Shesterkin Wins Rare Goalie Fight Over Markstrom

Posted on April 1, 2026 by Derek

In a game that the Rangers led 4-1 against the Devils, things got heated with 10:55 left in the third period.

Devils forward Paul Cotter bumped into Igor Shesterkin to create a fracas between the close Hudson rivals. J.T. Miller took exception to Cotter behind the net. While players from both sides got into shoving matches, an incensed Shesterkin went after Cotter, leading to Jacob Markstrom leaving his crease to challenge Shesterkin to a rare goalie fight.

When Markstrom came across the ice, Shesterkin didn’t realize his counterpart was right behind him. Eventually, after Markstrom waited for him to get his gear off, the two battled for what was the first goalie fight between the Rangers and Devils.

Once they squared off, it was Shesterkin who landed the better punches on Markstrom to get the decision. A fiery competitor, the 30-year-old Rangers netminder had been itching to drop the gloves. It showed in his first fight of his NHL career.

Even in a rivalry game that didn’t have too much significance due to where the teams currently are in the standings, emotions were running high at 9:55 of the third period. The passionate Shesterkin provided Madison Square Garden with the energy that had been lacking in most home games. When the fight was over, he got a standing ovation from the crowd who appreciated what they witnessed.

Prior to Shesterkin battling Markstrom, you have to go all the way back to April 1998 for the last time a Rangers goalie was involved in a fight. That came during a brawl between the Rangers and Islanders in Uniondale. Dan Cloutier pummeled Tommy Salo and then skated over and challenged the entire Islanders bench.

Back then, fighting was more common between bitter rivals. For the Devils, you have to go back 31 years to December 1995 when Corey Schwab beat Tommy Soderstrom of the Islanders in a goalie fight during a melee.

Anytime the goalies are involved in a fight, the fans get out of their seats. It’s definitely something that you don’t see too often. The most famous one involved the Sabres and Flyers when Steve Shields took on Garth Snow in a memorable bout during the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Making it more special was that the late Rick Jeanneret had the call of the entertaining scrap. Nobody was better at describing a fight than the legendary voice of the Sabres.

Goalie fights are as thrilling as when a goalie scores a goal. Something Shesterkin hopes to still do one day. In the Rangers’ recent 3-1 win over the Panthers on Mar. 29, he got so excited to try going for it that his attempt was knocked down by Matthew Tkachuk, leading to a Panthers’ scoring chance. Fortunately, he had some help from Vladislav Gavrikov.

Shesterkin lost out on the shutout when he whiffed on Mackie Samoskevich’s floater that bounced in out of midair with 41 seconds left in regulation.

He hasn’t been as lucky when it comes to pitching shutouts. On Tuesday night, all that separated him was a Connor Brown power-play goal 51 seconds into the second period that cut the Rangers’ lead to 2-1.

But unlike the previous two meetings, when Jack Hughes erupted in identical 6-3 Devils wins, the Rangers were able to blanket his line throughout by doing a better job taking time and space away.

Buoyed by first period tallies from Conor Sheary and Miller, the Rangers got a big goal from rookie Jaroslav Chmelar when he was able to chip a backhand past Markstrom to make it 3-1 during the second period.

Before the fireworks in the third, Gabe Perreault set up Mika Zibanejad for his team-leading 33rd to make it 4-1. Prior to the game, he was named the Steven McDonald Award winner for his strong season. It was fitting that he got the final goal to put the game away.

There haven’t been many happy moments at MSG. In one of their final home games, Shesterkin provided it with his work in the net and his fists.

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Rangers Clinch Second Straight Playoff Miss

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Derek

For the sixth straight time, the Rangers lost a hockey game. By falling to the Leafs in a much more competitive 4-3 defeat, they clinched a second consecutive playoff miss.

Unlike Monday night, when the Senators held them to a season-low 10 shots, the Rangers played much better tonight. However, despite outshooting the Leafs 43-18, they were unable to overcome a bad first period.

Wednesday marked the NHL debut of Adam Sykora. Wearing number 38, the 21-year-old forward took regular shifts with Vincent Trocheck and Will Cuylle. He didn’t look out of place for his first game, finishing with three shots, seven attempts, and a minus-2 in 13:33 of ice time. There’s no reason the 2022 second round pick shouldn’t get into more games down the stretch.

Inexplicably, Mike Sullivan scratched Adam Edstrom and had Jonny Brodzinski center the fourth line. At this point, it should be all about playing the younger players on the roster.

Another mystifying lineup decision saw recently signed defenseman Drew Fortescue remain in the press box. The whole point of burning a year off his entry-level contract is to get him into games. Instead, Sullivan had Braden Schneider back with Will Borgen, while Matthew Robertson worked with Vincent Iorio, who finally returned to the lineup.

The Rangers started the game much better than the other night. They got shots through on Joseph Woll and generated chances off the forecheck.

However, a bad bounce allowed Jake McCabe to get his fourth from directly in front, set up from Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua.

A turnover inside the Toronto blue line led to Max Domi skating in transition and finding Nick Robertson for a quick snapshot past Igor Shesterkin that made it 2-0. It was one he’d want back.

