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[New York Rangers]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist) November 13, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[New York Rangers]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will Borgen has been key to solidifying Rangers’ defense​

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

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

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

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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

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

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

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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

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

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

 

[New York Rangers]

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

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

But it’s not exactly that easy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[New York Rangers]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 storylines when Rangers visit Blue Jackets​

Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

1. Will Borgen status​

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

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

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

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 13, 2025

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

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

2. Like he’s never been gone​

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

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

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

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

3. Kirill the Thrill, Part 2​

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

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

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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

New York Rangers projected lineup​

J.T. Miller — Mika Zibanejad — Gabe Perreault

Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Conor Sheary

Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen — Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

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

Where: Nationwide Arena

How to watch: MSG

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

 

[New York Rangers]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STUCK WITH IT. pic.twitter.com/mwxEVfM0us

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

1. Unbeatble Igor​

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

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

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

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

2. Sam Carrick ‘tough as nails’ again​

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Filling in for Will​

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

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

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

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

 

[New York Rangers]

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

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

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

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

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

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MSG analyst Steve Valiquette agreed.

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

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

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

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

Rangers proving they ‘can win different ways’​

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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

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

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

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

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

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

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

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

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

 

[New York Rangers]

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

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

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

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

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

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

MY GOODNESS, LUCAS RAYMOND!!

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

— NHL (@NHL) November 17, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick was furious with the officials after the goal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John Jones-Imagn Images

No Sully​

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

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

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

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

Welcome to Broadway​

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

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

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

Centennial sartorial splendor​

John Jones-Imagn Images

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

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

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

Centennial sartorial splendor, for sure.

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

 

[New York Rangers]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John Jones-Imagn Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[New York Rangers]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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

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

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

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

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

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers vs. Golden Knights: Lineups, storylines starting 3-game road trip

The New York Rangers are the best road team in the NHL. But that doesn’t make their three-game trip this week any less challenging, beginning Tuesday when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

At 9-1-1, the Rangers have the best road record in the League, and their 19 points are one behind the Los Angeles Kings (9-2-2) for most in the NHL. Yet, it’s some tough sledding ahead, facing perennial powerhouse Vegas, then two nights later skating against the Colorado Avalanche, who have the best overall record in the League and only one regulation loss so far (13-1-5). The trip concludes with a tilt against the up and coming Utah Mammoth on Saturday, and they’re no pushover either.

The Rangers (10-8-2) will take this challenge, though, considering how much better they play away from Madison Square Garden. New York is 1-7-1 on home ice after a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, when the Rangers were outplayed and badly outshot 42-19.

Their current six-game road wining streak is fourth-best in franchise history and longest since 2019-20, when the Rangers won nine straight on the road. With that comes plenty of confidence and swagger, which won’t hurt playing in a tough building Tuesday night.

Perhaps the Rangers arrive in Las Vegas at a good time. The Golden Knights (8-4-6) are banged up and struggling to win games after racing to a 5-0-2 start this season. Since Oct. 25, however, the Golden Knights have lost 8 of 11 games (3-4-4) and won once in their past six (1-2-3).

They’ve also lost four straight (0-2-2) at home, including 3-2 to in overtime to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, when Kirill Kaprizov bagged the game-winner.

Vegas is without injured forwards Mark Stone and William Karlsson, and No. 1 goalie Adin Hill. But they remain dangerous with Jack Eichel (24 points in 18 games) and Mitch Marner (20 points in 18 games) pacing their offense. Pavel Dorofeyev leads them with 11 goals, three shy of the League lead, after scoring on the power play against the Wild.

3 storylines when Rangers visit Golden Knights​

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

1. Sully’s back​

Though he didn’t travel with the team Monday, coach Mike Sullivan flew out on his own and rejoined the Rangers at the morning skate. He missed the game Sunday, dealing with a “family circumstance,” in his words.

