/SKsRSZ1IMN

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 20, 2025

Perreault’s elite hands, vision and hockey sense probably meant that he wasn’t going to stay in the minors for long. Yet his effectiveness and confidence on the ice against the Flyers, even when tasked with tough matchups and creating offense in big moments, must have Sullivan thinking his prized rookie is ready for more responsibility going forward.

One of Sullivan’s responsibilities is developing the younger players on the roster — particularly Perreault, the organization’s top prospect. It’s looking like Perreault is more than ready to make his coach’s task much easier.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/perreault-makes-impact-in-win-over-flyers

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers rally in third, beat Flyers 5-4 in shootout: Takeaways

The return of leading scorer Artemi Panarin was just what the New York Rangers needed to end their 2025 home schedule with a win.

Panarin scored twice in regulation after missing one game with illness, then got the winning goal in the shootout to give the Rangers a 5-4 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon.

They survived Philadelphia’s four-goal second period by scoring twice to overcome a 4-2 deficit in the third, with Mika Zibanejad’s power-play goal tying the game with 2:34 remaining. They killed off two Flyers power plays in overtime to help secure the extra standings point.

Panarin opened the shootout by snapping a shot past Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson, who got a late call to start after Dan Vladar couldn’t go because of an upper-body injury. Igor Shesterkin then stopped Trevor Zegras, one of the League’s best in the shootout, before Vincent Trocheck beat Ersson in Round 2. The game ended when Travis Konecny hit the crossbar.

Artemi Panarin with the shimmy-shake in the shootout @KennyAlbert | @BriBrows22 | #NYR pic.twitter.com/9K6IqYRfvx

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) December 20, 2025

It was the Rangers’ second straight Saturday comeback win at home in overtime; they overcame a three-goal deficit to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 a week ago.

The Rangers (18-15-4) improved to 5-10-3 at home as they prepare to play their final five games of this year on the road, beginning with a visit to the Nashville Predators on Sunday night. They’ve won their past two games after losing 4-1 to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday and 3-0 to the Vancouver Canucks 3-0 on Tuesday.

“This is the kind of confidence we need,” Trocheck said postgame.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Philadelphia trailed 1-0 after the first period but scored four goals in the second, including in a span of 3:36. Three of the four goals came on special teams; the Flyers ended an 0-for-16 power-play drought with two man-advantage goals and added their first short-handed goal of the season.

But the Rangers showed the kind of urgency that’s been lacking on numerous nights at MSG.

Trocheck’s goal midway through the third period gave them a spark, and Zibanejad tied it after Rasmus Ristolainen took a delay of game penalty at 17:00 for shooting the puck in the crowd. They won the shootout after playing down a man for 2:51 of the five-minute overtime.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Shesterkin was at his best in the early going, stopping four Grade A chances before the game was four minutes old. Two of them came from right in front against Denver Berkey, the grandson of long-ago Rangers defenseman Randy Legge, who was playing his first NHL game.

The Rangers began to dominate play after that, but the Flyers gave Ersson plenty of help, blocking 11 shots in the opening period. New York got the only power play in the first period when Philly’s Carl Grundstrom was called for tripping Panarin at 13:57; the Rangers had three shots but none was especially dangerous.

The Flyers won the draw after they iced the puck with 42 seconds left, but an excellent play by Zibanejad led to the game’s first goal. Zibanejad jammed the wall and stopped a clearing attempt, then fed Panarin in the high slot. Panarin quickly wristed a 30-footer that beat Ersson cleanly with 35.8 seconds remaining for a 1-0 lead. It was the 24th time in 34 games that the Flyers surrendered the first goal.

You certainly don't want to give Artemi Panarin that much time and space! pic.twitter.com/XX43FJYHEl

— NHL (@NHL) December 20, 2025

But the second period almost proved to be the Blueshirts’ undoing.

Will Cuylle ended up with the only penalty out of a big scrum at 5:17, and the Flyers made the Rangers pay when Travis Sanheim took a pass from Barkey and beat Shesterkin past his blocker for a power-play goal at 6:42. The 1-1 tie lasted just 25 seconds before Barkey earned another assist, setting up Owen Tippett for a shot from the high slot that again went past Shesterkin’s glove.

Zegras needed just three seconds to make the Rangers pay for Panarin’s slashing penalty at 10:15. Noah Cates won the draw back to Jamie Drysdale, who fed Zegras for a blast from between the circles that caught the top corner behind Shesterkin’s blocker for a 3-1 Flyers lead.

Panarin cut it to 3-2 at 12:23 when he picked off a stray pass in the neutral zone, skated into the right circle and beat Ersson. The Rangers got a power play at 13:48 when Nicholas Deslauriers was called for boarding Brennan Othmann before the two took matching fighting majors. But Scott Morrow’s backhand pass was intercepted by Sanheim, setting up a 2-on-1. Sanheim’s pass to the front of the net hit Rodrigo Abols’ skate and slid between Shesterkin’s legs at 14:36, giving the Flyers their first shorty of the season and a 4-2 lead.

Igor Shesterkin on the team's resilience today: pic.twitter.com/RoqSZK59Fh

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 20, 2025

“We went the second period without a goalie,” Shesterkin said of his play in the middle 20 minutes.

Boos filled the Garden when the Rangers did nothing with a power play early in the third period, but the cheers returned when Trocheck backhanded his own rebound between Ersson’s pads at 9:13. Zibanejad’s game-tying one-timer drew even more cheers, and the building was rocking during the overtime penalty kills.

“I loved the response we showed in the third,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the way our guys played in the third period and overtime.”

Key takeaways after Rangers rally to defeat Flyers 5-4 in shootout​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Confidence booster​

The sellout crowd of 18,006 at MSG almost seemed resigned to another home loss after the dismal second period, and the Rangers themselves seemed downcast until Trocheck’s goal began the comeback.

From there on, the Rangers kept pushing and pushing until they found a way to win, surviving a slashing penalty by Panarin eight seconds into overtime and a tripping call against Morrow with 50.8 seconds remaining.