In the second period, Shesterkin let in another bad goal when Joshua beat him from the left circle with a wrist shot to make it 3-0. He wasn’t sharp throughout, getting caught off his angle on three of four Leafs goals.

The Rangers picked up their play to get back in it. They got it done on the power play thanks to the skill of their new number one line. On a play that Adam Fox started, J.T. Miller passed in front for Alexis Lafreniere, who made a power move and sweet finish to cut it to 3-1.

They closed to within one late in the period. After Cuylle drew a slashing minor on Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Lafreniere set up Mika Zibanejad for his team-leading 31st with 1:59 left. A game after being honored for playing in his 1,000th career game, Zibanejad passed Adam Graves for fourth on the Rangers all-time franchise goal scoring list with his 281st.

It was a beautiful pass from Lafreniere, who continues to excel with Zibanejad and rookie Gabe Perreault. The cohesive trio dominated most of their shifts against the Leafs. They’d hook up for a nice goal in the third period.

Despite continuing to control most of the play in the third, one mistake proved costly. After a loose puck went by Cuylle, John Tavares retrieved it and made a nice individual effort to score his 26th unassisted. It was another one that caught Shesterkin leaning, which made it a two-goal game.

Over a minute later, the Blueshirts struck back thanks to some stellar passing from their number one line. After Lafreniere moved the puck ahead for Perreault, he made a perfect centering feed that Zibanejad finished in front for number 32 to make it 4-3 with 6:56 remaining.

Lafreniere created another opportunity for himself by coming into the Leafs zone and getting a good low shot on Woll that he stopped.

With time winding down, Fox got the puck over for a Zibanejad one-timer that didn’t find the net. The Leafs closed it out to hang on for the win.

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Garand Loses in Debut for Rangers

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Derek

It took a while for him to arrive, but Dylan Garand finally made his NHL debut for the Rangers on Sunday afternoon. The 2020 fourth round pick had a grand entrance at Madison Square Garden in a tough 3-2 shootout loss to the Jets.

After spending four years fine-tuning his game with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League, the 23-year-old Garand introduced himself to fans at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Kids Day. Although he came up a little short of picking a win in his first game, he impressed by making 35 saves against a desperate opponent. As bad as their season has been, the Jets are still alive for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Ironically, only four points separated the Rangers from Winnipeg entering today’s match. The absurd aspect is that while the Jets are still competing for the playoffs, the Rangers remain out of it in a much stronger Eastern Conference. Instead, it’s mostly about where they wind up in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season. They came in ranked 29th out of 32 in the NHL Lottery race for prized prospects Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg. By virtue of a point, they’re up to 65 to put them one ahead of the Blackhawks, who are currently taking on the Predators.

In their 70th game of another disappointing season, the Rangers were mostly outplayed by the more desperate Jets. A bad start saw them fall behind 1-0 and outshot 11-4 in a lackluster opening period.

Adam Lowry put away a feed from Gabe Vilardi at 13:06 to put the Jets ahead. It was a defensive breakdown for the Blueshirts due to Adam Fox and J.T. Miller both going to Cole Perfetti. That left only Vladislav Gavrikov back to defend, allowing Vilardi to slide a pass across to Lowry for an easy finish.

Following the dismal start, the Rangers picked it up with a more inspired second period. In fact, they held a 16-14 edge in shots and outscored the Jets 2-1 in a more entertaining stanza.

Tye Kartye drew them even thanks to some hard work from his line. After having his first shot broken up, Miller stuck with it to get the puck to an open Kartye in front for his sixth. Since joining the Blueshirts, Kartye has been one of their best forwards. A very active player who comes back defensively and is noticeable on the forecheck, Kartye has three goals and five assists for eight points in 12 games. He’s been a good fit on the third line, where he had solid chemistry with rookie Noah Laba, who sat out a second straight game due to an injury. Miller remained the center on the line with Kartye and Conor Sheary.

The Jets went back ahead thanks to a power-play goal from Vilardi. With Taylor Raddysh off for slashing, Kyle Connor set up Vilardi for a one-timer that beat Garand to make it 2-1. Garand made several big saves on Winnipeg chances in transition to keep the Rangers within one. That included denying a Connor shorthanded bid.

Mika Zibanejad was able to reach the 30-goal mark for the fourth time in his career. Playing in his 999th NHL game, Zibanejad buried a Fox pass in the left circle for the game-tying power-play goal. It was his team-leading 14th goal on the man-advantage this season. He leads the Rangers in scoring with 30 goals and 67 points in 69 games, getting back to nearly a point-per-game clip.

In a third period that favored the Jets, the Rangers killed off a Matthew Robertson high-sticking minor to remain tied. Garand made 11 saves to take it to overtime.

Gavrikov drew a weak interference minor on Mark Scheifele to put the Rangers on a 4-on-3 man-advantage. Mike Sullivan opted to go with Fox, Zibanejad, Miller, and Vincent Trocheck for the full two minutes. They were never able to get much done. Fox was too passive on the point, choosing to force passes, including one for a bad angle Trocheck shot that Jets backup Eric Comrie handled.

It wasn’t much of a power play. When he attempted a shot towards the end, Fox missed the net. As good as he is at keeping pucks in and setting up teammates, he remains a frustrating number one defenseman due to his weak shot. For an elite player, it’s puzzling that Fox isn’t better at shooting the puck. It was only two years ago that he set a career-high by scoring 17 goals. It’s doubtful that he’ll ever get close to that number again.

With 11 seconds remaining in overtime, Alexis Lafreniere took a needless hooking minor on Scheifele. The Jets weren’t able to cash in to send it to a shootout.

That was no contest. After Trocheck missed on a backhand, Connor beat Garand through the five-hole. Then, Miller had a really predictable attempt that Comrie stopped. The Jets went with Vilardi, who was able to sneak a shot just under Garand’s glove to clinch the victory.

The biggest takeaway is that Garand played well. He’s been patiently waiting for his opportunity. With Jonathan Quick banged up, he should get some more starts down the stretch.

If there’s a disappointment, Sullivan hardly used the fourth line. Adam Edstrom had only 7:12 of ice time and Jaroslav Chmelar received just 6:03. Jonny Brodzinski logged 6:04. It wasn’t like there was a lot of special teams. At this juncture, both Edstrom and Chmelar should be taking regular shifts.

Fortescue Set to Debut This Week

The Connor Mackey experiment is coming to an end. The recent signing of 2023 third round pick Drew Fortescue to an entry-level contract means that the Boston College product will make his Rangers debut this week. If not tomorrow against the Senators in Monday’s only NHL game, then probably by Wednesday against the Maple Leafs.

Fortescue is a left defenseman who just wrapped up his junior year for BC. He had four goals and 10 helpers for 14 points this year. He was part of the 2025 gold medal for Team USA at the World Junior Championships.

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Why the Rangers Should Shut Down J.T. Miller

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Derek

It’s been a tough season for J.T. Miller. The Rangers captain has battled injuries throughout 2025-26. Two separate injured reserve stints have caused him to miss 14 games. Despite whatever has ailed him, the prideful Miller still played a checking role with Vincent Trocheck in helping Team USA win its first Olympic gold medal since 1980.

When he has played for the Blueshirts, the 33-year-old veteran center has been a shell of himself. Consider that after coming over from Vancouver last year, Miller put up 35 points in 32 games in his return to Broadway. His production has been the exact opposite in his first full season as a Ranger since 2016-17, when as a 23-year-old, he tallied 56 points. Instead, Miller’s been a frustrating player who’s lost his explosiveness, resulting in an uneven year that’s seen him put up 39 points in 55 games. Even more concerning, he’s a team worst minus-28.

Recently, he missed five games earlier this month due to another injury. Without him, the Rangers played better by winning four of five and outscoring opponents 25-13. During that stretch, the power play went an impressive 8-for-16, proving to be more effective with rookie Gabe Perreault on the first unit. There was better puck movement, which led to them having more success.

Once Miller returned, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan moved Perreault to the second unit. Fittingly, Perreault set up Noah Laba for a power-play goal against the Wild on Mar. 14. That came after the reformed top unit was ineffective. In four games since, the Rangers are 3-for-12. That included Alexis Lafreniere tipping in an Adam Fox shot in Thursday night’s 6-3 defeat to the Blue Jackets. Miller hasn’t factored in on any of the three power-play goals. To be blunt, he hasn’t done much of anything.

In losing three of their last four with Miller, the Rangers have been outscored 18-11 and outshot 150-82 by opponents. Aside from helping set up a Conor Sheary goal in a 6-3 loss to the Devils on Wednesday, Miller is a minus-4. Before he replaced an injured Laba on the third line, the second line was outshot 8-0 by the Devils and constantly pinned in. By contrast, the number one line anchored by Mika Zibanejad held their own by spending more time in the offensive zone. They were on for one goal for and one goal against with a shot differential of minus-2.

In the loss to Columbus, Sullivan kept Miller with Tye Kartye and Sheary. Despite performing well as a line, they gave up a goal. Miller finished the game a minus-2 in 18:37. That included over six minutes of power play time compared to just 2:30 for Perreault due to being demoted. As a team, the Rangers were 1-for-6. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t good enough to come out with a win against the sizzling Blue Jackets, who moved past the Islanders into third place in the Metropolitan Division.

With 13 games remaining, the Rangers are playing for next year. When it comes down to it, experienced players such as Miller already have a spot locked up before the start of 2026-27. With a full no-movement clause through 2027 and $32 million owed over the final four years of his contract, it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. If he isn’t fully healthy, why does he continue to play?

It would be much wiser if the Rangers shut him down and let him recover from the injuries that plagued his season. Unfortunately, they seem okay with allowing Miller to play out the final stretch. There isn’t any point in continuing to do so. Already unable to win the division, it’s only a matter of time before they’re officially eliminated from reaching the playoffs.

At this point, the organization should prioritize getting as many younger faces into the lineup to see what they’re capable of. Adam Sykora has continued to play well for Hartford in the American Hockey League. The 2022 second round pick is up to 12 goals and 28 points for the Wolf Pack. Sullivan has liked what he’s seen from Jaroslav Chmelar on the fourth line. How about finding out what the 22-year-old Sykora can provide. That would require him to sit out a veteran like Sheary.

Until Laba returns, Miller will continue to center the third line. If he can come back sooner than later, Laba will be back with Kartye. With Adam Edstrom continuing to get reps at center on the checking line, the Rangers are trying to find out if Edstrom can play there full-time in the future.

Given his stature in the locker room, it’s understandable why Miller would want to keep playing. Hockey players have a different mindset. Especially someone as bullheaded as Miller. They don’t always want to do what’s best for themselves. If the organization took an actual stance instead of letting an older player who they’ll need to be much better moving forward, there would be some optimism.

What would you expect from a team that iced a lineup with journeyman defenseman Connor Mackey over Vincent Iorio in game number 69 of 82. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Rangers Lacking Passion Against Close Hudson Rival

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Derek

If you tuned into last night’s game on TNT, it was another mind-numbing effort in a lopsided loss to the Devils, who pulled away for a 6-3 win over the Rangers.

There wasn’t much to get excited about. The Rangers spent too much time defending against their faster close Hudson rival. It was the Devils who won most of the battles. They forced the Rangers into many bad turnovers due to their aggression.

It was as if they treated them with no respect. They were hungrier and played with more urgency. It was almost as if the Devils approached last night’s match like a playoff game. Even if the odds are still stacked against them, somehow qualifying for the postseason, there’s a different intensity that they play with against the Rangers. It’s eerily similar to how the Islanders play against them.

It wasn’t only Jack Hughes who killed them. He played the role of Jason by scoring a big goal and helped set up Jesper Bratt’s insurance marker in the third period. Hughes got his usual three points versus the Rangers, who again had no answer for him. He enjoys beating them. Every Devil does. In an earlier March matchup that they won by an identical 6-3 margin, Nico Hischier told reporters that it’s always nice to beat the Rangers.

When’s the last time a Blueshirt had a similar mindset against their closest rivals? They’re now a loss away from getting swept by both the Islanders and Devils. It’s pretty much a guarantee that they’ll lose at the end of the month.

Why should fans even watch? The lack of pride and passion is a joke. The Rangers embarrassed themselves on national TV again. That’s nothing new. There was the Boston Massacre a couple of months ago when the Bruins flirted with 10 goals. There were a pair of losses to the Islanders, with world beater David Rittich in the net over Ilya Sorokin.

This is who the Rangers are. A laughingstock. How bad was it last night? By the time Hughes undressed them again for another goal, the familiar “Woo” chants could be heard from the Devils contingent who took the Path ride to Madison Square Garden. Even an audible “Rangers Suck” chant made its way from Newark to Manhattan. You would’ve thought it was a Devils home game.

That’s what happens when the team gives fans nothing to cheer for. In an uncompetitive first period that favored the Devils by a significant margin, with the shots 17-3, they turned a 1-0 deficit on a Vladislav Gavrikov tally into a 2-1 lead against Jonathan Quick.

With the game tied, Arseny Gritsyuk turned Adam Fox into a traffic cone by flying past him out of the zone and then beating Quick with a quick snapshot late in the period. Fox didn’t even move his feet to check Gritsyuk, allowing him to blow by for the goal. The look on Fox’s face afterward was one of shock. Maybe it shouldn’t have been. He isn’t exactly the fastest skater, which is why Bill Guerin was right in not selecting him to Team USA, who won Olympic gold.

Following an early Mika Zibanejad goal that was created by Gabe Perreault forcing Dougie Hamilton into a turnover, the Devils re-took the lead on a power-play goal from Connor Brown. Alexis Lafreniere negated a 5-on-4 to put them on it. Brown easily finished a Hughes feed in front without any pressure. The Devils scored twice more on the man-advantage against a Rangers penalty kill that’s been lousy lately. They were victimized three times in the first meeting.

Although they got more shots on Jacob Markstrom in the second, they were doubled up by the Devils on the scoreboard. Quick kept them in it. He dealt with a lot of odd man rushes due to very poor decisions from his teammates. Whether it was bad pinches or bad passes that fueled their opponent’s transition, it was a shooting gallery at Quick’s end.

After he denied Paul Cotter on a breakaway, Quick was helpless when Timo Meier scored on an easy follow-up. It was mindless to watch. The Rangers hung the poor veteran out to dry. Even if he wasn’t perfect, he gave his team a chance.

The Rangers played the final 20 minutes down two players, with injuries to Urho Vaakanainen and Noah Laba forcing Mike Sullivan to shorten his rotation. J.T. Miller shifted to center the third line. On a night that he was again miserable, he helped set up a Conor Sheary goal that made it 4-3.

Over the next couple of shifts, the Rangers had their best moments by continuing to apply pressure on the Devils, who suddenly couldn’t buy a clear out of their zone. That nearly cost them the lead. Despite some close calls for the Zibanejad line, which did most of the work at 5-on-5, they were unable to draw even.

Instead, Hughes put on a clinic by taking a Simon Nemec pass and skating uncontested into the slot before blasting a shot through Quick to turn the tide. He later got his second assist of the game on a Bratt tally.

If there was one takeaway, not one Ranger physically engaged a Devil in a scrum. Unless you counted Vincent Trocheck’s goofiness by pretending to be part of a Devils huddle with former USA teammate Hughes front and center, there was nothing.

They were too slow to hit Hughes, who may as well have been the roadrunner from Looney Tunes. Instead, the Rangers player the role of Wile E. Coyote to suck the life out of the building. There was no emotion or energy. It felt like the preseason.

At this point, that shouldn’t be the case. Especially against a bitter rival who treats these games as their Stanley Cup. Considering the recent history of the Devils, it may as well be. They’ve advanced past the first round once since 2012. That one came against the Rangers with the Game 7 humiliation ending Gerard Gallant’s tenure four years ago.

One wonders why there isn’t more pushback from the Manhattan side. They shouldn’t need the presence of a fringe NHL player to create some animosity. They should feel ashamed.

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Rangers Fall to Kings in Panarin’s Return

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Derek

On Monday night, Artemi Panarin was welcomed back at MSG in his return. The Kings got the last laugh by defeating the Rangers 4-1 on Pride Night.

There wasn’t much team pride in a lopsided second period that saw the Kings dominate the Rangers by a significant margin. They were outshot 16-3 in what Adam Fox described as “some of the worst hockey, I think, of our season.”

After getting out to a good start, by testing Darcy Kuemper early with a couple of quality scoring chances, the Rangers fell behind when Drew Doughty beat Igor Shesterkin through traffic at 13:29.

Following an icing from Matthew Robertson, the Kings won a draw that led to Panarin moving the puck to Mikey Anderson. He then got it across for Doughty, who got his fifth to open the scoring. The secondary assist was the only point Panarin would get to give him 13 points in 11 games with Los Angeles.

During the first stoppage, the Rangers showed a video tribute that included Panarin scoring his biggest goal in overtime to eliminate the Pens. He received a warm ovation from fans, with some wearing his jersey. Afterward, he skated out and politely waved to thank the crowd. It was obvious that he was emotional. His body language showed how he felt.

After getting outshot 8-6 in the first period, the Rangers fell apart in the second. The Kings scored twice over an 18-second span to go ahead 3-0.

Anderson put in a rebound of an Alex Laferierre shot to increase the Kings’ lead to two. On a quick play in transition, Quenton Byfield set up Laferierre in the slot for a shot that Shesterkin couldn’t control, which allowed Anderson to slam it home. Adam Edstrom fell down behind the play due to a skate issue, creating a 3-on-2 that LA capitalized on.

With Vincent Trocheck off for high-sticking, the Kings went to work on the power play. Byfield set up Anze Kopitar for a shot that Laferierre batted in out of midair to put the Rangers down by three. It was good hand-eye coordination from Laferierre, who’s not to be confused with Alexis Lafreniere.

Rather than claw back, the Rangers had zero response. Instead, they were physically dominated by the more aggressive Kings, who are playing a more uptempo style under interim coach D.J. Smith. They blanketed the Rangers and, at one point, led in shots 24-8.

After hearing boos to end the second, the Rangers finally showed some signs of life in a much more inspired third period. They got back in it thanks to an early Trocheck power-play goal. With Laferierre  off for boarding Robertson, Mika Zibanejad set up Fox for a shot that Trocheck tipped in to cut the deficit to 3-1 with 17:31 left.

Despite continuing to take it to the Kings, who sat back, the Rangers were unable to draw nearer. Gabe Perreault had a close call but had his shot hit both the goalpost and crossbar. It was a frustrating night for both him and Lafreniere, who was denied by Kuemper of a goal at one point.

The new first line didn’t spend enough time in the offensive zone. Zibanejad felt that they passed up on some shots following the loss, which snapped a season best four-game winning streak. It was just their second loss in regulation since they returned from the Olympic break.

Noah Laba alnost had a goal back in the first period that would’ve tied it. But he was unable to hit the net with Kuemper down after Lafreniere created a chance.

With Shesterkin off for an extra attacker, Trevor Moore sealed it with an empty netter.

When it was over, each player lined up to congratulate Kopitar on a great career. The future Hall of Famer is one of the all-time greatest two-way centers to ever play the game. A two-time Stanley Cup champion who’s retiring at the conclusion of the season, he’s been a legendary King, who recently passed Marcel Dionne for the most points in franchise history. With a primary assist, Kopitar is up to 1,309 points.

The last player to congratulate him was fittingly Jonathan Quick. They’ll forever be intertwined due to teaming up to win Cups in 2012 and 2014. Quick gave his former teammate a huge embrace and tapped the Kings logo on his helmet. It’s very likely that Quick will also retire. If he does, he’ll join Kopitar in Toronto.

The Rangers lost to a more desperate team playing for their playoff lives. By taking two of three in the Metro area, the Kings tied the idle Kraken in points for the final wild card.

Meanwhile, the Blueshirts are down to 15 games remaining. Next up are the Devils on Wednesday at The Garden.

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Sarcastic Panarin Set for MSG Return

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Derek

It’s been six weeks since the Rangers traded Artemi Panarin to the Kings. The deal took place on Feb. 4 with the Russian star picking Los Angeles as his next NHL destination.

Due to team president and general manager Chris Drury sticking firm to moving on from Panarin before the Olympic roster freeze, he got back top prospect Liam Greentree, a conditional 2026 third round pick, and conditional 2028 fourth round pick.

Viewed as a disappointing return for a player who averaged 1.36 points-per-game over seven years, the Rangers have played better hockey since. They enter tonight’s match against the Kings having won a season-high four consecutive games. Having gone 6-1-2 since the returning from the Olympics, they’re playing their well while Panarin’s new team has been up and down so far.

In 10 games, Los Angeles is 4-5-1 with Panarin. He’s been just fine putting up three goals and nine assists for 12 points, including scoring a power-play goal while adding two helpers in a 6-4 loss at the Devils this past weekend. Despite struggling, the Kings remain just two points in back of the Kraken for the final wild card in a mediocre Western Conference. Although they currently are sixth in the Pacific Division, the Kings trail the first place Ducks by eight points. Both the Golden Knights and Oilers are second and third, with 76 and 75 points. The Kraken rank fourth with 71, followed by the Sharks (70), and the Kings, who have 69.

While they try to get hot down the stretch and squeak into the playoffs, the focus will be on Panarin in his MSG return tonight. He’s been very open about how he feels since being dealt by indicating to reporters that he knew it was a possibility once Drury sent out a letter to the fans about the Rangers ‘retool.’

On playing the Rangers, he said, “We’ll see. I’ll try not crying. I guess battling for the playoffs, I don’t have time for that emotion.”

When asked about possibly getting the chance to face former teammate Igor Shesterkin one-on-one, the affable Panarin sarcastically remarked, “”I hope he has a bad night tonight. Sorry New York Rangers fans, but you don’t care this year anymore. We’ll see. Try to win the game.”

One of the things Panarin has consistently said is that the Rangers didn’t want him. That’s true with him confirming that they never made him an offer to stay. Instead, he wound up in Hollywood where he signed a two-year contract extension worth $22 million.

For the Blueshirts, it was about moving in a different direction. They needed to get younger. As good as Panarin is, he didn’t fit into their long-term plans. If there’s been a correlation, it’s been the improvement of former teammate Alexis Lafreniere. He’s been on a good roll lately. He was named the NHL’s first star of the week scoring five goals with two assists for seven points to help the Rangers to a perfect 4-0 record last week. That included Lafreniere getting his second career hat trick in a win over Calgary on Mar. 10.

Lafreniere has developed excellent chemistry with 20-year-old newcomer Gabe Perreault. The two have combined with Mika Zibanajad to form a new top line that’s been productive since head coach Mike Sullivan put them together. Lafreniere heaped praise on Perreault, who is a superb passer.

With Zibanejad continuing to lead the way, things are looking up. Even with them playing out the string, the Rangers are having more fun than they did at any point of the season. They’ll look to keep it going against Panarin and the Kings.



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Making Sense of Perreault’s Power Play Demotion

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Derek

When the Rangers visit the Wild in St. Paul on Saturday afternoon, it’ll come with a likely change to the lineup. After missing the last five games, J.T. Miller is expected to return. Assuming he plays, Miller would replace Gabe Perreault on the top power play unit after taking reps in practice.

Without Miller, the Rangers enter play having won four of five, taking a three-game winning streak into today’s game. Perreault has found chemistry on the number one line with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere. With three consecutive two-point efforts over the last three games, the 20-year-old forward is growing in confidence. He’s combined with Lafreniere and Zibanejad for some nice goals. In a 4-0 victory over the Flames on Mar. 10, it was his playmaking that was on full display with a pair of good passes that led to Lafreniere recording his second career hat trick.

In their most recent win over Winnipeg, Perreault helped set up another Lafreniere goal thanks to some diligent work on the forecheck that led to Will Borgen’s shot being deflected in by Lafreniere. With the game tied in the final period, Perreault notched the game-winner when Lafreniere moved the puck up for a Braden Schneider shot pass that the rookie put away for his seventh.

While continuing to have success at 5-on-5 with his linemates, Perreault has also contributed positively to the power play. In a 6-2 win over the Flyers on Mar. 9, he had a power-play goal and had a behind the back feed that Zibanejad put away. His ability to make plays with the puck has made him a good asset on the 5-on-4.

Of his 17 points, 13 have come at even strength with four on the power play. Even when he hasn’t produced on the man-advantage, Perreault has been very effective with the top unit, which includes Zibanejad, Lafreniere, Adam Fox, and Vincent Trocheck. By demoting him to the second power play, it feels like Mike Sullivan is catering to Miller.

“I don’t think he would look at it as a demotion. Gabe is playing extremely well right now, and so we’ll continue to work with him and to try to continue to help him grow and develop his game. We’ll put him in situations where we think it sets him up for success,” Sullivan told reporters yesterday.

At this point of the season, a veteran who’s been a polarizing player shouldn’t be prioritized over a younger player with promise. Even if he has a point about Miller, who’s been part of the first unit’s success, with it ranked in the top 10, Sullivan is using it as an excuse. He should do what’s best for the team moving forward, which shouldn’t come at Perreault’s expense.

By going back to Miller on the top unit, the Rangers are playing three centers together. Even when they had Artemi Panarin, they never did that. There’s no reason to have Zibanejad, Miller, and Trocheck on the same five-man unit. One should anchor the second unit. That way Perreault can remain on the number one unit.