“I’d rather not get into the details of it, but I appreciate everybody’s support,” Sullivan told reporters after the skate. “I’m grateful to Mr. Dolan and [Chris Drury] for their understanding. Obviously, family means everything to all of us. I appreciate everybody’s support through a little bit of a trying circumstance.”

2. Will Borgen game-time decision​

Sullivan said that Will Borgen is a game-time decision against the Golden Knights. The 28-year-old defenseman missed the past two games with an upper-body injury, but skated on a pair with Urho Vaakanainen on Tuesday morning.

Rookie Scott Morrow made his Rangers debut against the Red Wings, and partnered with Matthew Robertson on the third defense pair. They skated together again Tuesday, and Morrow quarterbacked the second power-play unit. Not to read tea leaves or anything, but it feels like Morrow will play Tuesday.

John Jones-Imagn Images

“I’m feeling confident,” Morrow told the media after the morning skate. “Obviously, I haven’t gotten any bounces in terms of points, but I think I’ve been playing a really solid game [in the minors and NHL]. I think the bounces will come over the course of the season, wherever I am, so just staying with it. I feel a lot more ready for the NHL than I have, you know, at any point last year.”

3. Watch Mika​

The Rangers scored two goals in their past two games, not counting J.T. Miller’s shootout winner in Columbus on Saturday. Mika Zibanejad scored each of those goals and leads the Rangers with seven this season, including a team-high four on the power play.

Of course, he’s also a team-worst minus-9 this season. So, there’s that.

But he’s got a four-game point streak coming into this one, three goals in four games, and always delivers against the Golden Knights. He’s got 10 goals and 19 points in 14 games against them.

New York Rangers projected lineup​

Will Cuylle — Mika Zibanejad — J.T. Miller

Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere

Conor Sheary — Noah Laba — Jonny Brodzinski

Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Braden Schneider

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Vegas Golden Knights

When: Tuesday Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: T-Mobile Arena

How to watch: MSG

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...en-knights-preview-storylines-start-road-trip

 

[New York Rangers]

Key takeaways after Rangers’ offense comes up short in 3-2 loss to Vegas

The New York Rangers’ six-game road winning streak is over.

The Blueshirts did score twice, matching their combined goal total from their previous two games. But that wasn’t enough against the Vegas Golden Knights, who held off the Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena in the opener of a three-game road trip.

The Rangers (10-9-2) managed just 19 shots on goal against Vegas, which hasn’t allowed as many as 30 shots in any of its 19 games this season. Through the first 57-plus minutes, the only shot to beat goaltender Akira Schmid came 8:56 into the second period when Jonny Brodzinski banged in a rebound to finish off a 2-on-1 rush.

That goal made it 2-1, but Vegas made it a two-goal game at 7:18 of the third period when Shea Theodore scored the Golden Knights’ second power-play goal of the game. It proved to be the game-winner when Vincent Trocheck scored with 2:43 remaining after the Rangers pulled goalie Igor Shesterkin for an extra attacker.

The Rangers pressed for the tying goal but came up short in a one-goal game for the second time in three nights — they began their three-game trip after a 2-1 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night.

Shesterkin made 23 saves and allowed only one goal at even strength, though it was one he should have stopped. Defenseman Ben Hutton’s shot from below the left dot leaked through him at 3:23 of the second period to put Vegas ahead 2-0.

That forced the Rangers to spend the rest of the night chasing the game, and they never caught up. Trocheck’s deflection got the Rangers close, but they couldn’t get another puck past Schmid, who won his first regular-season appearance against the Rangers. But it’s not the first time he’s faced them — Schmid was 4-1 against them to help the New Jersey Devils beat the Blueshirts in the opening round of the 2023 playoffs.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Neither team generated much offensively for the first half of the opening period. But a careless tripping penalty taken by Artemi Panarin at 11:14 proved costly, with the Golden Knights needing just 26 seconds to take a 1-0 lead.

Shesterkin made two good saves in the first 10 seconds of the power play, then got his toe on a straightaway screened shot, but the puck came right to rookie Braeden Bowman in the left circle. Bowman quickly snapped it into the net to put the Golden Knights ahead.