For a team that hasn’t shown much confidence at home, it was the kind of win that can spark a surge,

“It’s huge for us,” Trocheck said. “The confidence, we need that. We need to know when we’re down a couple goals we can still make it a game and come back.”

The Breadman delivers​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Panarin showed no signs of whatever illness kept him out of the 2-1 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues. He was flying from the opening face-off, finishing the game with two goals, seven shots on goal and earning First Star of the Game honors.

It’s the kind of performance the Rangers are going to need on an every-night basis from the man who’s led them in scoring for each of his six seasons on Broadway. They got a taste of what playing without Panarin is like on Thursday, when the offense 5v5 mostly was non-existent.

Panarin can become a free agent after this season, and with most of the big names who were on the market having already signed new deals with their current teams, he figures to be the best player available. Even at age 34, he showed Saturday that he still has plenty left in the tank.

Back-to-back issues​

The Rangers seek their first victory in the second half of a back-to-back set when they take the ice in Nashville on Sunday. They are 0-5-1, with the only point coming in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at the Garden on Dec. 7.

The opposition outscored the Rangers 19-4 in the six games.

The good news is that the Predators also have a back to back this weekend; they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. The bad news is that unlike the Rangers, the Preds don’t have to travel.

The Rangers are 11-6-0 all-time in Music City, though they lost 2-0 there last Dec. 17.

How’s Miller?​

The lone piece of bad news from one of the Rangers’ best wins of the season came midway through the third period when captain J.T. Miller collided with Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler.

J.T. Miller left for the locker room after this collision with Nick Seelerpic.twitter.com/SKsRSZ1IMN

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 20, 2025

Miller was on the ice for several seconds, then staggered to the bench and appeared to be holding his right shoulder when he went to the locker room and didn’t return.

Sullivan said after the game that Miller was being evaluated for an upper-body injury but didn’t know any more. If he can’t play Sunday, Jonny Brodzinski or Taylor Raddysh figures to draw into the lineup.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/rally-for-shootout-win-vs-flyers

 

[New York Rangers]

Jonathan Quick heroics not enough, Rangers lose 2-1 to Predators: Takeaways

Jonathan Quick’s outstanding goaltending, not to mention his fiery demeanor, nearly was enough for the New York Rangers to steal a point — or maybe two — Sunday night in Nashville. But instead the badly out-played Rangers lost to the Predators 2-1 at Bridgestone Arena.

Both teams played the night before, but the Rangers (18-16-4) appeared to have far less gas in the tank than the Predators. Not only was this New York’s sixth game in nine days, and second back-to-back set this week, but the Rangers were without four key players in their lineup.

Most significantly, captain J.T. Miller is week to week after he sustained an upper-body injury in the stirring 5-4 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Forwards Gabe Perreault and Matt Rempe were late scratches due to illness. And top defenseman Adam Fox missed his 10th game due to an upper-body injury.

“Sucks not having everybody. Obviously, tough spot back to back, and then guys are getting sick and guys go down,” Vincent Trocheck said postgame. “But, I mean, that doesn’t affect how we play with pride. If there’s anything to take away from today, we didn’t play with pride.”

Quick did everything in his power to will the Rangers to victory, finishing with 30 saves. Despite allowing only 11 goals in his past five starts, Quick is winless (0-4-1) since Nov. 7. The Rangers scored six goals in that stretch with Quick between the pipes.

Quickie coming in clutch pic.twitter.com/Nnab4prSlF

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 22, 2025

“He was unbelievable tonight. It definitely sucks when you can’t get anything for him,” defenseman Braden Schneider said.

The Rangers didn’t score until 35.9 seconds remained in the third period. Jonny Brodzinski’s third goal of the season ruined Justus Annunen’s bid for his third NHL shutout. Annunen faced only 17 shots Sunday.

Filip Forsberg scored his seventh goal in the past eight games for Nashville, which defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 at home Saturday. Steven Stamkos scored his 14th goal, an empty-netter, the shift before Brodzinski’s tally.

Somehow, the Rangers reached the second intermission trailing by just a single goal. Badly out-shot, out-attempted, and out-chanced through 40 minutes, the visitors leaned heavily on Quick to keep them in this one. And the 39-year-old goalie didn’t let his teammates down.

The only goal he allowed was an absolute missile off the stick of Forsberg 10:44 into the second period. Ryan O’Reilly gained entry into the Rangers zone, then spun around to make a scintillating pass to Forsberg on right wing. Forsberg wired his 16th goal top shelf over Quick’s glove to make it 1-0.

MAN I LOVE FIL FORSBERG pic.twitter.com/2S1GsPpgqn

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) December 22, 2025

The Predators out-shot the Rangers 15-6 in the scoreless first period and 11-4 in the second. Through 40 minutes, the home team out-attempted their guests by a whopping 53-28 margin.

New York’s frustration was palpable, and then visible during one sequence late in the second period. Artemi Panarin had a rare clean entry into the offensive zone, but before he could unleash a shot, Predators defenseman Roman Josi got back and canceled him out. Josi came away with the puck, and a clearly frustrated Panarin hooked him to the ice at 18:08, and then barked at the officials on his way to the penalty box.

Quick made several clutch saves early in the third period, including right after his own turnover forced him to make a pair of clutch, scrambling stops. Later, he calmly stoned Forsberg with a left-pad save on a clean breakaway at 9:09, moments after the Rangers failed to tie the game on their second power play of the night.

Given another power play when Forsberg flipped the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty at at 16:01, the Rangers again couldn’t capitalize. They finished 0-for-3 on the power play Sunday.

Stamkos scored into an empty net with 47.6 seconds to play, before Brodzinski made things interesting again 12 seconds later when he buried his own rebound past Annunen. However, the final 36 seconds featured the Rangers turning the puck over in the neutral zone multiple times, without a single rush into the offensive zone.

