A Devilish Dismantling: Rangers Fall Apart in Latest Blowout Loss to Hudson Rivals

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Derek

For the first 19 minutes of play, the Rangers showed no signs of being outmatched by their archrival. In fact, they easily killed off a full two-minute 5-on-3 without giving up a shot, which drew some boos from the Devils crowd.

There was even a dominant forecheck created by the new line featuring the sizzling Alexis Lafreniere late in the opening period. But after Lafreniere came close to getting the first goal, a brutal J.T. Miller giveaway led directly to Evan Rodrigues scoring unassisted with just under 30 seconds left in an otherwise good period.

“I just fanned on it. I think I should’ve just ate it,” Miller said afterward in the visitors locker room.

That one gaffe was the turning point in a disastrous 7-1 blowout loss to the Devils at what’s now become the new House of Horrors for the Rangers. They self destructed in a mind-numbing second period that saw the Devils score three straight on Dylan Garand to chase him from the net. That marked the first time in his short career that he’s been pulled.

It only got worse from there, with the Devils padding their lead to 5-0 on a nifty solo effort from Luke Hughes, who recorded the first two-goal game of his NHL career in another easy win for the home side at The Prudential Center. Inexplicably, the Rangers play their worst hockey when they visit Newark. They’ve now dropped four straight games there in blowout fashion by getting outscored 22-4. Here’s the full breakdown that dates back to the 2024-25 season:

December 23, 2024 Rangers 0 Devils 5

April 5, 2025 Rangers 0 Devils 4

March 7, 2026 Rangers 3 Devils 6

October 15, 2026 Rangers 1 Devils 7

In fact, aside from sweeping the two games at The Rock in 2023-24, the Rangers have lost six of the last eight meetings against the Devils in enemy territory. That includes the brutal conclusion to a first round series defeat in Spring 2023. All six defeats have come by at least three goals, including four that were shutouts. If you include the two 4-0 losses to Akira Schmid, the Rangers have been outscored by a combined 30-4 in those games.

When it comes down to it, the Devils treat the rivalry with more disdain and intensity. Jack Hughes has said openly that he hates the Rangers. He then backs it up by putting up big numbers in almost every meeting. Ironically, he only had an assist last night. Instead, he got strong support from younger brother Luke, Rodriguez, Nico Hischier, Arseny Gritsyuk, Stefan Noesen, and Cody Glass. Almost every Devil contributed to their second straight win.

From a Rangers vantage point, it was a complete no show following Miller’s costly turnover. They got away from the well structured system they’ve had early success with. Ugly turnovers were a theme, along with bad goaltending. Garand was shaky following the Rodriguez goal. It showed in the second when he allowed three goals over a 4:21 span, which led to Spencer Martin replacing him.

Eightenen seconds into the period, a Luke Hughes shot deflected off the skate of Adam Fox past Garand to make it 2-0. The unlucky bounce was a bad break that gave the Devils some extra jump. After feeding Timo Meier for a one-timer in front, Hischier was able to steer in a loose puck that made it 3-0. On that one, Vladislav Gavrikov was caught out of position.

The fourth Devils goal was a result of another Miller miscue. After a good keep in by Tye Kartye, Miller turned over the puck due to some pressure from Dougie Hamilton. A great Jack Hughes pass led Gritsyuk in alone on Garand, who stopped him. With the Rangers scrambling back, Hamilton set up a strong Hughes shot that caromed out for an easy Gritsyuk put away to end Garand’s night. After allowing just four goals on 81 shots coming in, he gave up four on 13 shots.

Head coach Mike Sullivan was accurate when he pointed out that Garand wasn’t the problem on Thursday night. The Rangers were sloppy in front of him and they weren’t hard on pucks. There were far too many lost battles to the opportunistic Devils, who get most of their offense from transition. To their credit, they also improved their forecheck after the first period, which had shots in favor of them 6-5.

Even a timeout with his team falling behind 3-0 couldn’t prevent the Devils from blowing it open. Following the Gritsyuk tally, the younger Hughes added his second on a great solo effort by skating into open ice and going stick side on Martin for a 5-0 cushion. Oliver Bjorkstrand just watched as Hughes skated in for his third. It was indicative of how poorly the Rangers played.

If there was a positive, Pavel Dorofeyev finally scored his first goal in seven games to break Nico Daws’ shutout with under 12 minutes remaining in the third period. With the Rangers on the power play, Lafreniere set up a Fox wrist shot that Dorofeyev redirected for his second to make it 6-1. Hopefully, that will get him going. He’s a streaky player who can score in bunches. The Rangers need him to get hot.

Summing up a night of frustration, a Fox turnover in the neutral zone led directly to Glass getting one shorthanded by going through the wickets of Martin for the coup de grace. The effort from Glass was a noticeable difference to score that goal was a big difference between the two sides.

To be perfectly blunt, the Devils want treat these games like the playoffs. They get up for them because it’s ingrained from the start that the Rangers are universally hated by the organization and its fans. If you don’t think these games are circled on the calendar, you’re out of your mind.

Contrast that with how the Rangers approach them. There’s never any animosity shown towards a blood rival. There’s no direct quotes about the significance of playing these games. They don’t treat it the same. Despite how the fans feel about the rivalry, they provide nothing. Is it really a rivalry if it’s so onesided? At this point, I’m inclined to say, ‘No.’

They bring more to the table against the Islanders because they’re the number one rival. But why can’t they get up for the Devils? This isn’t the same roster as the past two years. They just shut down the Lightning for the second time this season. If you were to poll most Rangers fans, they’d probably say that the Lightning are a better team than the Devils.

It was truly disappointing. A game that most looked forward to watching, and it was over after the start of the second. Admittedly, I ran an errand and heard those first two goals on the radio. When it became 3-0, I stayed out to grab a couple of slices instead of coming home. What’s the point of watching? I knew where it was headed. As one close friend told me, “You didn’t miss much.”

The next time the Rangers see the Devils will be a day before my birthday on December 7. I won’t have any expectations. At least it’ll be played at Madison Square Garden. So far, they’re a perfect 5-0 at home.

By losing badly to New Jersey, they fell to 1-3 on the road. Next up is a visit to Columbus. Another team that seems to give them trouble away from MSG. Let’s see how they respond. If they do have the high character we’ve seen, which Sullivan referenced following last night, then hopefully the bad loss to the Devils is a one off. Expect Garand to be back in net.

THREE STARS

3rd Star Timo Meier, Devils set up a pair of goals, +2 in 14:30

2nd Star Evan Rodrigues, Devils goal and assist, +2 in 17:23

1st Star Luke Hughes, Devils first two-goal game of career, 5 SOG, +3 in 24:58

Cuylle Hit Leads to Kovacevic Challenging Him

When it was still competitive in a tightly played first period, there was some physicality from both sides. Meier had a couple of good hits for the Devils.

On the Rangers side, Will Cuylle caught Decan Chisholm with a solid check that sent him down. Despite a clean hit that didn’t have much impact, Jonathan Kovacevic challenged Cuylle.

The two squared off in a short bout that Cuylle took. Each received five minutes for fighting. Kovacevic didn’t receive an extra two due to tapping Cuylle before and waiting for him to respond.

Chmelar Goes Down After Returning

After sitting out the last game against Tampa, Jaroslav Chmelar returned to the lineup. He played with Justin Dowling and Bjorkstrand on the fourth line. On a goal allowed, he was caught chasing Luke Hughes from behind before he scored to make it 5-0.

In 12 shifts, Chmelar finished a minus-1 in 8:35 of ice time. Due to him not playing enough consistent minutes, the Rangers sent him down to the Wolf Pack earlier today. With Hartford visiting the Charlotte Checkers tonight and tomorrow for a pair of games this weekend, Chmelar will be able to play more than he has.

It’s the right move for his development. A similar decision to opting to send down Cole Beaudoin, who did nothing wrong in his first taste of the NHL.

In a corresponding move that I hinted at, Taylor Raddysh was recalled by the Rangers. The 28-year-old veteran forward can be trusted to play in a supporting role on the fourth line. In 68 games last season, Raddysh put up nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points.