The period ended with Vegas up a goal after outshooting the Rangers 8-5. The Blueshirts had 10 shots blocked; eight others missed the net.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Hutton’s goal made it 2-0, but the Rangers got one back when Carson Soucy broke up a play inside his own blue like and sprung Will Cuylle for an odd-man rush with Brodzinski. Schmid stopped Cuylle’s shot but Brodzinski cleaned up the rebound.

However, Soucy took an interference penalty in the neutral zone 5:35 into the third period, and the Golden Knights capitalized again. With Colton Sissons screening Shesterkin, Theodore’s shot from above the left circle hit the back of the net at 7:18 for a 3-1 lead.

Trocheck’s goal was a case of too little, too late.

“It was kind of a low-event game on both sides,” said Rangers coach Mike Sullivan, who returned to the team after missing one game because of family issues. “They got some of their best chances on the power play. I thought a game like tonight, you don’t get a lot off the rush with the structure they bring. You’ve got to find ways to create offense with the grind game.”

They just didn’t grind enough.

The Rangers play the middle game of their three-game trip Thursday against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche in Denver.

Key takeaways after the Rangers come up short in 3-2 loss at Vegas​

1. Penalty kill doesn’t do the job​

The Rangers did an excellent job staying out of the penalty box, taking only two minor penalties. The problem was that didn’t kill either one of them.

Vegas had seven of its 26 shots on the power play and cashed in twice — on Bowman’s rebound goal in the first period and Theodore’s screened shot in the third. The goals were the ninth and 10th allowed by the Rangers in their past 10 games.

The Golden Knights’ goals came on penalties the Rangers shouldn’t have taken. Panarin’s tripping call and the interference penalty on Soucy that resulted in Theodore’s goal were unnecessary at best and careless at worst. They’re the kind of penalty no team wants to take — let alone a team that’s struggling to kill them.

Meanwhile, the power play went 0-for-1 with two harmless shots.

“Special teams were the difference,” captain J.T. Miller said. “It’s as simple as that.”

2. Failing to get the puck to the net​

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Rangers didn’t lack for shot opportunities — they attempted 56 shots. The problem was getting the puck to the net. The Golden Knights blocked 21 shots and 16 others missed the target.

Vegas is among the NHL’s best teams at shot prevention. But the Rangers didn’t help themselves by failing to generate enough traffic in front of Schmid. Vegas got bodies and sticks in front of shooters, and the Golden Knights did an excellent job of keeping the front of the net clear.

“It feels like we’re a step behind in the O-zone where we can be on top of guys a little bit quicker and create turnovers and get chances off the advantage,” Trocheck said. “We’re just not there. We need to fix that a little bit and then obviously get it into the net.”

3. The one that got away​

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Shesterkin was solid, making a handful of 10-bell saves – including two gems on Golden Knights center Jack Eichel — to keep the Rangers in the game. But he’ll probably see Vegas’ lone even-strength goal in his dreams.

Hutton came into Tuesday’s game with 24 goals in 531 NHL games – and none since March 19, 2024. The veteran defenseman was left open in the lower left circle and took a wrist shot that trickled through Shesterkin’s pads and into the net, giving Vegas a 2-0 lead.

It was the classic “the goalie would like that one back” shot — something the Rangers can’t afford when their offensive problems have resurfaced. They’ve scored four non-shootout goals in their past three games, putting an extra burden on their goaltenders.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/key-takeaways-after-3-2-loss-to-vegas

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers’ Matt Rempe skating, no timeline for return from injury: report

Matt Rempe isn’t with the New York Rangers on their current three-game road trip. But the injured forward is back on the ice, per reports from Denver, where the Rangers play the League-leading Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

Rempe sustained an upper-body injury in fight against San Jose Sharks enforcer Ryan Reaves on Oct. 23. At first, the Rangers believed the popular 23-year-old would return on the ensuing road trip to Western Canada and Seattle. However, during the trip, coach Mike Sullivan revealed that Rempe is out “longer-term,” and he subsequently landed on LTIR.