It was a fitting finish to a frustrating night.

Key takeaways after Rangers’ 2-1 road loss to Predators​

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Mismanaging the game​

The Rangers didn’t make excuses after this loss, one that dropped them to 0-6-1 in the second of back-to-back sets this season. But coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged he knew early on the Rangers weren’t at their best. But then he explained what irritated him most about this defeat.

“For me, that’s a situation, I think, when I’m talking about managing the game right. You got to be able to win with your B game, if you don’t have your A game,” Sullivan said. “The way you do that is you don’t beat yourself. You force teams to have to make good plays to beat you. You defend hard, you manage the puck, you make them play goal line to goal line. You watch your shift lengths. You change smart. You don’t take offensive zone penalties. I just don’t think we did that in any aspect of it.”

Well said, Sully. Well said.

Lineup juggling​

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

With Miller, Perreault, and Rempe sidelined, the Rangers went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen in their lineup for the first time this season. Brodzinski and Taylor Raddysh drew in up front, and Urho Vaakanainen dressed as the seventh defenseman, playing just five shifts and logging 3:59 TOI.

Brodzinski, a healthy scratch the previous three games, looked fresh and led the Rangers with five shots on goal. Raddysh assisted on Brodzinski’s goal, his first point in 10 games.

Brennan Othmann moved up to the third line, where he and fellow rookie Noah Laba each had a rough night. Each had an expected goal share of just under 15 percent, and the Predators held a 7-1 advantage in scoring chances 5v5 with Laba and Othmann on the ice, per Natural Stat Trick.

Hitting iron​

As good as he was, Quick also caught a couple breaks in this one. The Predators hit the post behind Quick twice in a four-minute span of the second period. So, what was a 1-0 deficit for New York, very easily could’ve been 2-0 or 3-0.

Nearly 13 minutes into the period, Michael Bunting blistered a right-wing shot off the far post. The goal light went on, and the play was blown dead, even though the on-ice officials correctly said the puck didn’t go in the net. Since play stopped with the Rangers in possession of the puck, Sullivan was furious with the referees.

Then at 16:18, Nicolas Hague hammered a slap shot off the post with Nashville on the penalty kill.

To be fair, the Rangers also caught iron with a pair of shot attempts. Alexis Lafreniere did so in the first period, and Brodzinski wired a left-circle blast off the crossbar 5:52 into the second.

Close Call​

Predators forward Reid Schaeffer came awfully close to sustaining a very serious injury in the first period. The close call occurred at 14:31, when the 22-year-old rookie collided with Rangers defenseman Scott Morrow along the left-wing boards in New York’s defensive zone. Morrow got the worst of the hit, fell backwards, and his leg kicked up in the air. That’s when his skate accidentally clipped Schaeffer on the chin.

Reid Schaefer of the #Smashville took a skate to the chin from #NYR Scott Morrow.

That’s a nasty gash he’s got there. pic.twitter.com/JhC0QRyefi

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) December 22, 2025

Bleeding from a significant gash, Schaeffer immediately skated to the Nashville bench, and the referees initially handed Morrow a double-minor for high-sticking. However, after video review, the penalty was rescinded.

A fraction of an inch higher, and Schaeffer would’ve caught the skate blade in his mouth. A bit lower, and his throat and neck were in danger of being slashed open. Fortunately, Schaeffer returned to the ice four minutes later, albeit with a nasty looking gash on his chin.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...keaways-lose-predators-jonathan-quick-heroics

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers Week Ahead: Christmas break comes at right time

Perhaps no NHL team needs the three-day Christmas break more than the New York Rangers.

They ended a week that featured five games in seven days with a 2-1 loss to the Predators in Nashville on Sunday night. Their visit to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, the last day before the break, will be their seventh game in 11 days – a stretch that would wear down almost any team.

New York looked like a weary team in Nashville. The Rangers were outplayed all night and had a chance to win only because goaltender Jonathan Quick was brilliant, stopping 30 of 31 shots – the lone one to beat him was a perfect wrister by Filip Forsberg midway through the second period.

The Rangers needed a gem from Quick to have a chance to win on a night they were down three forwards – J.T. Miller didn’t make the trip because of an upper-body injury sustained in a 5-4 shootout win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, and Gabe Perreault and Matt Rempe missed the game due to illness. That forced coach Mike Sullivan to dress a lineup with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

Mike Sullivan was asked if he liked what he saw from the Rangers' depleted lineup tonight:

"No." pic.twitter.com/6p7G2o1UmI

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 22, 2025

Ironically, it was the goal Quick didn’t allow that proved to be the game-winner. Steven Stamkos’ long-distance empty-netter with 48 seconds left made it 2-0, meaning that Jonny Brodzinski’s goal 11 seconds later on the Rangers’ 17th and final shot on goal merely prevented their eighth shutout loss of the season. It was the fourth time this season the Rangers came up short against a team at the bottom of the NHL standings and dropped them to 18-16-4 overall — and 0-6-1 in the second half of back-to-back games.

It also ended a frantic week that saw the Rangers lose 4-1 to the Anaheim Ducks and 3-0 to the Vancouver Canucks on consecutive nights at Madison Square Garden before a 2-1 overtime win against the Blues in St. Louis and the shootout win Saturday afternoon in their final home game of 2025.

However, the win against the Flyers — when the Rangers overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period –proved costly. Miller sustained an upper-body injury in the third period and is week to week, according to NHL.com.

Who’s hot​

Quick continues to be one of the top backup goalies in the League, though his 3-5-1 record might indicate otherwise. He lost both his decisions last week despite allowing three goals on 47 shots.

Who’s not​

Alexis Lafreniere’s underlying stats may be good, but he’s not putting points on the score sheet. He has one assist and is minus-4 in his past seven games. Seven goals and 18 points in 37 games isn’t nearly enough production for a top-six forward – especially one who was the first player taken in his draft year (2020).

Rangers lookahead this week includes …​

Games 2 and 3 of a six-game road trip sandwiching the three-day Christmas break.

Rangers at Washington Capitals (Dec. 23, 7 p.m.; MSG2)​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Rangers pay the first of two visits to Capital One Arena in an eight-day span looking to avenge a 1-0 loss at the Garden on Oct. 12 and end a four-game losing streak to their Metropolitan Division rival. They’re 0-4-0 in their past four visits to our nation’s capital.

The Capitals come off a home-and-home weekend sweep by the Detroit Red Wings and are 1-3-2 in their past six games. They’ve scored just 11 goals in that span and surrendered five goals in each of the three regulation losses.

Mika Zibanejad had one of three five-goal games in Rangers history against the Capitals on March 5, 2020; he has 19 goals and 36 points in 48 career games against them. Alex Ovechkin, the all-time NHL goal-scoring leader, has 46 goals in 77 games against the Rangers.

Rangers at New York Islanders (Dec. 27, 6 p.m., MSGSN/MSG2)​

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

NHL teams can’t practice or travel during the Christmas break, so being the visiting team on the day play resumes can be a hassle – unless you’re playing an opponent that’s less than 20 miles away. The Rangers are lucky in that regard; they resume their season with a visit to the archrival Islanders at UBS Arena.

Each team seeks some revenge. The Islanders rolled to a 5-0 victory at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 8, and the Rangers embarrassed them in a 9-2 win in their last visit to UBS on April 10 last season.

This figures to be another battle between frenemies Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers and Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders. Sorokin got the better of his fellow Russian goalie in the shutout victory, which ended the Blueshirts’ five-game winning streak against their suburban rivals. Shesterkin is 7-2-0 against the Islanders since the start of the 2023-24 season.

Artemi Panarin feats on the Islanders, with 18 goals and 47 points in 39 games – including five goals and seven points last season, when the Rangers won all four games. Defenseman Adam Fox, who’s been out since sustaining an upper-body injury on Nov. 29, is eligible to come off long-term injured reserve for this game, though it’s unknown if he needs a little more time before returning.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/schedule-ahead-christmas-break

 

[New York Rangers]

What’s next for Rangers after J.T. Miller lands on IR with upper-body injury

Trying to ensure that they don’t ice a short-handed lineup again, the New York Rangers placed J.T. Miller on injured reserve Monday and recalled forward Brett Berard from Hartford of the American Hockey League.

The night before, the Rangers dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen in a 2-1 loss to the Predators in Nashville because three of their forwards couldn’t play. Miller missed his first game after sustaining an upper-body injury during a 5-4 shootout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday; Gabe Perreault and Matt Rempe were late scratched due to illness.

So, in the short term, Berard gives the Rangers another forward option for their road game Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. To make room for him on the roster, the Rangers had to place Miller on IR.

UPDATE: #NYR has recalled forward Brett Berard from the Hartford Wolf Pack. pic.twitter.com/MxkUJqutl2

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

Defenseman Urho Vaakanainen dressed, but only played five shifts against the Predators. That basically left the Rangers short-handed, since coach Mike Sullivan utilized only 17 skaters instead of 18, plus had to double shift forwards throughout the game to get ice time for the fourth line.

The Rangers are off Monday, so there’s no update on the status of Perreault and Rempe. If neither is able to play Tuesday, Berard draws in to the lineup. If one or both is available, then Sullivan has personnel decisions to make on who’s in, and who’s out against the Capitals.

As of Monday, it didn’t appear that the Rangers wished to place Miller on IR, even though he’s week to week with an upper-body injury. The Rangers captain sustained the injury on a third-period collision with Philly’s Nick Seeler on Saturday.

J.T. Miller left for the locker room after this collision with Nick Seelerpic.twitter.com/SKsRSZ1IMN

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 20, 2025

What’s next for Rangers with J.T. Miller on injured reserve​

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Big skates to fill​

Say what you will about Miller’s decreased production this season — 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 35 games — the 32-year-old is still an extremely valuable player, leader, and tone-setter on the Rangers. His intangibles are difficult to replace because he plays so hard and with so much passion. And even with his traditional stats trending the wrong way, Miller tied a franchise record with three overtime goals already this season. Plus he’s got four OT points and a shootout-winning goal in 2025-26 He is Captain Clutch, not to mention a point-per-game threat still.

He’s also among the best face-off men in the NHL at 59.9 percent, a responsible defensive forward most often tasked with playing against the other team’s best, and always accountable with his teammates and the media.

MILLER TIME IN OVERTIME

J.T. Miller scores the Subway Canada OT winner for the Rangers pic.twitter.com/NXdtaiW29g

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 19, 2025

Sullivan didn’t sugarcoat the impact of Miller’s absence.

“He just means so much to this team,” Sullivan said Sunday. “I think he’s the leader of this group in so many ways, emotionally with how he plays the game. I think his game was really building too; I think his game was really starting to come, especially on the offensive side.

“I talked to him, I know he was feeling better and better with every game that he played. It seems like this early part of the season, every time he starts to build his game he gets banged up. And we’re just going to have to work through that, but J.T. is not an easy guy to replace. He’s a terrific player first and foremost, but he impacts this team in so many different ways.”

Been there, done that​

This isn’t the first time that the Rangers must overcome an injury to a key player. Center Vincent Trocheck missed 14 games with an upper-body injury. Rempe broke his thumb in a fight and was out nearly two months. Backup goalie Jonathan Quick missed two weeks with a lower-body injury. Adam Fox remains on LTIR with an upper-body injury and sat out his 11th straight game Monday. And even Miller was out for two games with a health issue earlier this season.

That’s not meant to play the pity card here. The League’s been overrun by injury this season. It’s a big reason why parity is at a historic rate in the NHL. Every team deals with this adversity, and the Rangers (18-16-4) must embrace the grind here if they wish to remain relevant in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

All eyes on Vincent Trocheck​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Trocheck is the player most similar to Miller on the Rangers roster. His intensity and passion are obvious, and dedication to playing a committed 200-foot game an inspiration. He and Miller not only are linemates, but best friends from their youth in the Pittsburgh area. They’re in lockstep together.

