Lafreniere Finding Chemistry with Perreault for Rangers

Posted on March 10, 2026 by Derek

In Monday night’s 6-2 win over the Flyers, the Rangers had two key young players step up. Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault were front and center, combining with Mika Zibanejad for seven points to take three out of four from the Flyers in the season series.

Since head coach Mike Sullivan put them together as a top line, Lafreniere and Perreault have found chemistry with Zibanejad, who’s continued to have a bounce back season. The certain Rangers’ MVP scored his team-leading 26th and 27th goals while adding a helper for a three-point effort against his favorite opponent. In 52 career games versus the Flyers, he’s now up to 25 goals and 25 assists for a total of 50 points, which his most against any opponent. In four games this season, he finished with five goals and three assists for eight points.

Most noticeably, both Lafreniere and Perreault continued to play well in the victory. With the Rangers already ahead thanks to a Noah Laba goal 64 seconds in, Vladislav Gavrikov dumped the puck behind the net. An attacking Gabe Perreault closed out his man to free up the puck for Lafreniere, who centered a pass in front for Zibanejad to easily finish for a 2-0 lead. Perreault’s aggressive forecheck made the goal possible. Only 20, the 2023 first round pick showed off his unique skill later on Zibanejad’s second goal.

On a power play late in the period, Lafreniere helped create his own goal indirectly. He handled a tough pass by moving the puck over for Zibanejad who got it back on a Vincent Trocheck rebound to set up a Lafreniere one-timer in the slot that made it 3-0.

In the second period, the 24-year-old former 2020 top pick showed more confidence with the puck by hanging onto it to create a scoring opportunity for himself. It was his patience and slick skating that allowed him to get around a Flyer for dangerous shot in the slot that was blocked wide.

Since the departure of Artemi Panarin, Lafreniere has picked up his play by putting up seven points over the last six games. That included a three-point game in a win over the Maple Leafs on Mar. 5. Dating back to Jan. 31, he’s posted three multi-point games, including two goals and an assist against the Penguins. That’s four goals and six helpers for 10 points in his last eight.

Even in the 6-3 loss to the Devils this past Saturday, he had Perreault for a goal on the power play until Jacob Markstrom got across to make the big toe save. Lafreniere’s pass across for Perreault highlighted the awareness each have. They seem to know where each other is. A good characteristic for two promising players who both could be a big part of the Rangers’ future.

While it’s certain that Perreault will be a key piece moving forward, Lafreniere must continue to prove that he should be included. There’s no doubt that he’s capable of becoming a more productive player than he’s been so far. A disappointment due to his inconsistency throughout his six-year career, it’s up to the Quebec native to step up now that he’s in a top line role that includes being featured on the first power play unit. With 19 games remaining in the season, how he finishes could determine his fate. If he can maintain his recent strong play, Lafreniere should definitely stay in the Big Apple.

Perreault has continued to grow as a player. His ability to make plays with the puck highlights why the Rangers selected him 23rd overall. He’s also shown a willingness to go to the dirty areas to make things happen. Following a Matvei Michkov power-play goal that got the Flyers to within 3-1, the 20-year-old Perreault parked himself in front and steered in a rebound that was set up by Trocheck and Adam Fox on the man-advantage.

On another power play late in the period, Perreault used his vision to hit Zibanejad with a no-look backhand pass that made it 5-1. When later asked about it, Zibanejad said he expected the pass.

Perreault and Lafreniere each had a goal and assist in the win. More than that, Perreault heaped some praise on his linemates afterward.

“Those two guys are unbelievable. They’ve made it super easy on me. So, I’ve been playing with Mika for a while now and he’s been unbelievable from the start and kind of taken me under his wing. It’s been awesome,” he said.

There’s no question that Zibanejad has been a positive influence on both. It took a while for him and Lafreniere to gel, but they work well with Perreault who’s been a perfect complement. Unless something unforeseen happens this off-season, they should continue to remain intact for the Rangers in 2026-27.

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

Sabres’ Win Over Lightning In Game For The Ages

Posted on March 9, 2026 by Derek

On Sunday, it was Hockey Day In America. Both the NHL on TNT and ESPN showed doubleheaders, featuring eight teams. Although the best game between the Wild and Avalanche was decided in a shootout on Nathan MacKinnon’s winner, it paled in comparison to the show the Lightning and Sabres gave in a first place battle in Buffalo.

A game that wasn’t shown on national TV turned into the game of the year. It featured five fights, melees, and 15 combined goals between the two teams who combined for 102 penalty minutes. The Sabres rallied from a 7-5 third period deficit to beat the Lightning 8-7 before a full house. Their seventh consecutive win moved them into sole possession of first in the Atlantic Division.

The fun started early when Brandon Hagel boarded Tage Thompson, leading to a fracas. Darren Raddysh went after Rasmus Dahlin, who obliged him in the first fight of many. It only intensified from there. Following a Josh Doan power-play goal, former Ranger Sam Carrick introduced himself to Buffalo by giving up size and strength against Scott Sabourin in the second scrap of the period. Although he lost the battle, fans went nuts.

Things got even crazier on the following shift. With the teams at each other’s throats during a heated scrum, several players got together. While Bowen Byram and Charlie-Eduoard D’astous exchanged plesantries, Hagel and Peyton Krebs fought in amother battle. Hagel got the better of Krebs, who joined Byram and D’astous in an already crowded box that included a few players from each side.