On Wednesday, Sullivan provided the first update in weeks about Rempe’s status.

“He’s on a rehab schedule right now where he’s three days on, one day off,” Sullivan told reporters. “He is on the ice and he’s skating.”

Rempe’s eligible to be activated at any point, since he’s already missed 12 games — two more than the requisite 10 a player must be out for when on long term injured reserve. However, Sullivan stated that there’s no plan in place for the 6-foot-7 forward to return just yet.

In the first nine games this season, Rempe helped the Rangers fourth line be an absolute handful for opposing teams. Rempe had one goal and averaged a career-high 9:48 TOI before the injury. But his speed, strength, size, and smarts made him a dangerous weapon on the forecheck, along with linemates Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom.

Though Carrick continues to be an important piece for the Rangers — as a physical agitator and key penalty killer — the fourth line hasn’t been nearly as effective without Rempe. None of his replacements — Taylor Raddysh, Juuso Parssinen, Conor Sheary, Jonny Brodzinski — displayed the same chemistry with Carrick, in particular, that Rempe does. And Edstrom struggled mightily to put in the puck in the net despite a string of good chances, and was a healthy scratch Tuesday when the Rangers opened the road trip with a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The bitter irony of Rempe’s injury is that it occurred in his first fight of the season. He’s been a much more disciplined player on all fronts this season, and had just one minor penalty in eight games before the fight with Reaves. And the Rangers seriously miss him now that he’s not in the lineup.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/matt-rempe-injury-update-skating-no-timeline

 

[New York Rangers]

Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Dylan Roobroeck heats up; losing skid ends

The Hartford Wolf Pack snapped their seven-game losing streak (0-3-4-0) Tuesday morning, when they defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds 3-2 in overtime. Captain Casey Fitzgerald scored the OT winner and added an assist. Brett Berard and Justin Dowling each had two points (one goal, one assist) in the much-needed win.

don't mind us. we'll be watching this on repeat for the rest of the night. pic.twitter.com/h20BA3fADC

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 18, 2025

Despite their recent struggles, the Wolf Pack are tied for sixth-place (4-7-4-0, 12 points) with the Bridgeport Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.

The Wolf Pack’s offense received a welcome boost when the New York Rangers assigned Gabe Perreault to Hartford on Sunday. He reunited with Dowling and Jaroslav Chmelař on the top line, after picking up his first NHL point (assist) in three games with the Rangers. Perreault still leads Hartford with 10 points, and is tied for the team lead with five goals.

Scott Morrow was called up to New York on Sunday, when Perreault was reassigned to the minors. The 23-year-old defenseman made his Rangers debut in a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, after he recorded two points (one goal, one assist) in 11 games with Hartford. Morrow is on New York’s three-game road trip out west, but was a healthy scratch Tuesday when Will Borgen returned to the lineup for a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Veteran goalie Spencer Martin signed a two-year contract with the Rangers last week, and will mentor Dylan Garand and also provide depth. The 30-year old appeared in 14 games with CSKA Moscow this season, posting a 5-6-0 record, 2.69 goals-against average, and .905 save percentage.

Hartford Wolf Pack News-n-Notes​

Dylan Roobroeck heating up​

Second-year forward Dylan Roobroeck is heating up. After a slow start, Roobroeck, a sixth round pick (No. 178) in the 2023 NHL Draft by the Rangers, has seven points (five goals, two assists) in his past 10 games. He is tied for the team lead in goals (five) with Perreault and Trey Fix Wolansky, after leading Hartford with 20 last season. The 21-year-old has eight points (five goals, three assists) and is tied for fourth on the team in scoring, with Berard.