So, expect Sullivan to lean heavily on Trocheck with Miller out of the lineup. The Rangers already ask a lot of Trocheck in every facet of the game. But now the focus on him increases because Miller’s not there. The 32-year-old’s thrived in this on-ice role before with the Rangers, so it’s a natural fit for him, and perhaps spurs a jump in his production (17 points in 24 games), as well.

Trocheck is also an extremely intelligent and respected veteran. He very likely was in the conversation to become Rangers captain before Miller landed the honor prior to the season. That’s another role he’s very comfortable with, and his voice carries plenty of weight with the Rangers.

And he’s already stepped forward in Miller’s absence, calling out his team’s effort, or lack thereof, after the loss in Nashville.

“It sucks not having everybody,” he pointedly said postgame. “It’s obviously a tough spot back to back, and then guys are getting sick and guys go down, but that doesn’t affect how we play with pride. If there’s anything to take away from today, we didn’t play with pride.”

Opportunity there for Rangers kids​

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Losing Miller thins New York’s options down the middle and on the wing, since he skated in a hybrid role on lines with centers Mika Zibanejad and Trocheck the first half of the season. Like Trocheck, Zibanejad must be more consistent with his offensive production. Same can be said of his linemates, Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Throw Will Cuylle into that mix, too. Miller’s absence opens the door for Cuylle to be a top-six fixture.

Bottom-six centers Noah Laba and Sam Carrick will get the chance to take on more responsibility, at the face-off dot and on both sides of the puck. Let’s see if Perreault gets more ice time and opportunity to do what he does best, score goals and set up chances for his teammates. As for Brennan Othmann, the former first-round pick must do more with the chances he’s given than what we saw in a sub-par showing Sunday against the Predators. If not, he’ll quickly lose his opportunity since Sullivan doesn’t seem to have a lot of patience for the 22-year-old.

Ditto for Berard, who’s pointless in 11 games with the Rangers this season.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/jt-miller-upper-body-injury-impact

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Capitals: Lineups, storylines last clash before Christmas break

For the seventh time in 11 days, the New York Rangers play a game Tuesday, this time a road tilt against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. However, after this Metropolitan Division clash, the Rangers schedule eases up with just one game in five days, thanks in large part to the three-day NHL Holiday break this week.

The Rangers (18-16-4) sure looked like a team in need of a break in their 2-1 road loss to the Nashville Predators on Sunday. An already fatigued lineup was further depleted by injury and illness with five regulars missing.

In fact, the freshest player on the ice for the Rangers was their oldest one. Jonathan Quick, their 39-year-old goalie, stopped 30 of 31 shots before Nashville potted an empty-netter in the final minute. The Rangers avoided their eighth shutout loss of the season when Jonny Brodzinski scored off his own rebound with 36 seconds to play.

Already without Adam Fox and Adam Edstrom, each currently on LTIR, the Rangers placed J.T. Miller on injured reserve with an upper-body issue. The Rangers captain is week to week with the injury.

Forwards Gabe Perreault and Matt Rempe missed the game Sunday due to illness. Each took part in the morning skate Tuesday.

Despite all those obstacles, the Rangers must come up with a big effort Tuesday. It’s an important contest against a division rival that sits three points ahead of the Rangers and has two games in hand. The Capitals blanked the Rangers 1-0 in their first meeting on Oct. 12 at Madison Square Garden.

After his 35-save shutout that night, Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren proclaimed that the Rangers are “going to be a tough out this year.”

What Lindgren and most everyone else didn’t foresee was how badly the Rangers would struggle offensively this season. They’re currently tied for last in the NHL, averaging 2.50 goals per game. New York’s scored two goals or fewer 21 times, and been shut out on seven occasions, in 38 games

The Capitals (19-12-5) are 10th in the League in scoring (3.17 goals per game), but slowed considerably with 16 goals in their past eight games. That coincides with a recent slide, when the Capitals are 2-3-3 after a rousing six-game winning streak. They were swept in a home-and-home set against the Detroit Red Wings this past weekend, including a 3-2 overtime loss Sunday.

3 storylines when Rangers visit Capitals​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

1. Elite goalie matchup​

Two of the best goalies in the NHL go head-to-head Tuesday. Igor Shesterkin is the Rangers starting goalie, making his League-leading 30th start. Seven days shy of his 30th birthday, Shesterkin is 15-11-3 and just one win off the most in the NHL. He’s allowed two goals or fewer goals 15 times, second most in the League. His 15.5 goals saved above expected ranks seventh among all goalies this season, per MoneyPuck.

However, the top goalie on that list is Logan Thompson, who gets the starting nod for the Capitals on Tuesday. In 25 games, he has a whopping 25.2 goals saved above expected and also leads the NHL with a 2.09 goals-against average. Thompson likely will be one of Canada’ goalies at the 2026 Milan/Cortina Olympics.

2. It’s not just Ovi​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Alex Ovechkin keeps adding to his all-time NHL goals record — his 14 goals this season have him sitting at 911 entering play Tuesday. Forty-six of those goals are against the Rangers. At age 40, the Great 8 is second on the Capitals in goals and points (31). Ovechkin remains an elite threat, even though he’s pointless and minus-6 in his past four games, and without a goal in eight straight.

But he’s not the only Caps player to be concerned about. Rugged forward Tom Wilson leads Washington with 17 goals, six power-play goals, and 34 points. The 31-year-old is averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game, and he’s under consideration for a spot on Canada’s roster for the Olympics. Like Ovechkin, he’s slowed a bit recently, with just three assists in his past seven games.

Jakob Chychrun is tied for the NHL lead among defensemen with 14 goals, and tied for eighth with 28 points. It’s the third straight season that the 27-year-old scored at least 14 goals. He had an NHL career-high 20 last season, third most among League defensemen.