Kucherov and Mattias Samuelsson went after each other following a stoppage, exchanging slashes. A few minutes later, both Erik Cernak and Michael Kesselring each received unsportsmanlike conducts. Throughout the game, there was plenty of yapping going on. Aside from all the penalties, the scoring picked up over the remainder. That wasn’t the only thing that happened.

Before six seconds had even gone by in the second period, there were two more fights between Cernak and Kesselring and Corey Perry and Beck Malenstyn, who exchanged heavy blows in the best bout of the night.

On another power play, the Sabres made it 2-for-2 thanks to Dahlin setting up Jason Zucker for a 2-0 lead. It got even more hectic when Hagel attacked Dahlin from behind, repeatedly hitting him to earn four minutes for roughing. Alex Tuch made the Sabres a perfect 3-for-3 when he tipped in a Thompson shot to increase the lead to three.

Once things calmed down, the Lightning got themselves back in it. After Perry and Tuch exchanged goals, Kucherov had his shot take a friendly bounce in front to make it 4-2 on the power play. That goal sparked the Bolts to finish the period strong by getting the last three goals to draw even.

Former Sabre Zemgus Girgensons made it 4-3. Then, some sloppy play from the Sabres allowed J.J. Moser to tie the game.

The Lightning rode the momentum by getting the first two goals of the third period to suddenly surge ahead by two. After Kucherov got his second of the game, Brayden Point put away a loose puck with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen down and out following a strong move from Oliver Bjorkstrand. On the next shift, Carrick took a Zach Benson pass in the neutral zone and scored his first as a Sabre to make it 6-5. He skated in and made a perfect shot to beat Jonas Johansson. In one game, he welcomed himself to Buffalo by taking on a bigger foe and scoring a big goal. There were plenty of fans in the Big Apple with grins.

When Hagel restored a two-goal lead for the Lightning at almost the halfway point of the third, it felt like the game was over, but it was far from it. Less than two minutes later, it was Sabres captain Dahlin who scored a beautiful goal to pull the Sabres within 7-6. After taking a Thompson feed, he went right around and moved in to bury his 13th, igniting the crowd once again.

With the building still buzzing from Dahlin’s highlight reel goal, Zucker got behind the Lightning defense, broke in and scored his second to make the score lucky seven’s.

Instead of going to overtime, the Sabres went back ahead thanks to Doan’s second power-play goal of the night coming with 4:17 remaining. Doan is up to a career-high 21 goals in his first season for Buffalo. He and Kesselring came over from the Mammoth for J.J. Peterka. A deal former Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams made last year. That has proven to be a gift due to Doan, who has five more points than Peterka.

The Sabres were able to protect the lead to earn the victory. Of course, it didn’t come without one more scrum at the buzzer. They’ve now beaten the Lightning twice over a nine-day period. The fourth and final meeting is on April 6.

Now that he’s healthy, Kesselring has helped solidified a blue line that’ll be even better once trade deadline acquisition Logan Stanley debuts. He and veteran Luke Schenn were acquired from the Jets for Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson, a 2026 conditional fourth round pick, and a 2027 second round pick. A steep price to pay. If they can help the Sabres go far in what will be their first postseason in 15 years, no one will care. Especially if they wind up winning it all.

None of this looked possible three months ago. However, the Sabres have been the NHL’s hottest team over the last three months. Since dropping to 11-14-4 on Dec. 8, they’re an absurd 28-5-2 – vaulting to the top of the standings. With 18 games left, they have the fifth most points. Now two up on the Lightning, who have two games in hand, they’re challenging for the top spot in the division. Even the Hurricanes are only two points up for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Astonishingly, the Sabres have the most regulation wins (33) in the conference. If they stay hot, that could come in handy this spring.

Nobody could’ve predicted this turnaround. The Sabres are proof that having plenty of character and chemistry matters. The amount of battles they got into against a former two-time Stanley Cup winner is proof that they won’t back down from anyone. Even the Lightning, who know a thing or two about intense rivalries. Now, they can add the Sabres to that list.

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

Hughes Is the Rangers’  Daddy: Posts Hat Trick and Assist in Devils’ win

Posted on March 8, 2026 by Derek

When it comes to the Hudson rivalry, one thing hasn’t changed. Jack Hughes continues to own the Rangers. He’s their Daddy. In another dominant performance, Hughes posted a hat trick and an assist for a four-point game in a 6-3 Devils’ win over the Rangers in Newark on Saturday.

In just his 24th career game versus the Rangers, Hughes upped his totals to 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points. His most against an opponent. After scoring his first goal on the power play via a rocket past Jonathan Quick that made it 3-2, Hughes helped put the game away when he converted on a breakaway in a three-goal third period for the Devils.

That followed up captain Nico Hischier’s game-winning power-play goal, which made the Devils a perfect 3-for-3 on the day. Special teams made a difference in their fourth straight win. Despite gaining a point on the slumping Penguins, who lost to the Flyers in a shootout, they remained nine points out of the wild card due to the Bruins winning over the Capitals.

With 19 games left in the season, the Devils can’t afford many slip-ups if they want to chase down the final wild card or the Pens in the Metropolitan Division. As much of a longshot as it is, they still have something to play for. Following an all too predictable trade deadline in which Tom Fitzgerald did nothing, other than make two statements about Dougie Hamilton and Simon Nemec, the Devils still have the same roster down the stretch.

Related: Devils’ Season Ending With Whimper After Zero Deadline Day

Jesper Bratt opened the scoring just 66 seconds in when he put away a Cody Glass feed for his 14th. In what’s been a disappointing season, it was only Bratt’s ninth even-strength goal. With a goal and two helpers, he has a four-game point streak (1-5-6) during the winning streak.