Hilly Beebs Roobs pic.twitter.com/W6siRUDbv3

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 9, 2025

The 6-foot-7 forward’s production is welcome at a time when Hartford is struggling to score (34 goals, tied for 24th out of 32 AHL teams). Hartford coach Grant Potulny put Roobroeck on the second line with Anton Blidh and Brennan Othmann, and also on the second power-play unit (with Othmann, Fix-Wolansky, Bryce McConnell-Barker, and Connor Mackey), where he’s scored three power-play goals.

It took Roobs just 8 seconds into the power play to net this beauty pic.twitter.com/IMgDF4XJ3l

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 16, 2025

Roobroeck had 34 points (20 goals, 14 assists) in 2024-25, and is on pace to surpass those numbers.

Penalty kill woes are back​

Originally a bright spot for Hartford, the penalty kill was best in the AHL on Nov. 7, operating at 89.5 percent (34-for-38). Now, Hartford’s penalty kill dropped to 21st in the league (79.7 percent; 51-for-64). The Wolf Pack conceded 11 goals down a player in the past eight games.

A lack of discipline and continued parade to the penalty box is reminiscent of last season, when the Wolf Pack failed to reach the Calder Cup Playoffs. Hartford’s been short-handed 64 times (third most in AHL) through 15 games. And that’s costing them late in games again. Hartford’s been outscored 15-8 in the third period this season, with eight of those goals against scored with the Wolf Pack on the PK.

Sloppy play could cost Grant Potulny his job​

Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

In addition to taking too many penalties and a struggling penalty kill, the Wolf Packlook like an uninspired team far too often this season. Sloppy, dispirited play is a hallmark this season, and Potulny stated that there’s been signs of “quitting” by the Wolf Pack players.

The New York Post reported that Potulny was ushered into a postgame meeting with Hartford general manager Ryan Martin recently. So, it’s clear that the Rangers are none too happy with their AHL affiliate, and, perhaps, with the coach.

Hartford’s losing streak was paved with costly mistakes. On Nov 1 against Lehigh Valley, Garand fumbled the puck in overtime and the Phantoms scored into an empty net. Then on Nov. 7 against Laval, the Rocket converted a key power-play goal as Hartford was out-shot 17-8 in the third. On Nov. 8 against Belleville, Hartford lost the game with five seconds left by allowing a short-handed goal.

The Wolf Pack didn’t quit Tuesday. They trailed 2-0 after two periods, and were considerably outplayed in that span. But they scored twice in the third period, and sealed their first win in weeks on Fitzgerald’s clutch goal.

Perhaps Hartford can carry some positive momentum into this weekend.

• Defenseman Blake Hillman sustained an upper-body injury and is week to week
• Goaltender Dylan Garand is week to week with an upper-body injury

Upcoming Games​

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

Friday, November 21 vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) at 7:00pm, PeoplesBank Arena​

• This is the third of six meetings in the season series. Hartford is 0-2-0-0 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 12-3-1-0 for 25 points. They are first in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. The Penguins are tied for first overall in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles.
• Sam Poulin leads the Penguins with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) and is tied for ninth in the league. Next is Tristan Broz with 13 points (eight goals, five assists).
• Two of their top four scorers, Danton Heinen (14 points) and Ville Koivunen (11 points), were recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Saturday, November 22 vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Flyers) at 6:00pm, PeoplesBank Arena​

• This is the third of six meetings in the season series. Hartford is 0-0-2-0 against Lehigh Valley.
• Lehigh Valley is 9-4-1-1 for 20 points. They are third in the Atlantic Division and tied for fourth (with the Rochester Americans) in the Eastern Conference.
• Alex Bump leads the Phantoms with 13 points (four goals, nine assists). Next in scoring is Anthony Richard with 12 points (four goals, eight assists).

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...-wolf-pack-losing-streak-ends-dylan-roobroeck

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers NCAA prospects report: Ty Henricks scores twice for Western Michigan

Ty Henricks (2023 sixth-round, 183rd overall) headlined a group of six Rangers prospects in NCAA action with a strong weekend for Western Michigan. The sophomore forward scored two goals Saturday, after adding an assist Friday, when the defending national champion Broncos swept Miami by scores of 5-2 and 6-2 in NCHC play.

Ty Henricks scored twice, with Iiro Hakkarainen, Will Whitelaw, Garrett Szydlowski, and Liam Valente adding single tallies in a 6-2 rout of Miami Saturday finishing off a sweep of the RedHawks for a 6 point weekend in The National. Here’s how it sounded from VanWagner on WKZO. pic.twitter.com/luH4cDETRv

— Robin Hook (@broncovoice) November 16, 2025

Henricks earned First Star of the Game honors Saturday. He’s third on Western Michigan with five goals and 10 points through 12 games. Western Michigan improved to 7-5-0 overall and climbed one spot to eighth in the USCHO.com poll and seventh in the USA Hockey Poll. The Broncos visit Omaha for a pair of games against the Mavericks this weekend.

Michigan State remains the No. 1 team in the nation, after the Spartans picked up a pair of victories over Notre Dame. Defenseman Sean Barnhill had a plus-1 rating in a 4-1 win Friday and was plus-2 Saturday night in a 3-1 final. Barnhill remains a key shutdown defender for Michigan State, who’s on a nine-game winning streak. The Spartans continue Big Ten play against Wisconsin at home this weekend.

It was a quiet weekend for freshman forward Malcolm Spence, who he recorded two shots on goal, but no points during Michigan’s 7-1 victory Friday night at Penn State. Spence also took a minor penalty for hooking in the second period. The Wolverines lost 4-2 in the rematch Saturday. Spence had a plus-1 rating, but did not record a shot on goal. Michigan sits at second in the polls with an 11-3-0 overall record and hosts rival Ohio State at home this Friday and Saturday.

Rangers defensemen prospects finding score sheet more often in NCAA play this season​

Credit: Alan Selavka

EJ Emery – photo courtesy Alan Selavka

2023 top pick EJ Emery earned his second assist of the season in a 5-2 win for North Dakota over Arizona State. Following a freshman campaign when he recorded one Points (assist), it is encouraging to see Emery adding a bit of offense to his game, and not at the expense of his strong defensive play. Emery had a two-goal outing earlier this season and has four points in 11 games.

The sophomore defenseman had one shot on goal and a plus-1 rating Friday. The Fighting Hawks fell in the second game of the series against the Sun Devils by a 4-2 final. Emery had two shots on goal and a plus-1 rating, along with a minor penalty for holding in the first period. North Dakota remained sixth in the polls with an 8-4-0 overall record. They play an exhibition game against the U.S. Under-18 Team Friday at Ralph Engelsted Arena in Grand Forks.

Boston College is beginning to right the ship following a slow start, improving to 6-4-1 overall. They had a pair of victories over the UMass Minutemen in Hockey East action last weekend. Junior defenseman Drew Fortescue scored his third goal of the season Friday night in a 7-3 victory. With the Eagles trailing 2-1 in the second period, Fortescue’s low wrist shot from the left circle found its way through traffic and under the pad of the UMass goaltender to tie the score.

Okay Fort

@NESN and @ESPNPlus | https://t.co/1f9DpliKTL pic.twitter.com/pHsx1AcaY9

— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) November 15, 2025

Fortescue added a pair of assists Saturday in a 4-0 shutout victory, improving his season totals to three goals and five assists for eight points through 11 games. Boston College has now won their past four games. The Eagles rose three spots to 15th in the USCHO poll, and gained one spot to 15th in the USA Hockey poll. Greg Brown’s squad looks to continue the winning streak at home against Maine this weekend.

The struggles continued for Minnesota when they were defeated by Long Island Friday night 6-2. Senior captain Brody Lamb had three shots on goal and one blocked shot in the loss. Lamb sparked the Golden Gophers on Saturday to a series split, recording five shots on goal in a 6-3 victory. Lamb assisted on the first goal of the game, coming at 6:38 of the first period when Minnesota was on the power play. He found the back of the net later on in the period at the 15:57 mark. Lamb shifted over to his off wing and rifled a one-timer from the left dot for his seventh goal of the season.

LAMBER TIME
Check out this BEAUTY

: FOX9+ & B1G+ pic.twitter.com/eyRk80ZZpC

— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) November 15, 2025

Lamb’s five shots on goal were the second most among all skaters, with another three blocked shots and one faceoff win. Minnesota is 5-8-1 and continues conference play hosting a pair against Penn State this weekend.

Swedish defender Rasmus Larsson was scratched from the Robert Morris lineup when the Colonials dropped both games against RIT by scores of 2-1 and 3-2. It is unclear if the sophomore transfer is being held out due to injury. Larsson last suited up Nov. 7 against Long Island. He does not have any points in three games played so far this season. Robert Morris is 2-7-1 ahead of a pair of games this weekend at Lindenwood.

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/n...ort-ty-henricks-scores-twice-western-michigan

 

[New York Rangers]

Rangers fail to keep up with Avalanche stars in 6-3 road loss: takeaways

There simply was too much Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar magic for the New York Rangers to overcome Thursday, when they lost to the League-leading Colorado Avalanche 6-3 at Ball Arena.

MacKinnon, who leads the NHL in scoring with 36 points in 20 games, scored two goals including the eventual game-winner 30 seconds after J.T. Miller potted his second goal to tie the game 3-3 midway through the third period. MacKinnon added an assist, while Makar also had two goals and a helper, to go along with a pair of shots that hit the post.

The Rangers (10-10-2) lost their third straight game. Igor Shesterkin held them in this one, finishing with 29 saves, before the Avalanche pulled away with two empty-net goals. New York was badly out-chanced 5v5 (35-11), where they had a miserable 23.04 percent expected goal share, per Natural Stat Trick.

Adam Edstrom scored his first goal of the season, and both Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad had two assists for the Rangers, who are 0-2-0 on this three-game road trip which concludes Saturday in Utah against the Mammoth.

Brock Nelson and Ross Colton also scored for the Avalanche, who won their seventh straight game and are 14-1-5 on the season. Martin Necas contributed three assists, and goalie Scott Wedgewood finished with 15 saves.

Despite being largely outplayed, and considerably outshot (24-10) and out-attempted (60-21) over the first two periods, the Rangers entered the final 20 minutes even where it mattered most, on the scoreboard. In fact, the Rangers didn’t trail for a single second of the opening two periods, twice taking one-goal leads, before the Avalanche tied things up each time.

Miller opened the scoring on a Rangers power play 2:26 into the first period with an easy tap in after a tic-tac-toe passing sequence involving Fox and Zibanejad. It was the captain’s first power-play goal of the season, and, as it turned out, his first of the night.

JT Miller opens the scoring in Colorado with a power play goal! pic.twitter.com/nVVobVConS

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 21, 2025

With a sharp Shesterkin on top of his game, it looked like the visitors would carry a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. That is until an Artemi Panarin defensive zone turnover ended up in the back of their net with just 26.2 seconds left on the clock.

Mackinnon buried a rebound on Shesterkin’s doorstep to tie things up. But it didn’t take long for the Rangers to move back on top.

Edstrom used his long reach to redirect a centering pass from Sam Carrick off the rush up and over Wedgewood to make it 2-1 Rangers at 3:58 of the second period. The scoring play started when Braden Schneider made a perfect bank pass from his own end off the boards at center ice to spring the forwards on a partial 2-on-1 rush.

Adam Edström gets the lead back for the Rangers! pic.twitter.com/YYSLRrmoK3

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 21, 2025

It was all Colorado the rest of the period. The Avalanche dazzled with an eye-popping combination of speed and skill, with their 14-4 shots advantage not fully doing justice to how much they dominated play.

They nearly tied it at 5:16, when Makar got behind the Rangers defense following a pass from Devon Toews, and beat Shesterkin glove side with a gorgeous forehand shot, only to hit the near post.

He wasn’t denied at 17:15, though. Makar tied the game with a wraparound goal, his seventh of the season, following a Rangers turnover in their own end, and a pretty passing sequence involving MacKinnon and Necas.

Nelson provided Colorado its first lead of the game 2:36 into the third period, rifling a power-play shot over Shesterkin’s glove off a 3-on-2 rush for his sixth goal of the season and third in as many games.

Miller pulled the Rangers even with his second power-play goal of the night at 10:18, when he deflected Fox’s long shot past Wedgewood. It was sweet payback for Miller, who was robbed by Wedgewood five minutes earlier off a 2-on-1 short-handed rush.

Foxy with the shot + J.T. tips it in. pic.twitter.com/Og1OicmGMf

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 21, 2025

The tie lasted all of 30 seconds. Makar rang a long shot off the post and MacKinnon beat Schneider to the rebound for his League-leading 16th goal at 10:38.

Makar then zipped a shot from his own end into the empty Rangers net at 18:35 before Shesterkin could even reach the bench for a sixth attacker. Colton added another empty-netter at 19:47 to close out the scoring.

Key takeaways after Rangers lose 6-3 to Avalanche​

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Pretty special​

The Rangers were at their best Thursday when on the power play and penalty kill. Their specilty teams were, well, pretty special.

The power play was a perfect 2-for-2, and it was doubly nice to see Miller go the net to score his first two power-play goals in 2025-26. It was only the second time the Rangers scored twice on the man advantage in 22 games this season. Fox moved the puck crisply as the quarterback, and Vincent Trocheck won numerous face-offs to key the PP success. Overall, Trocheck won 74 percent of his draws (17 of 23).

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Rangers also were 5-for-6 on the penalty kill, with Mike Sullivan praising their “better structure” against such a dynamic and fast Colorado power play. Shesterkin was their best penalty killer, but the Rangers did a good job with their sticks to break up passes and block shots when down a man, as well.

New York had a pair of excellent short-handed scoring chances, but Miller was stoned by Wedgewood on one 2-on-1 rush in the second period, and Carrick couldn’t convert on another odd-man rush in the third. And after Carrick was stopped, Colorado scored a power-play goal on the counter-attack the other way.

Rangers fail to keep up 5-on-5​

As noted earlier, the Rangers were shredded by the Avalanche 5v5, even though they were only outscored 3-1 in those situations. New York had all kinds of trouble getting through the neutral zone, and coughed up the puck often against the faster Avalanche, who were “on top of” the Rangers throughout — per Sullivan.

Panarin, Trocheck and Zibanejad combined for one shot on goal. Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle had one each. You already know how Colorado’s best players fared.

The crusher was the Avalanche scoring on the very next shift after Miller tied things up in the third period. Colorado had a clean zone entry, Makar whizzed a shot past a screened Shesterkin, and Schneider was beaten to the loose puck by MacKinnon. That was tough at any strength, but, yes, it was 5v5.

Mile High Sam​

For some reason, Carrick, a grinding fourth-line center, produces plenty of offense against the high-flying Avalanche. He assisted on Edstrom’s 5v5 goal with a perfect pass and has eight points (five goals, three assists) in his past eight games against Colorado. He came mighty close to scoring a goal, as well, with that short-handed opportunity.

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Come to think of it, Edstrom is beginning to build some success against the Avs, too. Of his eight NHL goals over three seasons, two were scored against the Avalanche in just three games. His goal Thursday was Edstrom’s first since Jan. 23, a span of 22 games, since he was injured and missed most of the second half last season.

Avalanche own third periods​

The Avalanche scored four times in the third period against the Rangers — including two empty-netters — and are outscoring opponents 32-9 in third periods this season. Simply, the best team in the NHL knows how to put opponents away and close games out.

Colorado is 14-0-1 when leading or tied after two periods this season

Source: https://www.foreverblueshirts.com/new-york-rangers-news/mackinnon-makar-shine-avalanche-beat-rangers