In somewhat of a role reversal, Sullivan hinted that he plans to use Miller at center. Rather than have him return to play with Trocheck on the same line, that would mean Noah Laba also gets demoted from the third unit. Laba has been having success with new addition Tye Kartye and Conor Sheary. The trio has played well since being put together by combining for 10 points over the last four games. Since returning from the break, Laba has found an extra gear. He and the very active Kartye work well together. Separating them doesn’t make sense.

Assuming Miller takes over on the third line, that would leave Laba to anchor the fourth line. With Taylor Raddysh also expected back to join the second line, that would leave Laba to work with Adam Edstrom and Jaroslav Chmelar. Interestingly, Edstrom played up with Trocheck and Will Cuylle, and scored a goal on Thursday. If he goes back down for Raddysh, isn’t that counterproductive?

The Rangers aren’t making the playoffs. There’s 17 games remaining, including a good litmus test at Minnesota later. Even now, with the team playing its best hockey of the season, the lineup decisions are puzzling.

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Rangers Continue to Improve Entering the Weekend

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Derek

Things have changed for the better for the Rangers who took care of the Jets 6-3 on Thursday night in Winnipeg.

As has been evident over the past two weeks, they continue to show improvement entering the weekend. By doubling up a desperate Jets, who are trying to chase down a wild card in a lousy West, the Rangers silenced Canada Life Centre by scoring five times on 16 shots against Olympic hero Connor Hellebuyck.

Once again, familiar faces were key factors in their fifth win over the last seven games. Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault each had a goal and assist to remain hot.

Noah Laba and Tye Kartye both had a goal and a helper to continue their roll with veteran Conor Sheary, who picked up an assist. The new third line looks like they should stay intact, even when Taylor Raddysh returns.

Head coach Mike Sullivan made a slight tweak to the lines by promoting Adam Edstrom to the second unit and dropping Jonny Brodzinski to the fourth unit. The move paid dividends with Edstrom getting his first goal since Nov. 24.

Igor Shesterkin returned to the net following Jonathan Quick’s 65th career shutout. He outdueled Hellebuyck by making 23 saves to pick up his 21st win to make it four victories over the last five starts.

The game started well for the Rangers, who benefited from a tacky call on Gabe Vilardi for hooking Braden Schneider 59 seconds in. It took them only nine seconds to grab the lead on an Adam Fox power-play goal. Mika Zibanejad moved the puck back for Fox, whose shot through traffic went high blocker on Hellebuyck.

They only registered two more shots for the remainder of the period. In what was a defensive minded first 20 minutes, the Rangers limited the Jets’ six shots to the outside. When Winnipeg applied pressure, they found it difficult to get inside thanks to some tight checking.

Things opened up more in the second period. Former Sabre Isak Rosen got his first goal as a Jet to even the score.

The Rangers went back ahead when Lafreniere was able to deflect in a Will Borgen point shot for his ninth goal in 10 games. Perreault provided some dogged work to set up the goal for a secondary assist.

Ever since Artemi Panarin sat out before he was dealt to the Kings, Lafreniere has been a different player. He has 15 points (9-6-15) since Jan. 31, including five multi-point games. Prior to that stretch, he had 29 points in his first 50 games. Now, up to 19 goals and 44 points, he’s well within reach of a second 50-point season in his career. With 17 games left, it’s even possible for Lafreniere to chase down his previous career-high in points (57) that came while playing with Panarin in 2023-24.

The difference is that Lafreniere is now being treated like the Rangers’ number one option. Instead of deferring to others, he has the puck more and is utilizing his talent to make plays for linemates Perreault and Mika Zibanejad. At 24, it’s not too late for the 2020 top pick to become the kind of reliable player that the Rangers envisioned when they gave him a contract extension worth a $7.45 million cap hit in October 2024.

With the Rangers still hanging onto the lead, the Jets re-tied the game thanks to some splendid work from Kyle Connor, who took a Mark Scheifele feed and went around Fox to score his 29th. He caught Fox flat-footed before beating Shesterkin.

The Rangers regained the lead over a minute into the third. Following a Sheary faceoff win, Matthew Robertson took a Braden Schneider pass and had his shot tipped in by Kartye to make it 3-2. He has six points over the last four games.

Once again, the Jets came back to tie the score thanks to Vilardi getting his 25th when he put in a rebound of an Adam Lowry shot.

But like they had throughout the game, the Rangers answered back to retake the lead over two and a half minutes later. On a strong take from Lafreniere, he stuck with it after his pass for Zibanejad came back to him. He then moved it back for a Schneider shot pass that Perreault steered in for his seventh. He’s up to six points over his last three games. With 17 points in 32 games, he’s showing why the Rangers selected him 23rd overall in 2023.

With less than nine minutes to go, Edstrom finished off a pass from Vincent Trocheck from the high slot to increase the lead to 5-3. Sheary provided some strong work on the forecheck to set up the goal. It was a gritty effort.

From there, Shesterkin locked it down. All that remained was some great hustle from both Kartye and Laba that led to the latter’s empty netter. It was a terrific effort that typified how much harder the Rangers are playing.

It’s been much more fun to watch. With each win, their lottery odds could go down. They’re now 29th in the NHL with 62 points. That’s tied with both the Blues and Jets. However, they have fewer regulation wins. The thing is that if they continue to play well, they could pass the Devils and Maple Leafs in the standings.