The Rangers came back to tie it thanks to Will Borgen scoring for the second time in three games. Not known for his offense, the defensive defenseman took a Vincent Trocheck pass and beat Jacob Markstrom from distance for his fifth. Since being paired up with Braden Schneider, Borgen has two goals and two assists with a plus-7 rating over his last five games. Both have played well since Mike Sullivan made the change.

A surprising offensive source continues to be Vladislav Gavrikov, who made it three games in a row with a goal. On some strong work down low from Tye Kartye, who was noticeable throughout, Noah Laba fed Gavrikov for a slap shot that went high glove on Markstrom to put the Rangers ahead 2-1.

But late in the period, Gavrikov took a penalty that allowed the Devils to draw even. With him in the box for interference on Paul Cotter, it was the Devils’ second unit that capitalized with time winding down.

Following a pass from Arseny Gritsyuk up top, Luke Hughes waited before firing a wrist shot that Dawson Mercer tipped in for his 15th on the power play. He got free from Matthew Robertson, who didn’t close him out, allowing him to deflect in the Hughes shot to tie the score.

In a mostly lopsided second period that saw the Devils dominate puck possession led by Hughes’ line, Quick kept them off the scoreboard at five-on-five. However, a Trocheck slashing minor proved costly. After they’d done a good job limiting the Devils, the Rangers lost a defensive draw that resulted in Hamilton and Bratt finding an open Hughes for a blast through a double screen to make it 3-2.

Over a minute later, the Rangers answered back. On a rare forecheck spent in the Devils zone, Taylor Raddysh set up Schneider for a shot that Will Cuylle redirected for his 16th. Despite being outshot 14-5, the Rangers went to the locker room tied after two periods.

Early in the third period, a big Juuso Parssinen open ice hit on Connor Brown led to chaos. The high hit came late, leading to a strong response from Gritsyuk. With Parssinen taking his lumps, a frustrated Brown repeatedly slashed him and nearly caught another Ranger. The fracas led to Gritsyuk receiving four minutes for roughing and Parssinen getting two for interference.

On the power play, the Rangers didn’t do a whole lot. They created one excellent scoring chance. On a set play down low, Alexis Lafreniere had Gabe Perreault on the doorstep for the go-ahead goal, but Markstrom robbed him with a toe save to keep the game tied.

Although they spent more time in their end defending against Hughes, the chemistry between Lafreniere and Perreault is undeniable. Perreault nearly had Lafreniere for a goal during another shift. They work well together with Mika Zibanejad, who was held to just one shot by the Devils.

With the game hanging in the balance, Cuylle took an unnecessary hooking minor in the neutral zone on Timo Meier. That proved to be the difference. Bratt had a shot kicked out by Quick into the slot. Neither Adam Fox nor Schneider could recover in time to mark Hischier, who easily snapped home the rebound upstairs for the Devils’ third power-play goal of the game.

The Rangers were putrid on special teams, going 0-for-4 on the power play and allowing one of the league’s worst power plays to get untracked.

Even worse, Fox cost them any chance of a comeback with a mind-numbing turnover that led to Hughes’ second goal. After protecting the puck along the boards, he made a lousy pass that was easily intercepted by Brown, who then sent Hughes on a breakaway where he went high blocker on Quick to make it 5-3 with 3:04 remaining.

Fittingly, Hughes added the empty netter for the hat trick in the final minute. Afterward, he spoke about the crowd chanting, “USA, USA, USA!!!”

“You know it’s funny — after Olympics I got Ranger fans cheering for me and it’s an unbelievable fan base, but in the past — they’ll be like — say something nice and then be like ‘Go Rangers’. Now it’s like, we’re all Americans. They’re proud Americans. I think it’s really cool that that happened and obviously it’ll continue to happen with the Devils fan base.”

Hughes continues to handle himself extremely well. The American gold medal hero is all the way back after the mysterious injury at a steakhouse that required finger surgery. He has it all, including girlfriend Tate McRae. There’s only one thing missing.

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

Devils’ season ending with a whimper after zero deadline day activity

Posted on March 7, 2026 by hasan4978

Even as someone who’s been a skeptic of the Devils for over a year now, it’s still somewhat hard to believe that we’re in March already playing out the string after a complete dud of a trade deadline. Not only were there no buys (duh) but there was also no selling going on, for a team that’s double-digit points out of the playoffs it was telling on multiple fronts. Both in terms of lack of players to trade and in terms of ability to trade the players you might want to trade. Maybe it’s for the best we didn’t have adds given the brilliant Tom Fitzgerald’s recent record in that area

Three of those adds were waived just before the deadline with the Flyers shockingly claiming Luke Glendening, but of course the ineffective Evgeni Dadonov and the inconsequential Maxim Tsyplakov (only here as a de facto cap retention on Ondrej Palat’s contract) were not claimed, and the forgettable Juho Lammikko was already waived and had his contract mutually terminated weeks ago. Not that we don’t have bigger problems than Fitz’s choice of fourth liners – albeit Dadonov was a cheap flier for the middle six that didn’t work out – but it’s just striking how little they’ve gotten from the back six.

It certainly doesn’t help given that our ineffective back six frequently gets more minutes than they should because of injuries and holes in the top six. In some ways, we never recovered this season from Jack Hughes’ mysterious finger injury in Chicago but certainly when he’s played (and now fully healthy after his Olympic hero turn) he’s for the most part been productive, despite the team as a whole being miserable offensively for most of the season. As a whole they haven’t really gotten enough from the top six either – especially guys like Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer.