Posted in Devils, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lafreniere and Garand Keep Rangers Perfect at MSG

Posted on October 14, 2026 by Derek

If you’re keeping score, these aren’t last year’s Rangers. It was at the start of the centennial season that that roster couldn’t even score enough goals to win on home ice. Whatever happened has been put in the rear view mirror.

This group of Rangers is getting it done at home in front of the Garden Faithful, who have been fully behind them. These Blueshirts battle for every inch of the ice, which has resulted in a perfect 5-0 start at MSG. The latest victim was their first one back at the beginning of October. Once again, the Rangers held the Lightning to a single goal to prevail 4-1 for their second victory in 12 days over the more experienced former Stanley Cup winners.

Unlike two weeks ago, when Igor Shesterkin bested Andrei Vasilevskiy prior to a season-ending right knee injury he sustained on Oct. 9, the goalie who stifled the high-powered Bolts was rookie Dylan Garand. Making his second straight start and third of the season, he stopped 25 of 26 shots to earn the game’s third star in improving to 3-0-0 on the season.

So far, Garand has only permitted four goals on 81 shots in four appearances. In fact, he’s now beaten the Lightning in two starts in his young career with his first victory coming back on Apr. 15 last season. However, the Bolts didn’t have a lot to play for last spring. This time around, what the 24-year-old is doing is more impressive. Unlike earning an easy shutout against the lowly Red Wings, followed by a 19-save win over the lottery bound Canucks, he made some timely stops during a tightly contested second period that saw the Lightning press for the equalizer.

Instead, Will Cuylle scored for the third time in two games to increase the Rangers lead to 3-1 before the second expired. With Cuylle finally starting to perculate, the only passenger missing is Pavel Dorofeyev. It isn’t about a lack of effort with the streaky Russian finisher.

Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan has tried everything over the last two games to help Dorofeyev snap out of it. He hasn’t scored since a 5-1 win over the Lightning on Oct. 1. Due to his struggles, Sullivan skipped Dorofeyev for one shift before returning him to the top line. Hopefully, he’ll be able to contribute on Thursday when the Blueshirts pay a visit to Newark to face the archrival Devils.

The biggest storyline so far has been the dominant play of Alexis Lafreniere. For a fourth consecutive game, he scored and continued to look like the Rangers most dominant forward. It’s all about effort with Lafreniere, who buried his sixth on a set up behind the net from Tye Kartye just 62 seconds into the contest.

He wasn’t done, either. On a superb play in his own zone, Kartye lofted a backhand pass ahead for Lafreniere, which he turned into a breakaway goal by driving a wrist shot high blocker past Vasilevskiy for a 2-0 lead. At the time he scored, the 25-year-old former 2020 first overall pick took the league lead with his seventh of the season.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the goal was how Lafreniere used his strength to ward off the backcheck of Anthony Cirelli to finish off the play that started from the Rangers’ own end. J.T. Miller picked up a secondary assist to extend his point streak to five straight (1-5-6).

Over a personal best four-game goal streak, Lafreniere has all seven of his goals, highlighted by a hat trick versus the Islanders on Oct. 6. After starting the year without a point in the first three games, he’s up to a team-leading 10 over the last five. The more you watch him during shifts, the more his confidence grows. He looks like a different player so far. Unlike past seasons, he’s burying his chances. If you haven’t seen him play, they’re coming from primary areas. He also had two empty netters in a four-point explosion eight days ago.

When Sullivan decided to move him off the first line, many observers complained that it could hurt Lafreniere due to the chemistry he’s developed with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault. They underestimated Lafreniere’s harder work habits, which explains why he’s a good fit with Miller and Kartye.

Unlike some other stars who cheat the game by searching for breakaways, Lafreniere has learned to use his improvement defensively to transition up the ice. When he’s in on the forecheck, that plays to his strength. He’s also skilled enough to elude defenders and use his teammates well by playing effectively down low. The end result has seen Lafreniere blossom into a more complete player, which is why Sullivan finally trusts him late in games.

If they can get Dorofeyev untracked, the Rangers are going to be a tough team to beat because they play much harder in all three zones than at any point the past two years. The speed with which they can go from defense to offense is proof that even team president and general manager Chris Drury didn’t screw up last summer by acquiring the steadier second pair of Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi in a pair of deals that are paying off so far.

They each had a strong night against the Lightning. Top scorer Nikita Kucherov was held without a point and only two shots despite the Rangers handing Tampa four power plays. However, aided by their marked improvement on the penalty kill, they limited the Lightning to five shots while shorthanded.

Garand was able to handle each without a problem. The only blemish was on a 2-on-1 rush late in the opening 20 minutes. After rookie Albert Smits got caught up ice, Zemgus Girgensons faked pass and then beat Garand high short side that cut it to 2-1 late in the period. It was one he probably should’ve had. Braden Schneider played it perfectly to give Garand the shooter. Garand was just a little off his near goalpost.

If there’s a cause for optimism, it was how well he responded by not giving up anything the rest of the way. It says plenty about his character and maturity. For a goalie that was made available on waivers, he looks pretty composed as the new number one for the Rangers.

The game also marked the return of Matt Rempe to the lineup. Inserted by Sullivan for one purpose, Rempe had the proper response to Jeffrey Viel, who challenged him with the Lightning trailing 2-0. In his first fight since last year, he handled Viel by knocking him down with some heavy rights. To his credit, Viel got back up and continued to fight. Rempe was too much for him.

Perhaps due to the schedule and the opponent who only dressed 11 forwards due to Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper going with seven defensemen, Sullivan limited his fourth line to six shifts. Both Rempe and rookie Cole Beaudoin finished with under four minutes of ice time. Oliver Bjorkstrand received 11 shifts, including 1:10 on the second power play unit. He also got moved up to take a shift with Zibanejad and Perreault.

With a few minutes left in the third, Vasilevskiy was lifted for an extra attacker during a power play, which gave the Lightning a 6-on-4. The Rangers had no problem whatsoever. As it was nearing its conclusion, Zibanejad made a strong defensive play on Brayden Point at center ice by taking away the puck and sending it into an open net for the final margin.

The Rangers next play tomorrow night versus the Devils. Given how well things have gone, it’ll be a good test to see where they are. Especially against nemesis Jack Hughes. We’ll find out if they can shut down the explosive Devils star in enemy territory.

THREE STARS

3rd Star Tye Kartye 2 primary assists, 1 SOG, +2 in 16:21

2nd Star Dylan Garand 25 saves on 26 shots to improve to 3-0-0

1st Star Alexis Lafreniere 2 goals (6th, 7th), 4 SOG, +2 in 19:23

Posted in NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rangers host Lightning on Frozen Frenzy

Posted on October 13, 2026 by Derek

On a warm autumn day in October, there will be wall to wall hockey on #FrozenFrenzy. All 32 teams are in action as part of ESPN’s extensive coverage of 16 games on a busy Tuesday.

That includes the Rangers, who host the Lightning for the second time in 12 days at Madison Square Garden. Due to the chaos beginning at 6 PM with the Devils visiting the Red Wings, the Blueshirts are slated to start at 7:15 PM. With games beginning 15 minutes apart, including the Panthers at Blue Jackets (6:15 PM), Sabres at Canadiens (6:30), Capitals at Hurricanes (6:45), and Kraken at Flyers (7:00), the Rangers are the sixth game on the NHL schedule.

If you like to follow other action between breaks, you’ll be quite busy going back and forth with the remote or streams. If only it was being done around the holidays. Now, that would be more fun for everyone. If they ever decided to pick a day before Christmas without much NBA or any NFL games, that would be a great addition. At least diehards have the World Juniors starting on Boxing Day in the winter.

The first time the Rangers faced the Lightning, they responded well to a 3-0 shutout loss to the Bruins by putting together a strong effort in a 5-1 win in the home opener on Oct. 1. There were five different goalscorers, including Pavel Dorofeyev, who’s been snake bit since. He hit two goalposts on the power play in Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Canucks. For a second straight game, he’ll start with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault on the first line, with Mike Sullivan looking to get him going.