While some observers have expressed frustration over the Rangers’ improvement due to the timing, it’s crucial for the growth of the team to continue playing the way they have. They’re building something under Sullivan. The culture change seems to be finally taking place.

No matter where they finish, they’ll be in the mix for either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg. Don’t forget that they’ll have Carolina’s first round pick to dangle if they so choose. As the off-season gets closer, we’ll delve more into the draft.

There are a lot more positives entering what should be a tough test at the Wild on Saturday. Those are the kind of games that you want to see this team in. We’ll see how they fare in a hostile environment against a playoff contender.

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Rangers Revival Continues Thanks to Youth Movement

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Derek

Ever since they returned from the Olympic break, the Rangers have been playing better hockey. Unlike most of what’s been a disappointing centennial anniversary season, they look like they’re having fun.

The mood has been a lot lighter after learning that Vincent Trocheck didn’t move at last Friday’s NHL trade deadline. Perhaps keeping the likable veteran around has allowed the players to loosen up. Unlike mid January, when they learned of Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury’s plan to ‘retool’ the roster, things have improved.

They’re playing stress-free hockey, which has led to more wins. In shutting out the Flames 4-0 on Tuesday, they’re 4-1-2 over the last seven games. Aside from a 3-2 overtime defeat to the Flyers on Feb. 26, in which head coach Mike Sullivan thought they looked disjointed, the effort has been much better since.

Following a come from behind win over the Penguins, they rallied from a four-goal third period deficit before falling in overtime to the Blue Jackets. They showed more heart and resiliency in each to earn cheers at MSG.

In a 6-3 loss to the Devils on Mar. 7, the score wasn’t a reflection on how they played. Despite getting doubled up in the first meeting against their close Hudson rivals, the Rangers held a lead and came back to tie the score on a Will Cuylle goal late in the second period. It wasn’t until a big Jacob Markstrom save which denied Gabe Perreault’s bid that the Devils took advantage of special teams with Nico Hischer notching their third goal on the power play before Jack Hughes put it away.

Despite the loss, the Rangers have responded well by blowing out the Flyers 6-2 on Monday. They then followed it up by winning for the first time on the second game of a back-to-back in convincing fashion over Calgary.

Similar to their success against the Flyers, the Rangers got another big game out of their younger players. Alexis Lafreniere continued his revival by recording the second hat trick of his career. After deflecting home a Mika Zibanejad shot on a power play in the first period, he put away a Gabe Perreault feed for his second of the contest. A splendid passing play was started by Zibanejad from behind the net.

Having already notched his 800th career NHL point, Zibanejad continues to flourish with Lafreniere and Perreault. A new top line that’s provided fans with excitement.

The biggest reason why the cohesive trio works is due to how unselfish all three forwards are. There’s no hesitation at moving the puck or deferring to Zibanejad, who’s the opposite of former Ranger Artemi Panarin. While he was a huge success on Broadway, Panarin often needed the puck to operate up top to create offense.

The Rangers are playing a diffrent style since Panarin departed. Instead, it’s other players hanging onto the puck and having the freedom to do more, with Zibanejad recently admitting that he trusts Perreault.

Lafreniere has always been a skilled offensive player, but now he’s utilizing his talent to put opponents on the defensive. A strong forward with good instincts, the hard work is starting to pay off.

Late in the third period, he finished off his hat trick on a 2-on-1 thanks to Perreault making the extra pass for the exclamation point on the Rangers’ third straight home win.

Laba and Kartye Contributing to Rangers’ Recent Success

While Lafreniere, Zibanejad, and Perreault have done the heavy lifting, other fresh faces are contributing to the Rangers’ recent success.

That includes Noah Laba and Tye Kartye. Since the Rangers claimed Kartye on waivers, the former Kraken forward has found a place on the third line with Laba and Conor Sheary.

In particular, it’s been the strong defensive work from Kartye that has helped lead to offense. A player who always comes back hard on the backcheck, the 24-year-old is also effective on the forecheck. That gritty effort has been rewarded so far with Kartye having a goal and three assists in his first six games as a Blueshirt.

A day after notching his first goal as a Ranger on a nice deflection of a Vladislav Gavrikov shot, Kartye set up Sheary for an easy goal in front against the Flames. That gave him four points over the last three games. He also picked up a secondary helper on a Laba tip-in of a Matthew Robertson shot versus the Flyers.

Although he didn’t record a point in the win over Calgary, Laba used his speed and strength to create the Sheary goal that made it 2-0 in the second period. Will Borgen sent a long pass down, allowing Laba to negate an icing and win a battle to free it up for Kartye, who found Sheary on the doorstep. That kind of effort has been there from the 22-year-old rookie this season.

A hard-working player capable of being trusted in all three zones, the 2022 fourth round pick is more than the seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points he has. Laba is now being used with Kartye by Sullivan on the Rangers’ number one penalty killing unit. It’s a responsibility they’ve earned on a team that boasts the reliable Zibanejad, Trocheck, and Cuylle.

There’s a lot to like about the direction the Rangers are heading in. They’re finally playing faster and with more purpose. Perhaps there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

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