I’d like to give Timo a pass for this season given he started off well but hasn’t been the same player since his leave of absence on a family matter around the holidays, but let’s face it he’s been a disappointment as a Devil. Whether the Devils’ insistence on playing him his non-natural wing plays into it we’ll probably never know sadly but at a certain point the player has to be accountable too, especially when there’s a clear delineation in games Timo is engaged and games he isn’t. Mercer has largely been disappointing his last three years as well, especially in comparison to his great sophomore season. Sure he got off to a great start in the first two months of the season and looked to have turned a corner, but his production has gone through the floor with four goals and seven assists in his last thirty-six games.

In some ways, Bratt is the most concerning of all with just eight even-strength goals all season, and quite a few of them were even strength three-on-three. Even last season, he slumped scoringwise down the stretch with just four goals after the All-Star break though still was an assist merchant then. He hasn’t even been that this season with just thirty-two assists in 62 games compared to 56 and 67 the previous two seasons. While all the other ills in the organization will prevent them from taking that next step from playoff team to true contender, the top six’s backslide this year took this team in the other direction from playoff team to afterthought.

It actually does get old dissecting all the same old problems here – from the defense that has no transition game to the lack of depth up front and the now-concerning production in the top six as well. I haven’t even brought up the goalies yet, as it seems from what little I’ve been paying attention lately that they haven’t been a real issue since Jacob Markstrom hit rock bottom in that 9-0 embarrassment against the Islanders. I can’t even pretend to have any confidence in Markstrom at this point though, we’ve seen junktime surges before not carry over (to wit Cory Schnieder toward the end of his career having one last gasp before completely imploding in 2020-21) and make no mistake, this is junktime with the pressure now off. Suddenly the offense has remembered how to score goals in the last few games too, albeit against opposition that’s basically bitcrap themselves.

It’s just old making the same comments about the same problems that never get resolved. Two quotes from our brilliant GM on deadline day stand out though…one admitting that he didn’t even have Dougie Hamilton on the block months after leaking he’d nixed one deal and was unable to trade him, which I figured was just a tacit admission that he wasn’t going to be able to get Douglas to waive his NTC in-season and couldn’t deal him to a team not on it. Perhaps that will be settled this offseason, perhaps not. At least Hamilton’s production has improved a bit since his one-game benching, which makes you wonder what would have happened if they tried to hold more people accountable.

Fitz’s other eye-raising quote was on Simon Nemec, when asked about the trade rumors (where he was thought to be on the block for a top six forward), admitted he’s a Devil ‘right now’ and that they’ll be talking with him about his future in the offseason. You can take this organization’s seeming dislike of Nemec one of two ways. Either they think his contract ask is unreasonable – and why wouldn’t it be after you stuck your foot in your mouth calling him the best defenseman on the team by far in the first half of the season over two guys making $9 million per – or they just don’t believe in his defensive ability long-term. Maybe they have him earmarked to trade for Quinn Hughes if/when he doesn’t sign for Minnesota this offseason, which is about the only plausible scenario where the Nemec public dance might play out well for us long-term.

Either way I’m just tired thinking about or talking about the team, thanks to buybacks and selling a few games (including today), I only have a handful of games left to go to the rest of this season including tomorrow, which I wasn’t supposed to go to but had to trade my ticket to Wednesday’s game for one tomorrow when I had last minute plans come up then. It’s hard to believe we haven’t met the Rangers until today and we’re in March with both teams firmly out of the playoff race. So I can almost guarantee we’ll get a couple of early-season games with them next year to compensate, hah. What I can’t guarantee is when I’ll be back next. I don’t even have any interest in a full season recap at this point, this post was basically as much of one as I want to do. Maybe when/if we trade for Quinn or something else big happens like a Fitz canning I’ll come back but until something tangible changes, I have no interest in even giving this team any attention.

Posted in Devils | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rangers Trade Othmann to Flames For Battaglia on Quieter Trade Deadline

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Derek

On what turned out to be a quieter day before the NHL trade deadline, in which Chris Drury decided to hold onto coveted center Vincent Trocheck due to nobody meeting his asking price, the Rangers moved on from former 2021 first round pick Brennan Othmann by sending him to the Flames in exchange for 19-year old Jacob Battaglia.

It’s no surprise that the 23-year-old Othmann finally got dealt. Despite proving he could perform in the American Hockey League, he never could gain the trust of Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan in a supporting role. Even when he scored his first career NHL goal and had a stretch of better games, Othmann didn’t produce enough to offset the questions about his defensive awareness. Something that Sullivan reiterated when Othmann was sent back down to Hartford. It was a sign that he needed a change of scenery.

Now, Othmann will get it by going to Calgary. A rebuilding team that traded Nazem Kadri to the Avalanche after dealing away MacKenzie Weegar to the Mammoth last night, the Flames rank 31st in the league with 55 points, which has them tied with the Blues, who have two more regulation wins. The Rangers rank 29th with 56 points, but they have only 15 regulation wins, which is five fewer than the Flames. In other words, they could fall lower depending on what happens over the remaining 21 games.

For Othmann, he finished his Rangers career with one goal and two assists in 42 games. It never materialized under former coach Peter Laviolette or Sullivan, who didn’t seem to like him. Most alarming is that he preferred to play veteran Conor Sheary over the much younger Othmann on the third line. Even now with the team playing out the string, Sheary continues to receive time with Noah Laba and Tye Kartye in the top nine.