That last meeting was also highlighted by the first goalie goal in franchise history scored by Igor Shesterkin. Less than two weeks later, the Rangers are set to play their second game without Shesterkin, who’s done for the season after injuring his right knee in a 3-1 loss at the Caps on Oct. 9. He was placed on long-term injured reserve two days ago. If by some miracle following surgery and a long rehab he recovers in time for the playoffs, the Rangers haven’t put him on the unavailable list. That could always change depending on what happens.

Entering tonight, the Blueshirts bring a 5-2-0 record into play with their 10 points ranking second behind the first place Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. Unlike some other teams (Devils, Flyers, Islanders) who have struggled out of the gate, they’ve played well enough to be near the top of the Eastern Conference, with only the Hurricanes and Senators having better records.

Leading scorer Alexis Lafreniere brings a four-game point streak in with all eight of his points coming over that stretch. With the 25-year-old forward hot, Sullivan moved him down to the second line to play with captain J.T. Miller and Tye Kartye. In their first game together, they were dominant at 5-on-5 combining for a 57.14 CF rating and two goals both scored by Kartye. Each forward finished with two points, including Miller, who set up Kartye twice. Lafreniere scored his team-leading fifth on the power play.

Perreault continued to show improvement with a goal and an assist in the third period. After making a sweet dish on the Lafreniere power-play goal, he used his hands to redirect an Adam Fox shot pass for his third. The second-year forward is tied with Fox for third in team scoring with six points.

Fox has continued to resemble the elite defenseman who won the Norris in 2020-21. A smart and steady player who remains one of the best passers, his six assists are tied with Zibanejad for the team lead. While it’s doubtful he can keep up with the high scoring Evan Bouchard, Cale Makar, or Quinn Hughes, the 28-year-old Fox should remain in the upper echelon of defensemen this season. His importance to the Blueshirts can’t be understated.

Dylan Garand gets the start in net. Since coming in to relieve the injured Shesterkin by making 11 saves last Friday, the 24-year-old netminder has remained calm, cool, and collected. Although he wasn’t at his best two days ago, Garand finished with 19 saves to pick up his second win of the season. In three appearances, he’s stopped 52 of 55 shots.

Rempe Returns to Lineup

Since playing in the season opener on Sept. 29, Matt Rempe has been a healthy scratch over the last six games. With Sullivan deciding to give Jaroslav Chmelar the night off, Rempe makes his return to the lineup tonight.

For many observers who live and die with the Blueshirts, they don’t understand the lineup change. Especially with the team having won five of six with Rempe out. Even if I’d prefer to keep Chmelar in due to his skating, I understand the rationale behind Sullivan’s decision. With Lightning head man Jon Cooper opting to dress tough customer Jeffrey Viel, that might be a good enough reason for Sullivan to reinsert Rempe.

Viel is a few years older than Rempe. He actually had a positive influence on the Ducks after they acquired him last season. The 29-year-old veteran set personal bests with three goals, seven assists, and 10 points in 35 contests for Anaheim. That included 49 penalty minutes and 94 hits. The gritty Viel was a factor in the Ducks’ first round upset over the Oilers last spring. His physicality bothered Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

When the Rangers and Lightning take the Garden ice, will there be a rumble between heavyweights? Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail. For Rempe, this is an opportunity to get back in the coach’s good graces. He can’t take a bad penalty or get caught out of position going for a big hit. If it’s the right time, then a fight could be possible. If his team is leading, he must avoid letting Viel suck him into a scrap that could energize the Bolts.

Boltin’ Up

Since losing their season opener to the Rangers, the Lightning have won four in a row. They’ve bolted up by defeating Washington, Philadelphia, Minnesota, and most recently, the Islanders in succession to outscore opponents 15-7 during the four-game winning streak.

As usual, two-time Hart winner Nikita Kucherov leads the way with eight points. One of the game’s best players, Kucherov shows no signs of slowing down with six of his team-leading eight points coming at even strength. A great skater who has a lethal shot, the 33-year-old superstar has only one goal and seven shots thus far. That could change in a hurry.

Brandon Hagel is coming off a hat trick versus the Islanders. A terrific player, Hagel combines speed with skill and grit. A very active player who’ll win physical battles, he can erupt at any time. Hagel enters tonight with four goals and four helpers, along with a team-leading 26 shots.

Jake Guentzel is the other dangerous Lightning forward who is strong in front. He’s certainly done damage in the past versus the Rangers. Dating back to his days spent as a Penguin, he has 13 goals and 10 assists in 36 career games against the Blueshirts.

So far, so good for veteran defenseman John Carlson, who signed with the Lightning in the offseason. The former Saint Joseph High School standout from New Jersey remains a splendid shooter if he gets time from the point. He has two goals and two helpers with the Bolts.

Captain Victor Hedman is taking on less responsibility. The former Norris winner is averaging only 14 minutes a game. After missing the remainder of last season due for personal reasons, perhaps he isn’t the same player. With Cooper having a lot of proven veterans, which include ex-Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh, he can manage Hedman’s ice time.

The notable exception is ace defensive defenseman J.J. Moser, who had 29 points and a plus-41 rating last season. Even his ice time is down a tick. Keep an eye on Charlie-Edouard D’Astous, who’s become a trusted regular.

Andrei Vasilevskiy continues to play well as one of the premier goalies in hockey. Coming off a second Vezina, he’s 3-1-0 with a 2.29 goals-against-average and an .892 save percentage.

The Lightning don’t allow many shots. Expect them to be sharper for tonight’s rematch.

Posted in Game Preview, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Perreault Continues Hot Start for Rangers

Posted on October 12, 2026 by Derek

Entering his second season, more was expected from Gabe Perreault. The 2023 first round pick finished 2025-26 well by proving that he was capable of playing in a first line role. While playing with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere over the final part of last season, Perreault produced enough to make a believer out of Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan.

After finishing with nine goals and 10 assists for a total of 19 points over the last 23 games, the 21-year-old playmaking forward has started this season on the number one line. In the first six games, he remained with Zibanejad and Lafreniere, who he has good chemistry with.

Following a 3-1 defeat to the Caps on Oct. 9, Sullivan decided to make a switch to the top six. That meant taking Lafreniere off the top line and moving him to the J.T. Miller unit with Tye Kartye for last night’s game. Feeling obligated to get Pavel Dorofeyev going, he moved him up with Perreault and Zibanejad. Although they didn’t have the best game at 5-on-5, each forward had scoring chances in Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Canucks at Madison Square Garden.

Dorofeyev has struggled so far to score goals. He was set up twice in the slot on the power play but hit the goalpost on each opportunity. If they continue to find him open in the middle of ice, it shouldn’t be too long before he starts burying those kinds of chances. He remained on the top power play unit with Lafreniere and Zibanejad for two periods before Sullivan replaced him with Perreault, who’s been hot so far at the start of the season.

Entering the game with points in three of his last four, he was instrumental in helping the Rangers pull away from the Canucks in a stronger third period that saw them score three times. Still on a power play that carried over from the end of the second, some crafty work from Perreault led to Lafreniere tallying for his team-leading fifth. On a great Perreault feed in front, Lafreniere buried it into an open net for a 4-2 lead. Zibanejad helped set it up to earn a secondary helper.

With some pressure being put on by the first line, Perreault converted his third a few minutes later to increase the margin to three. After Zibanejad retrieved the puck behind the net and found an open Adam Fox, he made a nice shot pass that Perreault tipped in front. That gave him his first multi-point game of 2026-27.

If there’s a positive sign that he’s going to blossom into a consistent scorer for the Blueshirts, it’s due to how active he’s been in the early going. A very smart player who’s able to create offense with his vision and high hockey IQ, Perreault is a shifty skater who sees the ice well. While not the fastest, he seems to have eyes in the back of his head.

On another excellent shift during yesterday’s game, he knew where Vladislav Gavrikov was despite having his back turned. Perreault made a terrific no look feed that nearly resulted in another goal. It’s his superb vision that should make him a dangerous playmaker for the Rangers. He could’ve easily had another couple of points in the third period against a tired opponent playing for the second straight day.

Cuylle and Kartye Score Twice

If they ever needed a confidence boost, both Will Cuylle and Kartye got it on Sunday night. Neither had scored a goal coming into yesterday. By the conclusion, both Cuylle and Kartye scored twice to help the Rangers win for the fourth time in the last five games.