3. Carson Soucy milestone​

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy plays his 400th NHL game Tuesday. The 31-year-old is in his seventh season in the League, and also played for the Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken, and Vancouver Canucks, from whom the Rangers acquired Soucy last season ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

Soucy didn’t exactly distinguish himself with the Rangers after they traded for him. But he settled in nicely this season, quietly playing a very effective all-around game on the second defense pair with his partner Will Borgen. That pair regularly plays against top-six forward groups, which makes the fact that the Rangers hold a 19-13 goals advantage with Soucy on the ice 5v5 even more impressive.

Soucy’s contributed three goals and six points in 34 games, and his plus-8 rating is best on the Rangers. Even though his underlying numbers aren’t great, per Natural Stat Trick, Soucy remains a key member of New York’s top four on defense.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

Will Cuylle — Vincent Trocheck — Gabe Perreault

Jonny Brodzinski — Noah Laba — Taylor Raddysh

Brennan Othmann — Sam Carrick — Matt Rempe

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals

When: Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Capital One Arena

How to watch: MSG 2

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...ls-preview-lineups-storylines-christmas-break

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers head home for Christmas after rallying past Capitals 7-3: Takeaways

The New York Rangers can celebrate Christmas with a little extra enthusiasm after a five-goal third period carried them to a 7-3 victory over the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Tuesday night.

Goals by Taylor Raddysh and Alexis Lafreniere 68 seconds apart turned one-goal deficit into a 4-3 lead. Vincent Trocheck then sandwiched two goals around an empty-netter by Artemi Panarin to ensure that the flight back home would be a happy trip for a team that finished a stretch of seven games in 11 days with a 4-3-0 record, with three of the wins coming in the final four games.

The Capitals scored three times in the second period and led 3-2 after 40 minutes. They were 16-0-0 when entering the third period with a lead and had outshot the Rangers 21-10 to that point. But Raddysh’s backhand chip hit a defenseman and went past Logan Thompson at 8:10 to tie the game.

“We needed to reset after the second period,” said forward Jonny Brodzinski, one of seven Rangers with multiple points.

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Lafreniere put the Rangers ahead at 9:18 by deflecting Panarin’s shot past Thompson. The Blueshirts owned the rest of the night, pushing the tempo and not allowing the Capitals any good scoring chances. Trocheck made it 5-3 at 13:43, Panarin hit the empty net with 2:16 remaining and Trocheck scored again 25 seconds later.

It was the Rangers’ fifth third-period comeback victory this season, tying them for third in the NHL — as well as the first time since Feb. 22, 1972 (at Montreal) that they trailed heading into the third period and won by at least four goals.

New York enters the three-day Christmas break at 19-16-4, including 14-6-1 on the road. The Rangers are off until Saturday, when they visit the New York Islanders.

Jonny B. with the feed + Raddysh buries it pic.twitter.com/m8RRDlvZLd

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 24, 2025

The Capitals dominated the early going, holding the Rangers without a shot on goal until just after the nine-minute mark. The Blueshirts finally forced Thompson to make a couple of saves during a four-minute power play after Ryan Leonard drew a double minor for high-sticking Brodzinski.

The Rangers got on the board first at 14:57 after a perfectly managed 3-on-2 rush. Brodzinski carried down right wing and fed a perfect pass through the seam to Raddysh, who slammed it past Thompson for his sixth goal of the season and first in 23 games. The Blueshirts held the Caps without a shot on goal for the final 9:01 of the period and skated off with a 1-0 lead.

That lead lasted just 23 seconds into the second period. John Carlson tied it by coming late into the play, taking a pass from Aliaksei Protas and beating Igor Shesterkin from inside the right circle high to the far side.

The Rangers killed off a slashing penalty to Matthew Robertson at 3:57, but they weren’t as fortunate when Carson Soucy was called for holding at 8:29. The Caps controlled the draw and forced Shesterkin to make a superb save on Conor McMichael at the left post. It appeared he’d made an even better stop against Dylan Strome on the rebound, but a video review showed the puck was indeed in his glove – but over the goal line, giving Washington a 2-1 lead.

Cools taps it in pic.twitter.com/03PvqNHnAD

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 24, 2025

Will Cuylle got the Rangers even at 11:14, finishing off a superb passing play with Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad for a power-play goal. But Washington went back in front 57 seconds later. Sonny Milano took a shot that hit Shesterkin’s pads and came right to Protas, who buried the rebound for a 3-2 lead.

The Rangers failed to score on an early third-period power play, but Raddysh’s tying goal lit a spark that carried them the rest of the way

“Once we got the goal that made it 3-3, they were back on their heels a little bit,” Brodzinski said.

Key takeaways after Rangers use five-goal third period to beat Capitals 7-3​

Resilience yields another win​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Just as they did Saturday, when they rebounded to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in a shootout after allowing four second-period goals, the Rangers showed the kind of resilience needed to win. The five-goal third period was their highest-scoring 20 minutes of the season.

It would have been easy to pack it in after the second period, especially at the end of a jam-packed 11 days and with the Christmas break 20 minutes away. Instead, they regrouped and filled the net.

Even more impressive was that they did it without their best defenseman, Adam Fox, who’s been on long-term IR this month with a left-shoulder injury, and captain J.T. Miller, who missed his second game with an upper-body injury that landed him on injured reserve. They were also without assistant coach David Quinn, who’s battling the flu and didn’t make the trip.

“I’m proud of our guys, how they competed,” coach Mike Sullivan said.

Milestone night for Lafreniere​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Lafreniere’s goal was his eighth of the season and the 100th of his NHL career. The first player selected in the 2020 NHL Draft regressed in 2024-25 following a breakout season, and he’s struggled for much of this season.

Sullivan wants to see Lafreniere generate more offense.

“I thought Laf had a strong game,” he said. “He’s such a talented player. It’s been a struggle for him most recently to score. I thought he had a number of really good looks tonight. He was hanging onto pucks. He was also getting inside the dots and going to the net a little bit more.

“I think that’s got to be a more consistent element of his game. I think he’ll create more offense if he does. He’s very capable.”

A much-needed break​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Five games in seven days last week and seven in 11 days is a lot to ask of any team. The Rangers looked worn out on Sunday, when they were a step slow in a 2-1 loss to the Predators in Nashville – the fourth time this season they lost to a team at the bottom of the NHL standings.

But they wouldn’t let fatigue or anything else slow them down against the Capitals. Shesterkin kept them in the game in the second period with a handful of key saves before the offense came alive in the third.

“Down after two, and we come back and play a really big third like that,” Lafreniere said. “It’s really good for us right before break, just to have a big win like that.”

The Blueshirts will welcome the rest, because the schedule heats up right away after the break. Their first four games are on the road, with the Rangers heading to Carolina for a game Monday, back to Washington for a New Year’s Eve matinee and on to South Florida for the NHL Winter Classic against the Panthers on Jan. 2.

All four of those teams are ahead of the Rangers in the tightly packed Eastern Conference standings, and their 39 games played are more than anyone else in the East. The Blueshirts had better come back rested and ready to roll.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...rally-past-capitals-witrh-5-goal-third-period

 

[New York Rangers]

How Rangers responded, showed ‘pride’ says lots after called out by leader

In the first game after having their collective pride questioned by a respected team leader, the New York Rangers displayed plenty of heart and resiliency Tuesday, scoring five times in the third period to rally for a 7-3 win over the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.

Whether Vincent Trocheck’s harsh critique 48 hours earlier following a dismal 2-1 loss in Nashville to the Predators had any effect on the comeback win in DC is difficult to quantify. But the Rangers sure looked like they had something to prove.

Trocheck contended the Rangers “looked f***ing dead” in Nashville, when they played without injured captain J.T. Miller and ill forwards Gabe Perreault and Matt Rempe. That’s on top of missing Adam Fox and Adam Edstrom, who remain on LTIR.

“Sucks not having everybody. Obviously, tough spot back to back, and then guys are getting sick and guys go down,” Trocheck said postgame Sunday. “But, I mean, that doesn’t affect how we play with pride. If there’s anything to take away from today, we didn’t play with pride.”

He also said this after the Rangers remained winless in the second game of back-to-back sets.

"They just played harder than us. We've got to be able to be professional, prepared for the game and we have to be better. We have to try harder. We have to have more pride in ourselves."

– Vincent Trocheck on the Rangers being 0-6-1 in second halves of back-to-backs pic.twitter.com/lAeH5Bm0JB

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 22, 2025

Though far from perfect in their performance against the Capitals, the Rangers showed plenty of resolve erasing a 3-2 deficit nearly halfway through the third period to come away with a huge divisional victory.

“I was happy for our guys and proud of our guys,” Sullivan said postgame. “These guys don’t look for excuses, they’re just trying to find ways to win every night, And I’m happy for them that they were able to score some goals tonight.”

Holiday hugs pic.twitter.com/uhAbWq0dnO

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 24, 2025

To Trocheck’s credit, he scored two goals and posted his first three-point game of the season Tuesday. The 32-year-old alternate captain walked the walk, as they say, following his blistering commentary.

Eleven of New York’s skaters had at least one point, and seven had multi-point games, including Taylor Raddysh, who had two goals and an assist against his former team.

Rangers respond favorably to Vincent Trocheck’s harsh critique, rally for important win against Capitals​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Whether Trocheck simply was angry after the loss Sunday, or tried to light a fire under a team that looked exhausted amid a stretch of seven games in 11 days is unclear. Only Trocheck knows his motives.

But the 2025-26 Rangers aren’t like last season’s team. Effort and will — or “pride” — are rarely the issue for any struggles or middling play this season. That’s in stark contrast to last season, when the Rangers showed little resolve and cratered during a horrendous 4-15-0 stretch through November and December that submarined their playoff hopes.

Tuesday marked the fifth time this season that the Rangers rallied to win when trailing in the third period. That’s third most in the NHL. It’s helped keep the Rangers (19-16-4) afloat in the Eastern Conference playoff race halfway through the season.

Ironically one of their most stirring such victories occurred Saturday on home ice. The Rangers erased a 4-2 third-period deficit, killed off two penalties in overtime, and defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in a shootout. Talk about pride and resolve, the Rangers showed plenty of each in that win.

That’s what made the timing of Trocheck’s harsh remarks 24 hours later in Nashville the more curious. But no matter his intent, Trocheck and company looked the part of a determined team, spurred on by a miserable loss in their previous game, when they stormed the Capitals in the final game before the well-earned three-day NHL holiday break.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...ride-after-vincent-trocheck-critical-comments

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers at Christmas break: Stuck in mushy middle, NHL playoffs within reach

No team is happier than the New York Rangers to reach the NHL three-day Christmas break.

Their 7-3 win over the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Tuesday night marked the end of an 11-day stretch when they played seven games, including five in seven days last week. They won three of the final four and finished 4-3-0 – rallying to win in each of their four victories.

The win in Washington puts the Rangers at 19-16-4 (42 points), and they head home for a well-earned rest before playing their next four games on the road. That begins with a visit to the New York Islanders on Saturday and ending with an outdoor matchup against the Florida Panthers in the NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at loanDepot Park in Miami.

Merry and bright pic.twitter.com/bzoYQpnjh0

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 24, 2025

The Rangers hit the break outside the top eight in the East. They are even in points with the Panthers, who hold the second wild-card spot, but played three more games than the defending champs. In fact, each of the other 15 teams have games in hand on the Rangers, whose .538 points percentage is 14th in the 16-team conference.

Still, things are a lot cheerier than they were at this time a year ago, when the Rangers were embarrassed 5-0 by the New Jersey Devils in their final pre-Christmas game and headed into the break losers in 13 of 17 games on the way to becoming the fourth team ever to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy the previous season.