By acquiring Battaglia, the Rangers are hoping that he can fare better down the road. A 2024 second round pick, he now plays for the Flint Firebirds in the Ontario Hockey League. After putting up 40 goals and 50 assists for 90 points for the Kingston Frontenacs in 2024-25, he had 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 36 games before he was traded to the Firebirds for eight OHL Priority selection draft picks on Jan. 6.

In 22 games for Flint, Battaglia has 12 goals with four assists so far. In an irony, he now plays for Othmann’s former OHL team. Oddly enough, Rangers 2024 fifth round pick Nathan Aspinall leads the Firebirds in scoring with 83 points (29-54-83). They also picked up Jets prospect Kevin He (2024 fourth round). The Firebirds are hoping their recent acquisitions can push them towards a Western Conference Championship. They’re currently tied with the Windsor Spitfires in points (85). That trails only the first place Kitchener Rangers by seven.

For more on Battaglia, here’s what NYRLouie had to say about him on X:

Listed at six-foot-one, 203-pounds, Battaglia is a scoring winger who’s played some center in the OHL. Possessing a good shot, he isn’t the fastest skater. However, his ability to finish makes him an intriguing prospect. Already signed to an entry level contract, he’ll turn pro following the season. He celebrates his 20th birthday on Saint Patrick’s Day.

By adding Battaglia to Liam Greentree, who’s been on a tear since they acquired him from the Kings for Artemi Panarin, the Rangers look to have added two scoring forwards with potential. Greentree is the bigger prospect with 33 goals in 44 games for the Spitfires. At least, that’s some cause for excitement.

We’ll see what happens with Trocheck and Braden Schneider in the off-season. There will also be important discussions with stars Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin ahead. There’s so much we don’t know about the team’s plans. The roster could look very different this summer.

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

Rangers Trade Carrick to Sabres for Two Picks

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Derek

On a night that he sat out for the first time this season, popular forward Sam Carrick was traded to the Sabres in exchange for two picks.

The deal was first reported by hockey insider Elliotte Friedman following the Rangers’ 6-2 win over the Maple Leafs. Carrick was dealt to the Sabres for a 2026 third round pick and sixth round pick. The third belongs to the Sabres, and the sixth comes from the Blackhawks.

A hard-working fourth line center who the Rangers signed in 2024 to replace Barclay Goodrow, the 34-year-old Carrick was the embodiment of a gritty and honest player who brought a lot of heart and hustle.

Carrick was a good team guy who always defended his teammates. Even if he isn’t the biggest or strongest, he knows how to fight and even battled Blue Jackets’ heavyweight Mathieu Olivier and Capitals’ power forward Tom Wilson.

When he wasn’t stepping in for guys, Carrick was an effective player on the forecheck, whose tenacity didn’t go unnoticed. A high-character player who won over 53 percent on faceoffs while doing some strong work on the penalty kill, he always brought it every shift.

In 2024-25, he set a career-high with 14 assists and 20 points for the Rangers. In what was a more challenging season due to so many moving parts, Carrick has four goals and six assists for 10 points in 60 games.

Although he’s headed to Buffalo to try to help the Sabres win in what will be their first postseason since 2010-11, Carrick still deserves to win the Steven McDonald Award at the end of the season. Maybe when the Sabres return to MSG on April 8, the Rangers can do the right thing and present him with the award. Nobody gave a better effort.

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

Lafreniere Leads Younger Blueshirts to Satisfying Win over Maple Leafs

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Derek

In what was the final installment of the special centennial anniversary, the Rangers gave their fans a rare chance to cheer by defeating the Maple Leafs 6-2 at Madison Square Garden.

Prior to the game, MSG welcomed back former players from the Modern Era (2004 to Present) of the franchise. Those included Sean Avery, Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore, Michael Del Zotto, Carl Hagelin, Brandon Prust, Marian Gaborik, Derek Dorsett, Kevin Klein, Colton Orr, Darius Kasparaitis,Steve Valiquette, Marc Staal, and Henrik Lundqvist. Former 2005-06 head coach Tom Renney and general manager Glen Sather were also part of the ceremony that included the stick salute, which started in 2005.

Once the game started, it took the Rangers 13 seconds to fall behind. Matias Maccelli finished off a William Nylander pass in front for his 12th before fans had settled into their seats.

Unlike most of the games played at home, the Rangers responded well. They drew even thanks to Will Cuylle tipping in a Braden Schneider shot for his 14th. It was all part of a strong shift from the second line that Jonny Brodzinski anchored in place of Vincent Trocheck, who sat out for roster management reasons.

With the trade deadline on Friday afternoon, Trocheck might’ve played his final game on Monday. If he did, he went out the right way by helping the Rangers rally from a 4-0 third period deficit in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets. Trocheck will learn his fate later today. If he’s moved to a contender, it’ll likely be closer to home.

Despite only managing four shots, the Rangers remained tied after one period. They fell behind for the second time when Easton Cowan finished off his eighth to put the Leafs back ahead. However, the lead was short-lived.

With Morgan Rielly off for taking down Vincent Iorio, the Rangers were able to capitalize on the man-advantage. On some nice passing started by Brodzinski over to Taylor Raddysh, he found an open Vladislav Gavrikov for his career best third power-play goal to tie the game. In his first year as a Blueshirt, Gavrikov has a career-high 11 goals. With 24 points, he’s nine points shy of his career best set in 2021-22 with the Blue Jackets.