With Lafreniere added to the second line, it paid dividends immediately. On a nice touch pass from Lafreniere up top, that created a 2-on-1 down low for Miller to find Kartye for his first of the season just 27 seconds in.

The Canucks responded later in the first period on a Jake DeBrusk tally set up from Jonathan Lekkerimaki at 17:04. Dylan Garand wasn’t fully set, which allowed DeBrusk to beat him short side to tie the score.

Cuylle got his first early in the second. Noah Laba sent him into the Vancouver zone for a quick wrister that fooled Kevin Lankinen to restore the Rangers’ one-goal lead. Despite some improved offensive play from the third line, they were unable to connect on another opportunity.

The Canucks played their best hockey of the night in the middle stanza by generating more quality chances throughout and attacking the Rangers defensively. Several Rangers forwards failed to clear the zone, which allowed Vancouver to go on the attack more.

However, it was on a Rangers power play that they drew even. The first unit overstayed their shift, which allowed the Canucks to come in on a 3-on-2 rush and score shorthanded thanks to a nice finish from defenseman Elias Pettersson. Zibanejad got caught and was unable to get back defensively. A visibly frustrated Lafreniere showed some emotion by punching the bench following the goal that tied the game.

But Kartye came back with a big go-ahead tally with 1:35 left after Gavrikov and Miller set him up. It was a nice reward for a hard-working player who Sullivan favors using with Miller due to their similar styles.

With the Rangers ahead 5-2 in the final period, Cuylle put in his second from Eeli Tolvanen and Braden Schneider, who picked up his first point of the season.

If there’s something to like about the 5-2-0 start, it’s the scoring balance they have so far. While Lafreniere leads them in scoring with eight points, followed by Zibanejad, Perreault, and Fox, they’re getting contributions throughout the lineup. Gavrikov already has five points while playing with Fox, whose six helpers are tied with Zibanejad to pace the team.

Even with Dorofeyev struggling to bury his chances, the Rangers are getting production from almost everyone. Unlike previous seasons when the supporting cast wasn’t good enough, they’re constructed differently. Getting secondary scoring will be instrumental to their success.

There isn’t a star player who they can rely on to carry them. Once Artemi Panarin was traded to the Kings, it signaled a change in philosophy. The Rangers are already seeing better results from Perreault and Lafreniere, who celebrated his 25th birthday by earning the game’s third star last night. He also was named the Third Star of the Week by the NHL, which trailed only Jake Oettinger and Auston Matthews.

Now is the time for Lafreniere, who has finally matured. With Perreault looking wise beyond his years, the Rangers have hope despite the big loss of Igor Shesterkin for the season. If they can continue to play well in front of Garand, the offense will need to come through.

Somehow, the season became much more interesting after Shesterkin’s right knee injury, which could mean an ACL. He will have surgery and then a long rehab ahead. The net belongs to Garand until Joonas Korpisalo is ready. As expected, Spencer Martin was recalled and served as the backup yesterday.

Challenging Week Ahead

After taking advantage of a favorable early schedule, which included wins over the Red Wings, the Islanders, and Canucks, the Rangers will get more of a challenge the rest of the week.

On Tuesday night, they’ll host the Lightning for the second time in two weeks. Since the Rangers defeated them 4-0 in a game best known for Shesterkin making franchise history by becoming the first Rangers netminder to score a goalie goal on Oct. 1, the Lightning have responded by winning four in a row. They just beat the Islanders on Saturday with Brandon Hagel picking up his fourth hat trick in a 5-3 win.

There’s little doubt that the Bolts should be out for redemption when they visit MSG tomorrow. It’ll be the second game of the three-game season series. The final meeting isn’t until March 27 next year in Tampa.

Following the Lightning, the Rangers will visit their close Hudson rival to face the Devils in Newark this Thursday. The Devils have been so-so with a 2-2-0 start. They have yet to get going at 5-on-5 despite boasting center duo Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Luke Evangelista has been a good pickup so far with a pair of goals and a helper.

If you think it isn’t on the mind of the Devils, look what they tweeted out on Sunday.

It isn’t Halloween yet. But is there such a thing as being obsessed as much as the Devils Twitter account is? It’s gotten stale.

The truth of the matter is that the Hudson rivalry hasn’t been the same in over a decade. Ever since Martin Brodeur retired, there’s no longer the same energy or passion in these games. 2012 was the last time it really mattered. You had two line brawls and the last big series going to the Devils behind the legendary Brodeur, who outdueled Henrik Lundqvist.

Adam Henrique’s overtime winner in Game 6 remains forever etched in Devils lore. Since then, the Devils have only made the playoffs three times. With the exception of coming back to defeat the Rangers in an unpredictable first round three years ago, they haven’t done anything.

As much as they love to talk up how Hughes owns the Rangers, the Jersey side of the rivalry hasn’t had one significant moment with Hischier and Hughes, who were both number one overall picks two years apart. There’s actually a lot more pressure on the Devils to deliver a big season with Sunny Mehta taking over and starting to overhaul the roster.

From a Rangers viewpoint, they should still be competitive. The new second pair that features Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi have made them significantly stronger on the blue line. Alberts Smits is a much faster skater than what they had before playing third pair with Schneider.

Maybe the most interesting part of this Thursday’s game will be how Garand fares in what should likely be his introduction to the rivalry. For a goalie that doesn’t have much NHL experience, he’s a very cerebral and laid back player who comes across confident in the locker room. We’ll see how he handles the first full week as the number one goalie.

The Rangers conclude a week of four games in seven days with a visit at the Blue Jackets on Saturday, Oct. 17. They don’t have another back-to-back situation until after Thanksgiving.

Posted in Column, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rangers Lose Shesterkin For Season

Posted on October 10, 2026 by Derek

Unfortunately, the news wasn’t good on Igor Shesterkin. In a devastating blow to the season, the Rangers announced that Shesterkin is out for the season.

It’s the worst case scenario for the Rangers who will now have to rely on unproven rookie Dylan Garand as the number one goalie. The 24-year-old from Victoria, British Columbia has had early success so far in the NHL. In five career games, he’s 3-1-1 with a 1.31 goals-against-average and .954 save percentage. That includes posting his first shutout in a win over the Red Wings on Oct. 2.

“I’m excited,” Garand told reporters after learning that he’ll be counted on as the starter. “Obviously it’s a dream come true to to play in the NHL. I’m just trying to embrace that mentality and have a lot of gratitude for this opportunity. I love being part of this group and I love the guys in this room. So I really just want to work my nuts off and battle for these guys and help the team keep winning.”

With Garand expected to get most of the starts for the foreseeable future, the Rangers announced that Spencer Martin was medically cleared to return from his injury. He’ll be called up from Hartford to be the backup for Sunday’s game versus the Canucks at Madison Square Garden.

On the goalie front, it was also revealed that Korpisalo is still four weeks away from returning. Acquired by Chris Drury from the Bruins this past off-season, the 32-year-old veteran could play a more important role once he’s back. He’ll likely share goaltender duties with Garand, who’s still a first-year player. Hopefully, he can provide some input for Garand to lean on.

With Shesterkin done for the year, it’s another season gone for a great goalie who’s only been to the postseason twice. Both times, he carried the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 and 2024. The former 2021-22 Vezina winner is considered by many to be the league’s best netminder. He’s in the same class as Andrei Vasilevskiy, Connor Hellebuyck, and Ilya Sorokin.

Shesterkin had already won three games with a 1.79 GAA and .927 save percentage in five starts when he went down during the second period on Friday night at Washington. His right leg banged hard right into the goalpost, which never budged off its moorings. When he didn’t put any weight on the right leg while being helped off the ice, it was a bad indication that it was a serious long-term injury.

Unfortunately, he isn’t the first Rangers goalie to suffer from an injury like that. In 2001, Mike Richter tore his ACL in a game against the Blackhawks on Feb. 19, 2001. It was eerily similar to Shesterkin. His right skate collided with the left goalpost leaving him in a lot of pain.