There’s a lot of work to do, but the Rangers are just a hot week or two from taking a big leap in the Eastern Conference playoff turtle derby – one where 10 teams are separated by just four points.

Breaking down Rangers season & what’s ahead after Christmas break​

Goaltending​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Igor Shesterkin is the highest-paid goaltender in the NHL, and he’s playing up to his paycheck.

Shesterkin is a workhorse. His 29-save performance in Washington came in his 30th start of the season, the most in the NHL. He’s 16-11-3 with a 2.55 goals-against average and .908 save percentage; both numbers are improved from last season. His 16 wins are tied for most in the NHL; more ominous is that his 839 shots faced are by far the most in the League.

The most indispensable player on the Rangers roster has 16.5 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, fourth most in the NHL.

His backup, 39-year-old Jonathan Quick, is playing much better than his 3-5-1 record would indicate. He has a 1.79 goals-against average and .937 save percentage. Both are NHL bests among goalies who’ve played at least nine games. Quick has not allowed more than three goals in any of his nine starts. The Rangers lose nothing when they put the winningest U.S.-born goaltender in League history in the crease instead of Shesterkin.

Defense​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The loss of Adam Fox, their best defenseman, to an upper-body injury on Nov. 29, was a big blow. However, they’re 6-4-2 without the 2021 Norris Trophy winner and haven’t allowed more than four goals in any of the 12 games.

Before the injury, Fox and newcomer Vladislav Gavrikov were among the League’s best defensive pairings. Gavrikov paired with Braden Schneider with Fox out, to favorable results Gavrikov is the elite shutdown defenseman the Rangers signed him to be, and already matched his career high with six goals.

Will Borgen and Carson Soucy form an effective second pairing that does a good job dealing with the opposition’s top scorers. Matthew Robertson is a pleasant surprise on the third pair. Fox’s injury created an opportunity for offense-minded rookie Scott Morrow, but his defensive shortcomings are still apparent.

Fox is eligible to return after the break. It’ll be a big lift when he’s back.

Forwards​

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Putting the puck in the net is the Rangers’ biggest issue this season. They’ve been shut out a League-leading seven times, with six of those coming at Madison Square Garden. The offense is averaging 1.94 goals per game at MSG, a big reason the Rangers are 5-10-3 in their own building.

Oddly, the offense rarely seems to struggle on the road. The Rangers scored at least four goals in 10 of their 21 road games – a big reason they are 14-6-1 away from MSG.

Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers in goals (14) and points (38) in 38 games. Those aren’t great numbers for a player who’s averaged more than a point a game in each of his first six seasons with the Blueshirts – he’s tied for 27th in the NHL scoring race. Twelve of Panarin’s points came in three four-point performances, meaning he has just 26 points in the other 35 games.

Mika Zibanejad (12), Will Cuylle (10) and injured captain J.T. Miller (10) are the only other players to reach double figures in goals. Among the biggest disappointments is Alexis Lafreniere (eight goals, 20 points, minus-6 in 39 games), who’s not even on pace to match last season’s disappointing numbers (17 goals, 45 points).

The Rangers need more depth scoring. Taylor Raddysh had two goals and an assist in the win at Washington; before that, he’d gone 23 games without a goal The bottom-six forwards aren’t producing much; rookie center Noah Laba’s 12 points are the most of anyone who doesn’t play regularly on the top two lines.

Perhaps rookie Gabe Perreault, who’s on a three-game point streak since his latest call up from Hartford of the American Hockey League, provides a spark offensively in the second half.

Special teams​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The injury to Fox blew a hole in the power play. The Rangers were 13-for-61 (21.3 percent) before Fox got hurt; they are 5-for-34 (14.7 percent) without him – and surrendered four of their League-worst six short-handed goals. Coach Mike Sullivan tried to compensate for Fox’s absence by using a five-forward unit on PP1, but it did not produce a goal before he changed course last week, moving Morrow into Fox’s spot with only slightly improved results.

One problem is the lack of power-play time; the Rangers average just 4:15 per game with the man advantage, 29th in the NHL.

The penalty-killers are doing a decent job (80.7 percent, 17th overall); this month they allowed six goals in 31 man-down situations. Five of the six came in Rangers victories — two against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 4, two against the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 20 and one in the win against Washington.

Coaching​

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Rangers are still getting used to Sullivan’s system. His approach is more of a zone defense rather than the man-to-man system used by his predecessor, Peter Laviolette. The goal is to improve coverage while still giving his players plenty of energy to attack. When it works the way it’s intended to, Sullivan’s system takes time and space away from opposing attackers in the defensive zone, rather than have players chase their man for the entire shift, as usually happens in man-to-man.

Sullivan wants to see his players swarm on the forecheck, shoot the puck more often and get traffic in front of the net – what he calls “the good ice.” Given the Rangers’ personnel limitations, he wants them to incorporate what he describes as “a grind game” and be “a team that’s hard to play against.”

However, each of the top-six forwards experienced production drops this season, and the bottom six doesn’t have anyone resembling a proven scorer. Suffice it to say that installing his system is a work in progress for the two-time Stanley Cup winner.

Schedule​

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Rangers become the first team to hit the halfway mark in their season when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday in the fourth of a six-game road trip. They’re back in Washington for a New Year’s Eve matinee before heading to South Florida to face the Panthers in the NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2.

The Blueshirts split their remaining 14 games before the Olympic break in early February, with seven home games and seven on the road. That includes a three-game swing through California from Jan. 19-22, and a rare home-and-home set with the New York Islanders on Jan. 28 (at UBS Arena) and Jan. 29 (at the Garden).

The Rangers spend most of the post-Olympic portion of their schedule at home. They return from the break with four straight home games, beginning a stretch that has them play 17 of their final 23 contests at the Garden. That includes a seven-game homestand from March 27-April 8 before ending the season with visits to the Dallas Stars, Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/christmas-break-nhl-playoff-picture