Despite the Leafs spending some extended shifts in the Rangers zone, which included the five-man unit of Noah Laba, Tye Kartye, Chmelar, Iorio, and Matthew Robertson caught on for three minutes, they were unable to re-take the lead near the end of the period.

In the third, the Rangers erupted for four goals to pull away from the Leafs, who were playing for a second consecutive night.

On a good shift from the top line, Mika Zibanejad had his point shot tipped in by Alexis Lafreniere for the go-ahead tally. It was his 14th of the season. A key player who has to do more, Lafreniere took over the period by recording a goal and two assists. His work with Zibanejad and Perreault was outstanding.

On a takeaway in the neutral zone, Chmelar broke away from the Leafs and beat Joseph Woll with a forehand for his first career NHL goal. He used his reach to walk in and deke Woll. It was a special moment for the rookie who had just been called up for his seventh game.

Less than a minute later, Zibanejad finished off his team-leading 25th to extend the Rangers’ lead to 5-2. After missing a Perreault feed earlier in the shift, he buried a Lafreniere dish that Adam Fox helped set up.

With Woll on the bench for an extra attacker, Zibanejad and Lafreniere combined on Cuylle’s empty netter that put the exclamation mark on a satisfying win. It was only the third time the Rangers had won in regulation at MSG.

Even on an emotional night, with it being learned that popular teammate Sam Carrick was on his way to the Sabres in a deal first reported by Elliotte Friedman, the Rangers finally gave their fans something to enjoy. They were given a well-deserved hand after the win.

Carrick will be missed due to the grit and hustle he played with. He always stood up for teammates, taking on all comers. Now, he’ll go try to help Buffalo, who’s headed for their first postseason in 15 years.

If Trocheck goes on Friday, two high-character guys will be gone. That’s the business side of sports. Trocheck has looked like he knows he’s a goner for a while. If he finally is, best of luck to him.

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

Rangers Rally Past Penguins to Win in Shootout

Posted on February 28, 2026 by Derek

Over a month in between wins due to the Olympic break, the Rangers finally ended a five-game losing streak by rallying past the Penguins to win 3-2 in a shootout. It was their first victory since defeating the Bruins 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 26.

Following an uninspired first period that saw them take undisciplined penalties and fall behind the Pens 1-0 on an Anthony Mantha goal, the Rangers responded with a much better effort over the next two periods.

Despite going behind by two on a Ryan Shea goal less than two minutes into the second period, they turned the tide thanks to spending extended time in the Pittsburgh end. In particular, the line of Vincent Trocheck, Will Cuylle, and Alexis Lafreniere applied some consistent forecheck pressure to create opportunities. Cuylle drew a hooking minor on Rickard Rakell that gave the Rangers a power play.

They made the most of it thanks to some superb passing that led directly to Mika Zibanejad getting his team-leading 24th. After taking a J.T. Miller feed down low, Trocheck centered across for a Zibanejad one-timer in the slot that beat Stuart Skinner to make it 2-1 at exactly the 10-minute mark. It was his team-leading 12th power-play goal, hiking his franchise record to 120 as a Ranger.

Shortly after the goal, they came close to tying it. Skinner made a string of saves including one on Gabe Perreault, who was around the puck a lot. Despite failing to score for an 11th straight game, he generated chances with his linemates. The line with Zibanejad and Miller dominated the Pens at 5-on-5 by finishing with an 88.46 CF and outshooting their opponents 10-2. That included generating 16 scoring chances with four considered high-danger according to Natural Stat Trick.

On the flip side, Igor Shesterkin handled the Pens by turning aside all 14 shots in an entertaining middle stanza. After allowing two goals on 12 shots, Shesterkin stopped the final 21 to earn his first victory since Jan. 2 versus the Panthers. He finished the game with 31 saves. Despite missing time due to a lower-body injury in a challenging season, he’s two victories shy of reaching 20 for the fifth time in his career. Even with the team out of playoff contention, he has a 2.45 goals-against-average and .913 save percentage.

“I think he’s the best goalie in the game,” Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan said afterward.

In the third, the Rangers kept up the momentum by taking it to the Pens, who outside of Evgeni Malkin didn’t muster much offense. They were outshot 10-4 by the Blueshirts, who played with more speed and grit than they have most of the season.

Some hard work from newcomer Brendan Brisson created the tying goal scored by Taylor Raddysh. Moved up to play with Noah Laba for a shift, Brisson used some hustle to get the puck up to Vladislav Gavrikov, whose shot pass was easily steered in by Raddysh to make it 2-2 less than three minutes into the third. The secondary assist gave Brisson his first point as a Blueshirt. He played well by using his speed and scrappiness to make things happen.

Perreault nearly put them ahead, but he had two shots hit the goalpost. He also nearly had Zibanejad for a goal on a 2-on-1. Zibanejad had nothing but good things to say about the 20-year-old rookie.

“The skill that he has and I think more and more confident he’s getting – you see him making more plays. You try that on the 2-on-1, try to get it back to me. I’m laughing, but I don’t care – like if that’s what he thinks is the best play, trust it. Trust it. Next time, it goes through and I score and we’re happy. That’s a great play.”

In his Rangers debut, Tye Kartye had a pair of shots and a team best six hits in 17 shifts (12:39) while playing mostly with Laba and Conor Sheary on the third line. They had a strong shift with the game tied. Skinner made a pair of stops on Kartye and Laba.

The Pens’ best shift came from Malkin, who flew into the Rangers zone and got off a tricky backhand that Shesterkin shrugged away. Despite the Malkin line buzzing, the Rangers were able to get out unscathed.

Late in regulation, Will Borgen had a good look, but his shot missed the mark. Eventually, the game went to overtime. Not much happened in the first part of the 3-on-3. However, Lafreniere made a strong move to get off a tough shot that Skinner kicked out. He also set up a Braden Schneider attempt that went high. In the final minute, Shesterkin made a pair of saves on Malkin to take it to a shootout.

In Round 1, Trocheck came in from the right side and beat Skinner through the five-hole. After having stopped Mantha before Trocheck’s shootout goal that made him a perfect 3-for-3 this season, Shesterkin turned away Egor Chinakhov in the second round. In the bottom half, Miller tried to come in from the left side, but Skinner made a blocker save to deny him. It came down to Tommy Novak, who was unable to beat Shesterkin in the third round.

That gave the Rangers the victory. In two games since returning, they’ve earned three out of four points. Unlike the overtime loss to the Flyers the other day, this one was more satisfying due to the effort they gave. They got what they deserved today.

Morrow Returns to Lineup

After sitting out on Thursday, Scott Morrow returned to the lineup. He teamed up with Matthew Robertson on the third pair. In 23 shifts (15:31), Morrow had a shot, three attempts, and went a minus-1.

Vincent Iorio was a healthy scratch.

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

Waiver Pickup Kartye to Debut for Rangers

Posted on February 28, 2026 by Derek

When the Rangers host the Penguins this afternoon on ABC, they’ll have a new player on the roster. On Friday, they claimed former Kraken forward Tye Kartye on waivers.

A 24-year-old left wing who’s mostly been used in a checking role, Kartye was signed as a free agent by the Kraken in 2022. After a strong showing in the American Hockey League for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, in which he totaled 57 points, he put up six goals and two assists for eight points in the AHL playoffs.

That same season, Kartye made his debut with the Kraken in the postseason. During a run to the second round, he had three goals and two assists for five points in 10 games in 2022-23.

In his rookie season, he finished with 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points with 37 penalty minutes and 229 hits, which led the Kraken. He also had 24 takeaways and only nine giveaways.

In 63 games during 2024-25, his numbers slipped to six goals and seven helpers for 13 points with 43 penalty minutes and 175 hits. This season, Kartye got into 40 games for Seattle, posting three goals with five assists for eight points with 21 penalty minutes and 98 hits.

A consistent theme has been that Kartye mostly is used in the defensive zone. After having 54.1 percent of zone starts last season, he was up to 73.3 percent in his third year at 5-on-5. With a 47.3 corsi percentage despite mostly being featured in a defensive role, that’s not bad. He’s a gritty, hard-working player who keeps opponents honest.

Recently, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan had used Brennan Othmann on the checking line. It wasn’t the right fit for the 2021 first round pick, who’s continued to get lost in the shuffle. A young player with skill shouldn’t be getting fourth line duty. When asked about Othmann from the media again on him going back down to Hartford, Sullivan gave the usual line about ‘inconsistency.’ When he got a look with Noah Laba on the third line, Othmann looked better. However, his production was limited.

In what’s supposedly a ‘retool’, both Othmann and Brett Berard have now been sent down to the Wolf Pack. Once again, Conor Sheary is getting top nine duty after a long stint on the long-term injured reserve. It feels like the Rangers operate in a different universe. If they truly cared about finding out what the younger players could do, they’d be more committed to them in the remaining 24 games. Instead, it’s the same old song and dance from a puzzling organization that doesn’t get it.

While Kartye is young enough to fill the role on the fourth line with Sam Carrick and Taylor Raddysh, it’s a wonder as to why another player couldn’t get a chance. Jaroslav Chmelar plays with the same edge and physicality. He’s also a good skater for his size, who’s willing to stick up for teammates. Instead, it’ll continue to fall on Carrick, who battled Garnet Hathaway in a tile after he boarded Othmann on Thursday night. Carrick is the frontrunner for the Steven McDonald Award due to how much he embodies what the award stands for.

There also won’t be an opportunity for Scott Morrow to get back in the lineup. So much for giving the former Hurricanes 2021 second round pick a chance to rediscover his game. Vincent Iorio will play his third consecutive game on the third pair with Matthew Robertson. A former 2019 second round pick that had to wait a long time to become a regular due to how poorly managed the Rangers are. At least Sullivan likes him enough to play him.

Until something changes before the trade deadline, it doesn’t look like Morrow will be getting consistent ice time. They only got him back in the K’Andre Miller deal last summer from Carolina, which included 2026 first and second round picks. Morrow has his faults. He isn’t the strongest defensive player. However, he’s a superb skater with offensive instincts who could be quarterbacking the second power play. Having Vladislav Gavrikov continue to do it isn’t how he’s supposed to be used.

If Morrow isn’t going to play, he may as well get into some games for Hartford. Hopefully, this doesn’t become another Zac Jones situation.

It’s very challenging to watch this team. They’re unexciting and don’t inspire much. At some point, that has to change. Don’t expect it to against the Pens, who are continuing to chase down a playoff spot without Sidney Crosby (lower-body injury). They handled the Devils 4-1 the other night.

Well, at least our fans can look forward to seeing what Kartye can do. That should count for something.

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

Fox’s Comments Overshadow Rangers’ Loss in Overtime

Posted on February 27, 2026 by Derek

On Thursday night, MSG welcomed back Team USA Olympic heroes J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, along with head coach Mike Sullivan. Assistant general manager Chris Drury was booed by the crowd, who cheered Sullivan, Miller, and Trocheck for helping USA win the gold medal at the Olympics.

Then, it was business as usual with the Rangers continuing a Garden tradition of finding a way to lose at home to the Flyers 3-2 in overtime. Matvei Michkov stepped out of the penalty box and skated past a gassed Miller to score the winner on Igor Shesterkin. His second goal of the game helped the Flyers complete a comeback from a two-goal deficit to earn the victory.

Buoyed by goals from Sam Carrick and Alexis Lafreniere, who got his 13th to match his jersey number, the Rangers ran into penalty trouble in the second period. Eventually, the loss of discipline swung the momentum with Michkov converting on a Flyers power play to get them back in the game.

In the third period, Vladislav Gavrikov got caught pinching, which led to Trevor Zegras beating Shesterkin on a two-on-one rush that tied the score.

It was part of a rough night for Gavrikov, who also took a high-sticking minor late in regulation that the Rangers had to kill off. Even with defense partner Adam Fox back in the lineup, Gavrikov continued to struggle. A downward spiral that started when he played with Braden Schneider.

Even on a special night, the Rangers couldn’t take advantage of a Michkov goaltender interference penalty that came with less than nine seconds left in the third period. Instead, they managed to turn unheralded backup Sam Ersson into Bernie Parent.

Despite giving up a lousy goal to Carrick on a dump-in that went through him, Ersson made several big saves, including robbing Fox on a four-on-one early on. With his team down a man in overtime, he made two strong denials on Mika Zibanejad and Trocheck.

Following the chaos, Sean Couturier hit Michkov in stride after he returned. He blew past Miller and fooled Shesterkin by beating him through the wickets for the overtime winner.

Miller got caught out on a long shift and had nothing left, allowing Michkov to take advantage. Shesterkin should’ve had the shot. For the most part, he was sharp, making 21 saves in his return. Unfortunately, he was unable to prevent Michkov from winning it.

Following the game, a reporter asked Fox a tough question about how he felt regarding the Rangers retool. Instead of indicating that he wanted to stay, he was noncommittal.

“I’m just trying to focus on this year right now. That’s a conversation when we’re done playing games. We’re just trying to win games, we didn’t do that tonight. That’s where my focus is right now.”

It probably wasn’t the appropriate time to ask Fox his thoughts on the organization’s plans moving forward. He just returned from a lower-body injury that kept him out since Jan. 5. Injuries to both Fox and Shesterkin in the same game dashed any realistic playoff hopes the team had.

Since Drury released the Letter on Jan. 16, the Rangers have gone 2-7-1 over the last 10 games. Over a larger span that dates back to Dec. 4, they’ve won only four games in regulation. In fact, since defeating the Caps on Dec. 23, they’re 4-13-3.

With Artemi Panarin dealt to the Kings before the Olympics, more moves are coming. While both Schneider and Trocheck will continue to have their names come up before the March 6 trade deadline, Fox is supposed to be untouchable due to how crucial he is to the blue line. If he decides that he wants out this summer, that could alter the Rangers’ plans completely.

A bona-fide top defenseman who’s still considered one of the league’s best, the recently turned 28-year-old Fox is an elite player who averages close to 24 minutes while contributing at both five-on-five and on the power play. He’s the only offensive defenseman on the roster. There isn’t anyone close to him who can bring what he does.

In order for Fox to be moved, he’d have to request a trade to management. A player with a full no-movement clause through 2026-27, his contract doesn’t expire until 2029. His $9.5 million cap hit makes him one of the highest paid defensemen in the NHL.

Since he was acquired from the Hurricanes, Fox has been a big part of some good Rangers teams that made deep playoff runs in 2021-22 and 2023-24. Injuries have limited him recently. Fox missed significant time twice this season due to two separate issues.

The question has now become whether he’s injury prone. However, he showed no signs of slowing down at the start of the season. After coming off an unsteady 2024-25 in which he still looked compromised due to a pair of knee-on-knee collisions in 2023-24, Fox got off to a great start by putting up 26 points (3-23-26) in his first 27 games.

Unfortunately, Fox took the brunt of a Brandon Hagel hit that caused an upper-body injury on Nov. 29. He was placed on long-term injured reserve, missing 15 games before returning on Dec.  31. After having a goal and assist, he played three more games before sustaining a lower-body injury, missing another 14 games.

Without him and Shesterkin, the Rangers fell apart. Losing their two biggest stars proved to be too much, which eventually led to Panarin accepting a trade to Los Angeles for top prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third round pick. If the Kings’ first two games are any indication, it doesn’t look like the third will be upgraded to a second. LA has to make the playoffs for that to happen.

If Fox is uncertain about what he wants to do, that could have something to do with his coach and GM not doing enough to convince Team USA architect Bill Guerin to select him for the Olympics. Following the gold medal victory, Sullivan said:

“The team was built with personality in mind… There are whiskey drinkers and milk drinkers, and we got a lot of whiskey drinkers.“

That quote might’ve stung Fox, who isn’t exactly Mister personality. Whether it did or not remains to be seen. With 24 games left in a dismal season, there’ll continue to be speculation due to Fox’s reaction last night.

There’s also the fact that the Rangers are in a very different place than they were two years ago. They went from a Presidents’ Trophy playoff contender into one of the league’s worst teams. With only 14 regulation wins and 51 points, they have the second worst record, which puts them in the lottery for prized prospects Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg.

Does Fox want to stay with a team that looks a long way from competing for a Stanley Cup? He’s entering the prime of his career. Only he knows the answer to that.

It’s wait and see until the off-season.

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