After having reconstructive right knee surgery, Richter recovered in time to return for the season opener on Oct. 5, 2001. Unfortunately, it proved to be his final full year at the age of 35. In a game against the Atlanta Thrashers the following season, he was struck in the goalie mask by an errant Chris Tamer shot, which gave him a concussion and skull fracture. Richter suffered a second concussion on a collision with Todd Marchant against the Oilers on Nov. 5, 2002. Ironically, it was the franchise record 301st win of his brilliant career, which proved to be the end – leading to his retirement.

Richter had the worst luck of any great Rangers goalie. Prior to tearing the right ACL, he suffered a torn left ACL from playing in an All-Star Super Skills competition in 2000, which led to reconstructive knee surgery on Apr. 5.

The most concerning part of today’s news is that the Rangers didn’t reveal what the injury to Shesterkin is. That can only lead to more guessing until they finally make a formal announcement, which will hopefully come after the weekend. There needs to be full transparency so we can learn how long the recovery process will be for the Rangers’ most valuable player.

They’ll now try to move on without him. After having a four-game winning streak snapped last night, head coach Mike Sullivan made some changes to his top six. He finally moved up the struggling Pavel Dorofeyev on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault. This was something that had been expected before the season started.

Alexis Lafreniere took reps on the second line with J.T. Miller and Tye Kartye. Lafreniere has been on fire scoring four goals and adding an assist for five points over the last two games. His six points pace the Rangers in scoring.

Cole Beaudoin Sent Down

Following his giveaway that led to Boone Jenner’s game-winner in Friday’s 3-1 defeat to the Caps, rookie Cole Beaudoin was sent down to Hartford. He appeared in two games before being shipped back to the Wolf Pack to continue his development.

Juuso Parssinen was called up for tomorrow’s game.

Posted in NYRangers | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Shesterkin Goes Down to Injury in Rangers Loss

Posted on October 10, 2026 by Derek

Entering the season, so much of how the Rangers’ year would go depended on their strength in net. They were going to ride one of the game’s best goalies to a possible return to the playoffs. During the second period, their meal ticket crashed and burned literally in what could be a potential long-term injury to Igor Shesterkin.

Locked into a 1-1 tie with the Capitals on the power play, Shesterkin came out and challenged Pierre-Luc Dubois to force him wide. Moments later, he scrambled to get back and pushed across his crease from left to right with the Caps buzzing. Play was stopped when Shesterkin banged his right leg against the goalpost and went down in a lot of discomfort with 11:40 remaining in the second.

After the trainer came out, he was helped off the ice by teammates to cheers from the Capital One Arena crowd, who had a good idea what they had seen happen to Shesterkin. Unable to put any weight on the right leg as he was helped back to the locker room, it didn’t look good for the former Vezina winner.

The real shame is that he was off to a great start, having won three of his first four entering Friday night. For the first half of the contest against one of the better teams in the division, he continued to play well.

Up to that point, the Caps only beat him once on a Timothy Liljgren one-timer set up by Dylan Strome and Ryan Leonard a couple of minutes earlier that tied the game. He stopped 13 of 14 shots before the lower-body injury, which either could sideline him for a while or possibly the the remainder of the season.

When asked about Shesterkin’s status following a tough 3-1 loss to the Caps, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan said it was too soon to provide an update. “We’re not going to let [Igor’s injury] take the wind out of our sails. We still competed our asses off today,” Miller said afterward in the postgame.

“It’s awful. He’s a pillar of this team. It stinks. Obviously, it’s young. We don’t even know what’s going on, but to see him leave the game is a shock to all of us. At the same time, it means we got to step up to a man to try to get the job done, especially for G [Dylan Garand].”

Speaking of which, Garand handled the situation as well as expected. The only goal he allowed was due to a giveaway from rookie Cole Beaudoin late in the period, which led to Boone Jenner scoring unassisted for a 2-1 Caps lead. Garand stopped 11 of 12 shots in relief of Shesterkin.

The big difference is that he’ll now be called upon to be the Rangers number one goalie. Over a two week span, the 24-year-old netminder went from uncertainty to pitching his first career shutout on Oct. 2 to now being asked the tall order of handling a much heavier workload. It’ll be interesting to see how he does moving forward.

To their credit, the Rangers responded well to adversity. Despite Beaudoin throwing a puck away right to Jenner for what proved to be the game-winner, they took it to the Caps in a much stronger third. They used their team speed to create more offense in transition.

Noah Laba had two of the best chances but was unable to beat Logan Thompson. The second-year center looked like he had a step on Alex Tuch for a quality look in the slot. However, Tuch recovered just in time to force him wide. Thompson also made a pair of saves on Gabe Perreault. Aside from that, the Mika Zibanejad unit was kept in check.

The only goal the Rangers got came on their second power play in the opening frame. After Jaroslav Chmelar got a step on Dylan McIlrath to draw a tripping minor, Alexis Lafreniere stayed hot by scoring for the fourth time in two games. On some superb work from Pavel Dorofeyev and Miller on the wall, he came out with the puck and made a nice head fake before blowing a snapshot by Thompson on the power play. That was the only goal of the period.

Beaudoin got caught flatfooted and hooked Ryan Leonard from behind to put the Caps on the power play. Shesterkin made a pair of saves, including one to deny Alex Ovechkin in front. The Rangers took a 1-o lead to intermission.

The Caps were better in the second. Taking advantage of the long change, they were more aggressive on the forecheck, which created some early chances.

Shesterkin kept them off the scoreboard early by denying Ovechkin and stopping Tom Wilson.

The Rangers’ most effective forwards were Eeli Tolvanen and Chmelar. Each were noticeable during offensive shifts, with Tolvanen having a deflection shut down by Thompson.

If there was a top six forward who looked in sync, it was Dorofeyev. He was on the puck more throughout, and paced the Rangers with four shots and 12 attempts. Since scoring in their first win of the season, he hadn’t been doing enough. That wasn’t the case on Friday night. The line with Miller and Tye Kartye was effective but it’s hard to understand what Sullivan is thinking continuing to play Oliver Bjorkstrand on the fourth line. When they needed a goal late in regulation, it would have been wiser to elevate Bjorkstrand and move down Kartye.

Due to more pressure in the Rangers end, the Caps drew even thanks to some excellent work from Leonard and Strome. Leonard got the puck to Strome at the right point. With Jakob Chychrun activating down low, Strome sent a pass across for a Liljgren shot that beat a screened Shesterkin for the equalizer.

Just over two minutes later, Shesterkin was hobbled in pain from banging into his goalpost. It was a case of a great player trying to do too much on a crazy sequence while shorthanded. Last season, he was lost for 13 games following suffering a non-contact left leg injury against the Mammoth on Jan. 5. On that play, he avoided J.J. Peterka while falling backward into his net, which caused the issue.

In the same game, Adam Fox was lost to a lower-body injury that also cost him 13 games. The Rangers were unable to overcome the double whammy of losing their best two players.

At the very least, they’ll still have Fox anchoring the blue line when the Canucks visit town on Sunday. So far, he’s off to a very good start with five assists in six games. Although he wound up a minus-2 against Washington, Fox made some smart reads that helped create more offense. He and partner Vladislav Gavrikov have looked good together.

It’s helped that newcomers Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson have found chemistry on the second pair. The dramatic improvement in skating by adding both and subtracting Will Borgen has helped overhaul the back end. Alberts Smits continues to play steady on the third pair with Braden Schneider, who’s the only weak skater. This Rangers version is more able to transition the puck quickly and go on the attack.

If there’s an area for concern, it’s the offense. They haven’t hit their stride yet. Aside from the strong play of the top line, they need more from the second line. As much as he prefers to have the grittier Kartye play in the top six, Sullivan should reconsider going back to Bjorkstrand. He wasn’t brought in to play on the fourth line. He’s a better shooter than the defensive oriented Kartye, who can be plugged in the third period when leading.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens moving forward. With it not sounding like Joonas Korpisalo is close to returning, it looks like journeyman Spencer Martin could get the call up from Hartford.

If there’s one consolation, the Rangers don’t have any back-to-backs coming up next week. We’ll see how they respond.

Posted in NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Devils’ Poor Start a Cause for Concern

Posted on October 8, 2026 by Derek

After kicking off the new season with a 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers thanks to 3-on-3 cheat code Jack Hughes, the Devils have dropped their last two games to the Islanders and Mammoth. They were outscored by a combined 11-3, including a dismal 6-0 shutout to the Islanders.

Following the latest defeat to their Long Island rival, they were unable to keep up with the high-flying Mammoth in a frustrating 5-3 loss at home in a game they never led. Due to an early Timo Meier high-sticking minor that led directly to a Clayton Keller power-play goal, the Devils were chasing the play.

With new acquisition Luke Evangelista scoring the first of a pair, MacKenzie Weegar put them behind less than two minutes into the second period. Despite Evangelista continuing to play well by evening the contest at two, another untimely Meier minor allowed the NHL’s top-ranked power play to connect for the second time on Tuesday when Nick Schmaltz tallied.

If there’s a bad habit from last year that they want to eliminate, it’s slow starts and bad finishes to periods. They allowed Lawson Crouse to double up the Mammoth lead with less than a minute remaining in the second. That proved costly.

Despite continuing to battle back thanks to some extra effort from Jesper Boqvist, who stuck with it to score in his return as a Devil, a bad turnover from Luke Hughes in the neutral zone resulted in Schmaltz setting up Vincent Trocheck for the coup de grace with over three minutes left in the game. As well as he played with partner Brett Pesce, Hughes was late to pick up Trocheck after the giveaway. An area he’ll need to fix in his fourth season.

Following the Islanders blowout loss, players expressed some frustration with how they played.

“It is what happened last year,” fourth line center Cody Glass told The Devils Narrative reporter Kristy Flannery. “We wanted to get that out of our game, and it came back. That is the frustrating part for us. We need to get that completely out of our game because it was very, it was too familiar.”

“That is when turnovers happen, right,” Jesper Bratt added before the Devils fell to the Mammoth at The Rock on Oct. 6. “It escalates when you want too much, and everyone is too pressured. It comes from the right reason that you want to win, but that is usually not the way to win when you take those risks. I think that is kind of what has happened a little bit with us.”

Sometimes, old habits die hard. For the Devs, they must wait until this Saturday for their next chance to respond. They’ll host the Canucks at 3:30 PM in a special matinee.

Despite being viewed as an NHL doormat, Vancouver is two up and two down over the first four games as they prepared to take on the Hurricanes on Thursday night. Somewhat surprisingly, former Devil Paul Cotter is off to a quick start with a team-leading four goals and six points, which is tied with teammate Elias Pettersson in team scoring.

With the team struggling defensively and in net, Remi Poirier was a full participant in this morning’s practice. Both Jake Allen and Nico Daws also took reps. Perhaps embattled head coach Sheldon Keefe wants to get his first look at Poirier, who team president and general manager Sunny Mehta claimed from the Stars from waivers before the start of the season.

We’ll have a better idea by the weekend.

Noesen Goes on Waivers

Earlier today, the Devils placed Stefan Noesen on waivers. Despite a solid training camp, he didn’t get off to a good start. In two games, he struggled to distinguish himself, and was a minus-2 on the fourth line.

Ultimately, Keefe probably realized that the younger Boqvist is a better option. A faster skater who’s energy usually rubs off on linemates due to his hustle, the 28-year-old forward scored last night when he put a backhand in to cut the deficit to 4-3 in the third period. He makes $1.25 million less than Noesen ($2.75 million AAV) on an expiring deal.

As expected, the 27-year-old Boqvist replaced Noesen on the fourth line. They lined up the same at practice with Glass in between Boqvist and rookie Amadeus Lombardi.

Jack Hughes took a maintenance day. Regarding Jonas Siegenthaler, who exited Tuesday’s game in the third period with an injury, the Devils are still evaluating him for Saturday.

“He’s feeling a lot better today. I think he’s going to try and skate tomorrow and see how that goes, and then make a decision from there,” Keefe told reporters.

Posted in Devils | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lafreniere’s Hat Trick Highlights Latest Rangers Win

Posted on October 7, 2026 by Derek

Suddenly, the Rangers can’t stop winning games. They won for the fourth straight time in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Alexis Lafreniere’s hat trick highlighted a Rangers 5-2 win over the Islanders at an energized Madison Square Garden.

Lafreniere completed the third hat trick of his NHL career with a pair of empty netters that helped the Rangers improve to a perfect 3-0 at MSG. A total role reversal from last year when they didn’t even score a goal in their first three home games. In fact, that team didn’t get a win on home ice until Nov. 10, 2025.

Unlike the forgettable centennial season when five of the first seven opponents shut them out, the Rangers have found a way to score 14 goals so far in their three victories at The Garden. After defeating the Mammoth this past Sunday, they again scored four or more goals to give their fans plenty of reasons to cheer.

Following an early surge from the Islanders, who got the game’s first three shots on a sharp Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers responded with a strong push. Able to forecheck effectively, some extra effort from Lafreniere created a goal. Following a Sean Durzi shoot in behind the Islanders net, Lafreniere hustled and out-muscled Matthew Schaefer on the boards to send a pass in front that Oliver Bjorkstrand buried past Semyon Varlamov for his first as a Blueshirt.

The game also marked the NHL debut for Cole Beaudoin. After putting up five points last weekend in Hartford, the 20-year-old prospect centered the fourth line. Wearing number 53, he was mostly effective during his shifts at even strength. An active player who brings size and a defensive presence, Beaudoin made some good plays on the wall for linemates Bjorkstrand and Jaroslav Chmelar. He finished the game with three hits and went 6 for 11 on faceoffs over 9:57 of ice time.

On a Rangers cycle behind the net, Beaudoin got caught setting an illegal pick to go off for interference on Tony DeAngelo. With him off for two minutes, the Rangers got the job done to kill the penalty.

With less than eight minutes remaining in the period, Brayden Schenn and J.T. Miller agreed to have a fight. After the draw, they dropped the gloves. In a brief exchange of two gritty veterans, Miller got the decision with a take down.

Following a Victor Eklund hold on Vladislav Gavrikov, the Rangers went to work on the power play. Despite not capitalizing, they moved the puck around well to generate some chances. The best came when Mika Zibanejad had Will Cuylle right in front, but he was unable to beat Varlamov.

A few minutes later, Lafreniere slashed Bo Horvat from behind to prevent a scoring chance. The Islanders went on their second power play. While on it, Schaefer had an attempt blocked by Zibanejad, who helped Shesterkin freeze the puck. The only Islanders shot on the man-advantage came from Eklund, which Shesterkin handled. Despite trailing in shots 9-5, the Rangers took a one-goal lead to the dressing room.

At the start of the second, Lafreniere doubled the lead by getting his first of the season on a nice snapshot past Varlamov only 25 seconds in. After Gavrikov got the puck to Zibanejad, he made a perfect lead pass for Lafreniere, who cut in and scored from the left circle.

But just when it looked like the Rangers had the momentum, a soft call sent Eeli Tolvanen off for hooking Logan Stanley. This time, the Islanders cashed in on the opportunity thanks to some nice work from Schenn and Matias Maccelli. After receiving the puck from Schenn along the boards, Maccelli centered for Bo Horvat, whose quick one-timer beat Shesterkin for a power-play goal that put the Islanders within one.

A couple of shifts later, some more strong work from Schenn behind the net resulted in Cal Ritchie tying the game. He trapped a wandering Pavel Dorofeyev before feeding Ritchie in front who was patient enough to tuck a forehand around Shesterkin for his first to tie it at 4:52. Dorofeyev didn’t recover in time, which left Ritchie alone for the goal.

Using the two straight goals they scored, the Islanders were more aggressive on the forecheck. Ondrej Palat just missed on a backhand attempt. On another defensive lapse, DeAngelo roamed free to get a shot right on that Shesterkin stopped.

Halfway through the second, Alberts Smits made a good pinch and had his heavy shot just miss. In particular, the 18-year-old Latvian was very effective at making strong defensive plays and going in transition throughout. He showed a lot of confidence for just his fifth NHL game. He was rewarded with 15:27 of ice time, including a 13-second power play shift. If he keeps improving, it won’t be long before he records his first point.

On one Islanders sustained forecheck, Schaefer kept getting the puck in dangerous position. But his three attempts never reached the net. Tolvanen blocked a pair and one hit his own teammate. When play was finally frozen, a scrum ensued between Casey Cizikas and Smits, who didn’t back down. While Schaefer watched, Smits went back at Cizikas, who had some remarks for Smits as they went to the box.

Following a 4 on 4, Gavrikov drew a penalty on Schenn for holding to put the Rangers on a power play. Following a couple of good saves from Varlamov on Miller and Cuylle, Gabe Perreault created Bjorkstrand’s second of the game with some superb vision. After Cuylle got the puck over for Perreault, he circled around and made a bullet pass across that Bjorkstrand buried to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead with 2:53 remaining.

The assist gives Perreault points in four straight games. Despite playing on the second power play unit, he continues to assert himself well. He’s already set up two power play goals thanks to great passes. When he isn’t doing that, he’s either scoring or creating offense on the number one line, which is clicking on all cylinders. Zibanejad and Lafreniere both had great games. Overall, the line was dangerous throughout due to their forecheck. With Lafreniere putting up four points, all three are leading the way offensively.

On another shift at even strength, Perreault had a backhand sail wide. The more you see him, the more he looks like a first line player who’ll have a big third season to earn a long extension. Unlike other young players who aren’t as skilled, he’ll be worth it. If his strong start continues, Chris Drury better not wait too long. The price will go up.

In the third, with Kartye off for holding DeAngelo, the Islanders failed to convert. To their credit, the Rangers penalty kill didn’t give up anything. Instead, they outworked the Islanders to erase their fourth power play.

On one shift, Mike Sullivan had Smits and Adam Fox together to get a glance of the future. It almost backfired when Palat was able to sneak through both and get a shot off that hit the crossbar. They left too much of an opening and almost got burned.

A bit later, Shesterkin easily handled a long Schaefer offering for a stoppage. Despite having a pile of attempts, the 2025-26 Calder winner only got two shots on goal. He also hit the goalpost. For once, he wasn’t the best defenseman on the ice. Instead, that belonged to Fox, who made subtle plays and finished a plus-3 in 23:49 of work. Partner Gavrikov had his best game so far with two helpers and a plus-3 with a team best 24:10.

The Zibanejad unit nearly doubled the lead. But Varlamov denied both Zibanejad and Perreault in close to keep the Islanders down by one. For his first game back in 676 days due to two knee replacements, he was good finishing with 19 saves on 22 shots. It’s a credit to him for being able to come all the way back.

For playing their fifth game in eight days, the Rangers proved that they were the fresher team by playing better in the third. Not only did they outshoot the Islanders 12-5, but they defended extremely well.

Eventually, Islanders head coach Pete Deboer lifted Varlamov for an extra attacker. Thanks to some dogged checking in the neutral zone, Zibanejad stopped Schaefer short of the red line to force a turnover. That led to Miller setting up a Lafreniere one-timer into a vacated net with 1:38 left.

Just over half a minute later, he got another for the hat trick. It was well deserved for Lafreniere, who’s brought a stronger mindset to the rink. His hard work is paying off so far. Sullivan is rewarding Lafreniere by trusting him late game situations.

With nothing happening except for time winding down, Adam Pelech picked a fight with Bjorkstrand, who Sullivan stuck out late for possibly another hat trick. The Islanders veteran defenseman was visibly frustrated. The move lacked class. Bjorkstrand isn’t known for fighting. It was pointless.

Perhaps it’ll be remembered the next time the teams meet, which isn’t until Dec. 20 in Long Island. Circle the date.

THREE STARS:

3rd Star Mika Zibanejad 2 assists, 3 SOG, +3 in 20:05

2nd Star Oliver Bjorkstrand 2 goals incl. PPG, +1 in 8:58

1st Star Alexis Lafreniere 3rd career hat trick, assist for 4 points, +4 in 18:54

Posted in NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ovechkin to Retire at End of Season

Posted on October 6, 2026 by Derek

On Monday after a team practice, Alexander Ovechkin made an announcement in the Capitals locker room that this will be his final season. Before anything was revealed to the media, he wanted to make sure he told his teammates and coaches that his 22nd season will be it. It was a nice gesture with a personal touch from the NHL’s all-time goalscorer.

“This is going to be my last year. For me, and for my family, it’s very important for you guys to know first. It’s sad, but it is what it is.

We have an unbelievable team this year. And you know, 82 games left. Let’s make the playoffs. Let’s have fun. And enjoy the moment because you know, times fly for guys who are first year or experience guys. … I remember that moment, and enjoy the time because how I said, and times fly. It seems like yesterday, I was here my first year and right now, this is my 22nd year. … It’s hard, but let’s enjoy it, and let’s do some special thing this year.”

In all my time watching Ovechkin over the years, he’s always been one of my favorite hockey players. From Day One, the energy and passion that he’s brought is a big reason for all of his success. When he first arrived, he played the game with so much joy that it was infectious for both teammates and fans. It was similar to Ilya Kovalchuk, who joined Ovechkin in Washington at the end of his career. At least the two Russian stars got to play together before Kovalchuk retired from the NHL in 2020.

The astonishing thing about Ovechkin is how he took the league by storm as a 20-year-old rookie following the lockout. The 2004 first overall pick scored 52 goals with 54 assists for 106 points to win the Calder Trophy over Sidney Crosby in a memorable 2005-06 rookie class that included Dion Phaneuf and Henrik Lundqvist.

By his third season, he won the Hart Trophy by leading the NHL in goals (65) and points (112). He also paced all skaters in even-strength goals (43), power-play goals (22), game-winners (11), and shots-on-goal (446). Ovechkin repeated as the Hart winner in 2008-09 by scoring a league-leading 56 goals with 54 assists and 110 points. That same year, he led the Capitals out of a 3-1 first round deficit to beat the Rangers in seven.

After advancing, that set the stage for the first installment of the Crosby versus Ovechkin rivalry in the playoffs. The Eastern Conference Semifinals lived up to its billing with the two superstars scoring and setting up big goals in a hard fought seven-game series.

Three games needed overtime to decide, including Games 5 and 6. Following Evgeni Malkin winning the fifth game, the Caps got a goal from David Steckel to force a deciding seventh game. Backed by a Crosby goal on the power play, the Pens chased Semyon Varlamov en route to a 6-2 win. Although Ovechkin got one back on the power play, it was too late. Crosby added another power-play goal in the third period as the Pens reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Ultimately, the deeper Pens won the Stanley Cup by avenging a six-game loss to the Red Wings by defeating them in a classic seventh game, which required a great Marc-Andre Fleury save at the buzzer to preserve the victory.

For a while, the Ovechkin Caps went through some disappointing postseasons that continued to see them get eliminated early. That included consecutive series defeats to the Rangers in 2012 and 2013. After failing to qualify for the postseason in 2013-14, Barry Trotz took over behind the bench. A no-nonsense head coach who had success with the Predators, he got Ovechkin to buy into a more defensive minded system. He still continued to score goals, winning the Rocket Richard with 53 goals in 2014-15.

Despite having the Rangers close to the brink in Game 5, the Caps couldn’t close them out, losing in sudden death on a Ryan McDonagh overtime winner. After a furious third period rally fell short at home, they took the Rangers to overtime in the deciding seventh game. Ovechkin scored in the opening period. But Kevin Hayes tied it in the second on the power play. With nothing decided due to both Lundqvist and Braden Holtby going save for save, the Caps iced the puck before a stoppage. When play resumed, Derek Stepan won the game to once again break Washington hearts.

As he continued to score 50 or more, Ovechkin was still without a Cup. Once again, the Caps lost to the Crosby Pens in the second round. History repeated itself with the Pens winning the Cup in 2015-16. Unfortunately, it happened again the following year in the same round. Only this time, the Caps had home ice advantage due to winning the Presidents’ Trophy despite Ovechkin’s production falling to 33 goals and 69 points. He didn’t have a good series against the Pens, who went into Washington and won the deciding seventh game 2-0 behind a 29-save shutout from Fleury. Ovechkin had five points and finished minus-5. The Pens repeated as champs with Crosby winning the Conn Smythe for a second straight year.

In 2017-18, the pressure was on the Caps to win led by their captain. Once again, they finished first in the Metropolitan Division. Ovechkin bounced back to win the Rocket Richard with 49 goals, and had 87 points.

After getting past the Blue Jackets in the first round, the stage was set for Ovechkin to square off against Crosby for a third consecutive postseason. Unlike the previous two meetings, it was the Caps who prevailed in six. Despite Crosby doing what he usually does, Washington took the series due to having the better goalie. Holtby outperformed Matt Murray to backstop the Caps to the Conference Finals. After using a four-goal third period to come back and take Game 5 at home, they defeated the Pens 2-1 in Game 6 thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov’s goal in overtime, which Ovechkin set up.

Facing the Presidents’ Trophy winning Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals, they came back to defeat them in seven. It was a strange series that saw the road team take the first four games. Following a Lightning 3-2 win to hold serve in Game 5, the Caps got back-to-back shutouts from Holtby to win the series. That included a 3-0 victory at home and a 4-0 triumph on the road to stun the Bolts. Holtby stopped all 29 shots in the elimination game. Ovechkin set the tone with a goal 62 seconds in. Andre Burakovsky tallied twice and Nicklas Backstrom scored the empty netter to finally send the Caps to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Facing the upstart Golden Knights, the Caps’ experience proved to be the difference. After falling behind in the series, they took the next four to win their first ever Stanley Cup. Ovechkin scored three goals and added two helpers for five points in the Cup triumph. He had plenty of help from Kuznetsov, Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, and John Carlson. It was truly a team victory with Holtby besting Fleury, who joined Vegas as a their first ever draft pick.

Ovechkin led the playoffs with 15 goals and six power-play goals. He finished with 27 points, which ranked second behind Kuznetsov, who finished with a remarkable 32 points to lead all scorers. Ovechkin won the Conn Smythe.

Despite being in his thirties, he continued to score at a frenetic pace by winning two more Rocket Richards the following two seasons. Following a Covid shortened 2020-21, Ovechkin came back to score 50 goals at age 36 in 2021-22. It likely was the final time in his brilliant career that he hit the 50-goal mark. He’s scored 50 or more in nine seasons.

In 2024-25, he was dialed in. With Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record 894 goals within range, the 39-year-old Ovechkin started that season on fire. Even a broken foot couldn’t prevent him from healing quickly and returning to impeccable form. Nothing was going to stop him from tying and breaking Gretzky’s record.

It finally happened versus the Islanders at UBS Arena on April 6, 2025. Fittingly, it came on the power play where he made his living. On a play in transition started by Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson gained the Islanders zone and found a trailing Ovechkin for a wrist shot that beat Ilya Sorokin at 7:26 of the second period. Ovechkin went into a slide to celebrate the 895th goal of his remarkable career while fans cheered him.

The record came while the Caps played the Islanders on the NHL on TNT. Kenny Albert had the call of the record breaking goal. Ovechkin received a standing ovation from the crowd that included Gretzky and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. His wife and son were in attendance as the Islanders honored him with a video tribute that included career highlights and congratulations from Crosby and Malkin for the special occasion. He was congratulated by the entire Islanders roster at center ice as “Ovi, Ovi, Ovi!” chants filled the arena.

Despite missing a month, Ovechkin finished the season with 44 goals and 73 points in 65 games. For his effort, he won the Mark Messier Leadership Award.

For the 21st time in his career, the Great Eight scored at least 30 goals or more in 2025-26 by finishing with 32. He entered his final season with an NHL record 929 goals, along with a record 331 power-play goals, and 141 game-winners. There’s never been a better goalscorer in hockey history.

Whatever happens over the remainder of the season, Ovechkin will one day take his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame alongside the greats.

Posted in Battle News | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rangers Recall Cole Beaudoin

Posted on October 6, 2026 by Derek

On Tuesday afternoon, the Rangers recalled prospect Cole Beaudoin from the Hartford Wolf Pack. He’s set to make his NHL debut when the Rangers host the Islanders in the Battle of New York tonight.

Acquired with Sean Durzi from the Mammoth for Vincent Trocheck on July 1, the 20-year-old center followed up a good training camp with a quick start to his professional career in the American Hockey League. In his first two AHL games, Beaudoin recorded a goal and four assists for a team-leading five points.

To make the roster move, the Rangers put center Joe Veleno on the injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. He’ll miss at least four games over a week. In order to make a spot available for Beaudoin, they placed defenseman Matthew Robertson on waivers yesterday. Robertson cleared today and will be assigned to Hartford.

For Beaudoin, it’s an early chance to show the Rangers what he’s capable of. A former Mammoth 2024 first round pick taken 24th overall, the six-foot-two, 212 pound left-handed center plays the game with tenacity. His willingness to go to the dirty areas was noticeable during preseason. A strong skater with skill, he has the potential to become a fixture on the third line.

For the time being, Beaudoin will replace Veleno and anchor the fourth line, which includes Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jaroslav Chmelar. When asked why they didn’t consider just sending Chmelar down due to him being waivers exempt, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan emphasized why they decided against it.

“The question is: Do we just put guys in the lineup and send guys down just because they’re waivers exempt, or do we put the guys in the lineup that we think are going to give us the best chance to win? We chose to make a decision based on the latter. We think the guys that are in the lineup are deserving to be in the lineup through their performance and their play. Jaro is one of those guys.”

It’s a refreshing change from past seasons when coaches often favored playing veterans over younger players. That includes Sullivan, who had a personal attachment to nephew in law Conor Sheary last season. However, since Chmelar came up last year, it was obvious that the organization likes him. Since being a healthy scratch for the season opener, Chmelar has remained in the lineup over Matt Rempe, who’s clearly the 13th forward.

If Beaudoin makes a good first impression, it’s possible that Rempe’s days could be numbered. If there’s a justification for keeping him, it’s due to what he can bring for certain matchups. The Rangers don’t want to get pushed around. The season is only a week old and we’ve already seen Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini injured by pest Brady Tkachuk, who gave him an extra shot following a clean hit. Ironically, former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba responded by taking on Tkachuk.

There’s also the likelihood that Rempe could be next to go on waivers. The Rangers have already lucked out with Dylan Garand, who came back up to post his first NHL shutout. Robertson will play for the Wolf Pack until something happens. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if he’s traded at some point. Would any team even blink an eye if Rempe was available? He’d probably clear and go down.

The game has changed. More teams are icing 12 skaters who have enough skill to contribute. It remains to be seen when Rempe could return to the lineup. The Rangers like what they have. A true four line team more in Sullivan’s vision. He hasn’t shied away from bumping up the versatile Tye Kartye into the top six by demoting Bjorkstrand, who remains on the second power play unit. Kartye is effective on the forecheck by freeing up space for J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev. We’ll see how long that combination lasts.

Varlamov Gets Start for Islanders

After 675 days away due to plenty of rehabilitation for surgery on both knees, Semyon Varlamov makes his return for the Islanders tonight. It’ll be his first start since Nov. 29, 2024.

The 38-year-old veteran goalie has worked hard to make it back. Without him last season, the Islanders over relied on Ilya Sorokin in their attempt to make the playoffs. Despite finishing second for the Vezina, Sorokin ran out of gas down the stretch.

Varlamov was definitely missed. Instead, Islanders head coach Pete Deboer sparingly used David Rittich, whose play declined last season. If he can return to form, Varlamov is a significant upgrade as a backup. He’s dominated the Rangers throughout his career, bringing in a 14-8-2 record with a 2.59 goals-against-average, .915 save percentage, and five shutouts, which are the most against a single opponent.

Igor Shesterkin will oppose him for the Rangers. He is 9-10-1 against the Islanders with a 2.68 GAA, .909 save percentage, and one shutout. Twelve of the 52 goals he’s allowed to the Islanders have come on the power play.

Shesterkin is off to a hot start, bringing in a 2-1 record with a 1.67 GAA and .934 save percentage. He’s been in the headlines due to becoming the 18th goaltender in NHL history to score a goalie goal. Recently named the First Star of the week, he has a two-game point scoring streak with an assist on an Eeli Tolvanen empty net goal in a Rangers win over the Mammoth this past Sunday.

Posted in Battle News, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment