Rangers Look to Stay Hot Against Banged Up Lightning

Posted on November 12, 2025 by Derek

When they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight in a featured matchup that’ll be shown on the NHL On TNT as part of a doubleheader, which will also include the New Jersey Devils getting their first look at the new and improved Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, the New York Rangers will look to stay hot on a two-game road trip which concludes on Saturday at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Despite getting shut out twice in home defeats to the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders, the Rangers have won five of their last seven games. That included a satisfying 6-3 blowout victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday for their first win at Madison Square Garden. It was the eighth time that they’ve scored at least three goals. When they have, their record is 7-0-1, with seven of the eight wins coming on the road.

For the Blueshirts, they’re finally healthy thanks to Vincent Trocheck returning and posting two assists on Nov. 10. The key center was back between familiar line mates Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Facing a struggling opponent that looked completely lost, the cohesive trio combined for seven points in the victory. Lafreniere had his best game of the season by scoring his third goal and adding two assists for a three-point effort that resulted in him being named the game’s first star. Panarin looked more like himself scoring twice for his first two-goal game in 2025-26.

Rookie Gabe Perreault recorded his first career point when he picked up the primary helper on a Lafreniere power-play goal. The 2023 first round pick had a good game while fitting in nicely with Mika Zibanejad (breakaway goal) and J.T. Miller. If they can get Miller going, that would go a long way to the team having success. Miller enters Wednesday night without a point in four with his last goal coming in an overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 30.

The Rangers captain has only three goals and five assists in 17 games. Although the offensive struggles haven’t affected him on faceoffs (59.0 pct.), he simply isn’t doing enough to justify his contract. When he was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks, Miller was brought in to solidify the team at center. In 32 games, he tallied 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points last season. That’s the kind of production they need from him. A no-nonsense player who doesn’t make excuses following losses, he has to start playing better. There have been too many shifts where he hasn’t been noticeable. Hopefully, both Zibanejad and Perreault can provide a spark for Miller.

When they face the Lightning, the Rangers should have an edge due to being at full strength. Despite winning seven of eight, Tampa Bay comes in with several players banged up. Former Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh was placed on the injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. He’s still a steady player on the back end for the Bolts.

Both Victor Hedman and Anthony Cirelli are questionable for tonight. Hedman hasn’t missed a game, but he’s considered day-to-day. Cirelli didn’t play on Nov. 8 against the Washington Capitals. He’s dealing with an upper-body injury. For the Lightning, they had the last three days off. The rest should help both Hedman and Cirelli. Expect them to be game-time decisions.

Nick Paul (UBI) hasn’t played yet this season. A key cog down the middle, Paul has gone over 20 goals and 40 points the past two years. He is doubtful for Wednesday night.

Max Crozier has missed the last two games due to an injury. His status is uncertain. Dominic James is out after being placed on the IR yesterday. Pontus Holmberg is questionable.

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper indicated that he has no idea what to expect for the lineup due to players’ availability. The Bolts have recalled Boris Katchouk and Scott Sabourin from the Syracuse Crunch.

Despite all the uncertainty, the Lightning are still led by Nikita Kucherov. After getting out of the gate slowly, he has four points (3-1-4) over the previous three games. Jake Guentzel leads the team in scoring with 15 points (6-9-15). He remains very effective in front of the net. Guentzel enters the game with five points (2-3-5) in four.

Brandon Hagel (7-7-14) continues to produce for the Lightning. He leads them with six even strength goals. Brayden Point is off to a bad start with only three goals and six helpers for nine points. He’s usually someone who does damage. In 22 career games versus the Rangers, Point is 12-14-26.

Oliver Bjorkstrand enters with just a single goal and four assists. A streaky scorer, he has a dangerous shot. Yanni Gourde has three goals and a helper so far.

If Hedman can go, it would be a big boost. He leads the Lightning with 12 assists.

The Rangers will start Igor Shesterkin. In 11 regular season meetings, Shesterkin brings a 7-3-1 record with a 2.26 goals-against-averge, .924 save percentage, and two shutouts versus the Lightning.

He’ll be opposed by Andrei Vasilevskiy. In 17 games, Vasilevskiy is 7-8-2 with a 2.75 GAA and .915 save percentage against the Blueshirts. It’s an all-Russian matchup that features two of the game’s best goalies.

The Rangers will have one tweak to their lines. Conor Sheary moves up to the third line to play with Noah Laba and Will Cuylle. That means Taylor Raddysh (5 goals) slides down with Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom. Sheary will also replace Raddysh on the second power play unit. Why? For reasons only known to head coach Mike Sullivan. Raddysh is a better offensive player than Sheary. I don’t get the logic. Maybe we’re not supposed to.

The game will start after 7 PM.

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Trocheck’s Return Ignites Rangers to First Home Win

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Derek

For seven games, the New York Rangers couldn’t score enough to win on home ice. They entered tonight with just six goals  and had been shut out five times at Madison Square Garden. All of that changed on Monday in a 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators.

A key part of the six goal explosion was Vincent Trocheck, whose return helped ignite the Rangers to their first home win in eight games. The key to Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, he unlocked both while helping provide the balance they’ve lacked this season.

Not coincidentally, the big line combined for seven points in the win. Lafreniere led the way with a goal, and two assists for a three-point night. He was all over the ice and resembled the player he’d been two years ago. Hopefully, that’s a good sign.

Panarin had his first two-goal game of the season. He was much more involved in the offense. Trocheck picked up two assists and looked sharp in his return after missing 14 games. There were no restrictions with Trocheck logging 17:26 of ice time, which included playing on the power play and penalty kill.

Facing a struggling opponent that came in losers of four straight, the Rangers jumped on the Predators quickly by scoring first. That was important for a team that was fighting it at MSG.

On just a simple play, Mika Zibanejad made a back pass to Adam Fox inside his zone. Fox then moved the puck back up for Zibanejad, who had all kinds of space due to a bad line change. Taking full advantage, he took off and broke in on Juuse Saros, beating him with a nice forehand deke and finish to make it 1-0 at 10:39. The goal tied Zibanejad for the team lead with Taylor Raddysh. They had company by the conclusion.

A dubious call on Braden Schneider for tripping Filip Forsberg allowed the Predators to draw even on a power play. Matthew Wood was able to chip in a rebound of a Michael Bunting shot past Igor Shesterkin at 16:16. Wood was the lone bright spot for Nashville, recording his first career hat trick.

Less than two minutes later, the Rangers retook the lead for good thanks to some excellent work from all five players. On some good passing started by Alexis Lafreniere, he and Artemi Panarin got the puck up to Fox, who then fed an open Vladislav Gavrikov for a shot that beat Saros for his second at 18:07. Lafreniere set a screen in front to distract Saros.

Early in the second period, Forsberg hooked J.T. Miller to put the Rangers on their first power play. Rather than start the number one unit, Mike Sullivan opted for his newly constructed second unit. The move paid off.

On a nice play in transition started by Trocheck up for Gabe Perreault, he made a good lead pass that sent Lafreniere in on Saros. He went to a backhand deke, slipping the puck in for the power-play goal.

More importantly, the primary assist was the first career NHL point for Perreault. Playing in his first game this season, he didn’t look out of place. In fact, the 2023 first round pick looked right at home, working with Miller and Zibanejad at even strength. He nearly had his first career goal, but his rebound went off the goalpost with Saros down and out. Perreault finished a plus-1 with a helper in 14:08.

There weren’t many shots in the second period. But the Rangers made them count. They scored on three of four to break open the game.

Panarin increased the lead to 4-1 when his long shot went through Saros at 7:51. Urho Vaakanainen moved the puck for Lafreniere, who sent a pass across for a Panarin drive that snuck past Saros for his first of the game.

With time winding down in the period, Will Cuylle added insult to injury to the Predators when he took a Noah Laba feed and made it 5-1 with 9.6 seconds remaining. That chased Saros (5 GA on 12 shots) from the net. Justus Annunen replaced him for the final period.

The Rangers were sloppy in the third. They took three consecutive penalties, including a pair of infractions from Trocheck that put Nashville on a second straight five-on-three.

Shesterkin made a lot of good saves. But he couldn’t stop a Wood one-timer that was nicely set up by Luke Evangelista to make it 5-2 with 7:12 remaining.

Less than a minute later, Panarin banked in a shot for his first two-goal game of the season. The goal was unassisted. That put him in a three-way tie with Raddysh and Zibanejad for the team lead in goals (5).

To their credit, the Predators never quit. They played a much better third period, outshooting the Rangers 16-6. They applied more pressure and tested Shesterkin, who made 26 saves to pick up his fifth win.

In the final minute, Wood completed his hat trick when Ryan O’Reilly and Forsberg combined to set him up for number six in his rookie season. Behind the net, the refs missed a high stick on Lafreniere, who went down. He was okay when he got to the bench, but he was obviously confused.

In the end, the Rangers finally ended the home futility emphatically. They gave the fans who came something to be happy about. They’ll need to do more winning when they return on Sunday after hitting the road for Tanpa and Columbus.

“We would’ve liked a cleaner third period, maybe not go to the penalty box as much, it would’ve been better for the coaching staff if it was less eventful. I couldn’t be happier for the group though,” Sullivan said afterward.

“The first seven games we didn’t like. We played some decent hockey, but couldn’t score, couldn’t win. It was good today to score a couple,” added Lafreniere after recording a three-point game to earn the game’s first star.

The main thing is they finally won at MSG. They won’t have the dark cloud of the Pittsburgh Pirates hanging over their heads anymore. They made history. Now, that’s in the past.

If the more balanced lineup can continue to produce, the offense should improve. Despite how historically bad they were at home to start, the Rangers find themselves over NHL .500 (8-7-2). Five total points separate first place from sixth in the division.

With no dominant team in the Eastern Conference, anything can happen. Even the teams with the best records (Canadiens and Devils) are flawed. There’s been a lot of injuries to players so far. The Rangers are relatively healthy with Trocheck back. This next stretch is a chance to go on a run.  By December, we’ll have a better idea of who they are.

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Rangers Recall Perreault, Trocheck Returns

Posted on November 10, 2025 by Derek

Finally, there’s a reason to get excited. The New York Rangers recalled Gabe Perreault from the Hartford Wolf Pack yesterday. He will make his season debut when the Nashville Predators visit The Garden tonight.

Selected with the 23rd pick in the first round in 2023, the 20-year-old Perreault played two years at Boston College. While there, he posted 35 goals and 73 assists for a total of 108 points.

He also represented Team USA at the World Junior Championships, helping them win back to back gold medals. Perreault had three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 2024 and 2025.

After nearly making the roster out of training camp, he was sent down to Hartford to work on his game. In nine games, Perreault was leading the Wolf Pack in scoring with five goals and five assists for 10 points in nine games. He was held out of the last two as a precaution due to an upper-body injury. He’ll be ready to go later.

When Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan was speaking to reporters about Perreault, he made it very clear how he wanted to use him. Unlike previous coaches, Sullivan plans to play Perreault in a top six role and give him time on the power play. That’s exactly how a top prospect should be treated.

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“We want to try to put players in positions to succeed. Ideally, we were trying to give Gabe some time down there to build and develop his game, physically and otherwise, in the hopes that when he does get called to New York, he has the ability to be successful. I obviously talked to Chris (Drury) after the game the other night (and) yesterday when the decision was made. A lot of it’s based on Gabe’s own performance down there, and what we think the needs of the Rangers are here at this particular point in time.”

Undoubtedly, the Rangers know that the offense is a priority. With Perreault getting the chance to play in a defined role, it’s an opportunity to help immediately. There hasn’t been enough consistency or creativity so far.

Perreault brings the skating and playmaking that could make a difference. He’ll start on a line with Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller. Both have struggled to finish. Zibanejad enters play without a goal in the last five games. Miller is without a point in three straight. Each has only put up eight points in the first 16 games. That needs to change.

The power play remains a problem. After getting a power-play goal from Will Cuylle in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 7, the Rangers were 0-for-2 on Saturday in an all too predictable shutout loss to the New York Islanders at MSG. For the season, the Rangers rank 31st on the power play (5-for-41).

In the 5-0 humiliation to the Islanders that included three Islanders’ goals on odd man rushes which drew the ire of Sullivan, they were shut out at home for the fifth time – tying a franchise record for the most in a season. They also tied the Pittsburgh Pirates’ record for most times getting shut out to start a season at home. It’s not even Thanksgiving.

The strange part about this team is that they’ve proven very capable of winning away from MSG. Nobody has a better road record than the Blueshirts, who are 7-1-1. At home, they’re averaging less than a goal-per-game with six in seven. That’s insane.

Both Miller and Zibanejad were very candid about the difficulty scoring on home ice following Saturday’s nightmare.

“We’re aware of it and it’s frustrating not to be able to get a win at home. You want to build a feeling for teams coming in here, it’s going to be tough, but obviously, we haven’t,” Zibanejad told reporters at his locker on Saturday.

There’s no question it’s psychological for the players. If they don’t score early against the Predators, who come in on a four-game losing streak, all bets are off. In the last two home defeats to the Carolina Hurricanes and Islanders, they had good starts. But they were unable to bury their chances. Once they fell behind, things unraveled quickly.

On Saturday, Artemi Panarin was robbed by Ilya Sorokin in the first minute. Zibanejad then hit a goalpost and just missed on another golden opportunity. When he got back to the Rangers bench, he slammed his stick in frustration.

When the game was out of reach, Miller broke his stick twice, including following an empty netter scored by J.G. Pageau. The only game at MSG they got a point in was back on Oct. 23 in a 6-5 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks. They bring a 0-6-1 home record into tonight’s game.

Rangers Get Trocheck Back

In addition to Perreault joining the team, the Rangers finally get Vincent Trocheck back. He missed 14 games with an upper-body injury sustained on Oct. 9 versus the Buffalo Sabres.

A key player who brings a lot to the table, Trocheck will return to his familiar spot as the center who plays with Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Neither have been lighting it up. Panarin has three goals and seven assists for 10 points. Lafreniere has two goals and six helpers for eight points. Undoubtedly, they missed Trocheck, who can create enough space for both. It’s imperative for that line to produce like they did two years ago. Hopefully, having Trocheck back can give them a much needed jolt.

With Trocheck centering one scoring line and Zibanejad in between Perreault and Miller, Cuylle moves down to the third line. He’ll play with Noah Laba and Taylor Raddysh, whose five goals lead the Rangers. Cuylle is still featured as the net front presence on the number one power play unit that features Panarin, Zibanejad, Miller, and Adam Fox.

The second unit should have a different look. Trocheck will anchor it. It includes Lafreniere, Perreault, Raddysh, and Braden Schneider. No more Conor Sheary, who will play on the fourth line with Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom, who returns to the lineup after missing two games.

On paper, this looks like a much better lineup. From top to bottom, it should have balance. It’s up to the players to make it work.

By activating Trocheck, the Rangers will place Matt Rempe on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) retroactive to Nov. 3. That will make them cap compliant, allowing them to keep three players up. Juuso Parssinen and Jonny Brodzinski are the healthy scratches along with Matthew Robertson, who sat out for Urho Vaakanainen on Nov. 8.

Eventually, when Rempe returns, the Rangers will have to make a decision with the roster. A player will have to go on waivers to make room. The likely candidates are Brodzinski and Sheary. Considering that Rempe could be out for a while, they’ll worry about it when the time comes.

Former Rangers Having Success

As I’ve noted before, former Rangers continue to have success. Most notable have been Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba.

The Anaheim Ducks got wins over the Vegas Golden Knights and the Winnipeg Jets this past weekend. On Saturday night, Trouba got the overtime winner in a 4-3 win at Vegas. Last night, Kreider recorded two assists in a 4-1 win over the Jets.

So far, Kreider has nine goals and three assists for 12 points in 11 games. Seven of those points have come on the power play. Trouba has 10 points (4-6-10) and leads the league in plus/minus (16).

While they’ve had a lot of success so far, K’Andre Miller is off to a good start with the Hurricanes. In a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, Miller tallied two assists, including the primary helper that led to Logan Stankoven getting the game-winner in the third period.

Since returning from an upper-body injury, Miller has points in all three games, recording four assists in three consecutive wins. In nine games, he has eight points (2-6-8). Without Jaccob Slavin, Miller’s seen an increase in his ice time. He’s averaging 23:23 with the Canes. That includes power play and penalty kill.

Miller needed a scenery change. So far, so good playing for coach Rod Brind’Amour in Raleigh.

One might ask why former players do well elsewhere. Sometimes, they need a fresh start. There’s little doubt that both Kreider and Trouba had to get out of the Big Apple after how they were handled by Chris Drury. Playing on a younger team that boasts some good talent, each is playing up to capability.

We’ll see if the Ducks continue to lead the Pacific Division.

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Devils’ Shootout Win Over Penguins Keeps Hot Home Start Alive

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Derek

Two days after finding a way to pull out a win in overtime, the New Jersey Devils continued their winning ways at The Rock. In an early matinee this afternoon, they needed a shootout to prevail 2-1 over the Pittsburgh Penguins before another capacity crowd in Newark.

Paul Cotter and Jesper Bratt each scored in the first two rounds. Jake Allen stopped two shooters, including Sidney Crosby to keep the Devils’ hot home start alive. Now a perfect 7-0-0 to start the season, they can match the franchise record that was set in 1987-88 on Monday when they host the New York Islanders. If they get it done, eight would be great before they embark on a five-game road trip that begins next Wednesday at the Chicago Blackhawks.

The biggest reason for the victory was Allen, who was strong in net finishing with 33 saves on 34 shots to earn the game’s first star. That ran his record to 6-2-0 in nine starts this season. More often than not, it’s been the steady play of the 35-year-old backup that’s helped the Devils get off to an 11-4-0 start. In nine games, he has a 2.29 goals-against-average and .914 save percentage. When he allows two goals or fewer, the Devils are a perfect 5-0-0. They’re winning most of his starts due to the former St. Louis Blues starter performing well.

Without him, the Devils would’ve lost the game in regulation. Facing a surprisingly good opponent, they were under siege for over half the contest. Despite getting pinned in by an relentless Pens forecheck, they counted on Allen to make the big saves. He was perfect in the first period stopping all 12 shots.

Even though they were outplayed for most of the period, the Devils grabbed a 1-0 lead with under a minute left thanks to a great play from Arseny Gritsyuk. The rookie forward pressured Kris Letang enough to force him into a turnover. That led to Gritsyuk beating Arturs Silovs on a breakaway for an unassisted tally at 19:12.

In the second period, the Devils had an early look on the power play. However, they were unable to cash in. The Pens has the best chance. Bryan Rust had his wrap-around attempt go wide.

Back at full strength, Ondrej Palat came close to making it two games in a row with a goal. But his shot hit the crossbar to keep the Devils up by one.

Over halfway through the contest, the Pens were able to get a fortunate bounce that tied the game. On a play Rust started, Crosby fed Ryan Graves for a long slap shot that deflected off Palat past Allen with  7:27 remaining in the period.

Following the goal, the Pens had the Devils on their heels. They created a few opportunities but were denied by Allen. He stopped Connor Dewar, who later in the same shift had a shot hit the goalpost.

On a strong shift, Luke Hughes made a nice move to get around the Pittsburgh defense and got a tough backhand right on Silovs, who made the big stop. The third-year Devils defenseman has yet to score a goal this season. However, he’s been vital due to the injuries on the blue line. He led all skaters in ice time with 29:39 on Saturday. In 170 career games, he has 100 points (17-83-100). The 22-year-old younger brother of Jack Hughes should continue to get better.

With less than a minute left in the second, Jack nearly put the Devils ahead. But his point blank shot was stopped by the quick glove of Silovs. It was the best save of the game.

At the start of the third, the Devils came out fast looking for the go-ahead goal. Silovs made another save on Hughes to keep it tied.

With Stefan Noesen in the box for slashing Graves, the Pens came close. Rookie Ben Kindel just missed on an Evgeni Malkin rebound. Allen then turned aside Crosby.

After the power play expired, Hughes was stopped again by Silovs. Simon Nemec missed wide on another chance.

The Devils went to the power play when Malkin cross-checked Cody Glass. Displeased with the call, he had a few words for Glass before going off. Dawson Mercer was stopped twice by Silovs as the Pens killed it off.

With time running down in regulation, Mercer was denied again to send the game to overtime. It didn’t disappoint.

If you like firewagon hockey, then the three-on-three was your cup of tea. Hughes had an early bid just miss.

On the opposite end, Kindel had a pair of chances to end matters. After Allen made one save on a Kindel shot, he stoned him in tight. He was the Pens best player. A 2025 first round pick taken 11th, Kindel has been a pleasant surprise with five goals and two assists. He definitely belongs.

Despite some more exciting end to end rushes, with Hughes having one last bid denied, the game went to the shootout.

In it, it was a mismatch. In Round 1, Paul Cotter went to a deke to beat Silovs. After Allen stopped Rust, out came Bratt. He made a wicked move to freeze Silovs before tucking in a forehand in the second round. Down to their last chance, the Pens sent out Crosby. He made a good move, going to the backhand. But Allen stuck right with him to kick it out for the win.

Next up are the Islanders on Monday night. That should be fun to follow. The Devils get to face 2025 number one pick Matthew Schaefer. He’s really impressive. The 18-year-old rookie leads all NHL defensemen with five goals.

In their 5-0 shutout over the Rangers, Bo Horvat continued his torrid start with a pair of goals to give him 11 along with seven assists. He’s turned back the clock to how he played with the Canucks. With Mat Barzal rounding into form and Jonathan Drouin doing his part, the Islanders play a higher tempo style. The way the Devils play, that should make for a good game. We’ll see if the Devils can tie the home mark with an eighth straight win.

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Rangers Continue to be Road Warriors in Win over Red Wings

Posted on November 8, 2025 by Derek

When it comes to this team, they are hard to figure out. One thing is for certain. They are the NHL version of the Road Warriors. If you haven’t figured it out by now, the New York Rangers play much better hockey away from Madison Square Garden. On a special Friday night that saw the Original Six rival Detroit Red Wings honor their first dynasty of the 1950s as part of the centennial celebration in Hockey Town, it was all Rangers in a convincing 4-1 win over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.

Since 2023-24, the Rangers have owned the Red Wings – making it seven straight wins over the Winged Wheel. In fact, dating back to Nov. 5, 2014, they now have points versus the Red Wings in 27 of the last 31 meetings (19-4-8). During the last decade, there were a lot of low scoring games decided by one goal when Henrik Lundqvist went head-to-head with Jimmy Howard. Quite a few went to overtime and sometimes weren’t determined until the shootout.

In a similar theme to last season, Jonathan Quick got the start. In two appearances last year, he only allowed two goals on 68 shots versus Detroit. It was an easy call for head coach Mike Sullivan, who as I predicted, decided to keep Igor Shesterkin fresh for the New York Islanders tomorrow night. We’ll see if they can give Shesterkin enough run support to finally get a win on home ice. They’re 0-5-1 so far.

When they’re away from MSG, good things seem to happen. On a successful Western swing last week, they went 3-1-0. That was highlighted by a come from behind overtime win over the Oilers, which sparked a three-game win streak that included victories over the Canucks and Kraken. Then, they returned home and saw their shadow in a 3-0 shutout loss to the Hurricanes on Tuesday.

What is it about being on the road for this team that brings out their best hockey? Maybe it’s as simple as not having to feel the pressure of playing at The Garden. They’ve been shut out four times in six games, only scoring six goals. Five of which came in one game against the Sharks, who prevailed in overtime back on Oct. 23.

With Quick in net, the Rangers played their most complete game of the season. The line adjustments along with the one change to the power play paid dividends for Sullivan. Following a nice pregame ceremony in which the Red Wings welcomed back the families of legends Gordie Howe, Sid Abel, Ted Lindsay, and Alex Delvecchio, the Rangers accomplished something rare by scoring on the power play. This moment should be frozen in time.

On a good play up the ice, Artemi Panarin moved the puck to Mika Zibaejad. He then skated down low before finding a vacated Will Cuylle in front for the game’s first goal at 6:46. It was only their fifth power-play goal of the season. Cuylle had replaced Alexis Lafreniere on the number one unit. He did exactly what Sullivan wanted by going to the net and getting his third.

Before the game, Panarin had a new look. A day earlier, he decided to shave his head in an attempt to change his luck. It worked in 2023-24 when he exploded for a career-high 49 goals and 120 points. Why not do it again he figured. If Friday night was any indication, maybe he should keep it buzzed off. He snapped a six-game pointless streak with a secondary assist on Cuylle’s goal. Panarin wasn’t done, either.

The Red Wings drew even when J.T. Compher beat Quick in front on a nice setup from Mason Appleton behind the net. On the play, Braden Schneider made the mistake of vacating the slot to chase the puck. The problem was that Vladislav Gavrikov and Lafreniere were already in the vicinity. That left Compher wide open for an easy finish at 11:06 from Appleton and Andrew Copp. Schneider would later make up for it by saving two goals. One proved critical later in the game.

The Rangers were able to remain tied headed to the locker room thanks to Quick, who made 12 saves in the first period. He was sharp throughout finishing with 32 stops on 33 shots to earn career victory number 407. His best save came on Compher, who was in on a two-on-one. With lots of net to shoot at, Compher tried to pick the top part. However, Quick made a fantastic glove save to deny his bid of putting the Red Wings up.

In the second period, the Rangers went back in front thanks to some excellent teamwork from Panarin and Lafreniere. After failing to capitalize on a man-advantage, Panarin made a good cross-ice feed to Lafreniere at the side of the net. He then got the puck over for an open Noah Laba, who got just enough of it to score his third past former backup Cam Talbot at 4:52. It was pretty special for Laba, who scored in his homecoming.

A little bit later, Quick came way out of his net and got caught by Patrick Kane. The future Hall of Famer had what looked like the tying goal on his stick. But with the net empty, a desperate Quick dove to at least delay Kane from scoring right away. That allowed a hustling Schneider to make the save of the game by getting his stick on the puck to push it just wide. He had some help from Carson Soucy. That was a huge turning point.

Despite outplaying the Red Wings for most of the period, the Rangers remained up by a goal headed to the third. In it, they seized control by getting a pair of goals 58 seconds apart.

Sullivan decided to tweak his lines. He moved Taylor Raddysh up with Panarin and Zibanejad. Cuylle and Lafreniere played with J.T. Miller. Laba worked between Conor Sheary and Jonny Brodzinski. With Adam Edstrom banged up, rookie call-up Jaroslav Chmelar made his NHL debut on the fourth line with Sam Carrick and Juuso Parssinen. The only change he didn’t make was subbing in Connor Mackey for Matthew Robertson, who after starting the game with Schneider, moved up to play with Will Borgen. Every move worked out well.

With the Rangers still nursing a one-goal lead, a rush started by Raddysh led to Zibanejad finding Panarin open for his first goal since Oct. 21 against the Wild. It was an easy finish for Bald Panarin, which gave him three points after going without one over the previous six games. He desperately needed it. So did the team.

On the next shift, Lafreniere scored for the first time since Oct. 9 versus Buffalo. Sheary made a heads-up play by banking a pass off the boards to send Lafreniere in for a breakaway. When he has time and space in open ice, he is pretty good. Lafreniere went to a forehand deke, tucking the puck past Talbot to make it 4-1 with 11:33 left in regulation. He entered the game with only one goal. Despite that, he had three assists in the previous four games. Lafreniere had been getting chances. They hadn’t been going in for him. If ever a player needed a big game, it was Lafreniere, who finished with a goal and assist for his second two-pointer of the season.

If there was some concern in the third prior to Panarin and Lafreniere ending long droughts, it was when Cuylle looked seriously injured after making a diving block of a Simon Edvinsson shot. Cuylle sold out to block the one-timer and immediately went down in a lot of pain. He had to be helped back to the locker room by the Rangers trainer. At the time, he was unable to put any weight on the leg. Of course, he returned. Cuylle was back in time to help the Rangers kill a bench minor a few minutes later. Hockey player.

With the game decided, Chmelar got into his first fight with Travis Hamonic. The bigger and stronger Chmelar easily won the bout, landing a few rights to knock Hamonic down. Playing in front of his family who made the trip from the Czech Republic, he was active. In nine shifts, Chmelar had four hits and a fight over 6:29 of ice time. He certainly didn’t hurt himself in his audition. Whether or not he stays in the lineup this weekend remains to be seen.

There were so many positives in the win. Most notably, the Rangers improved to a beastly 7-1-1 on the road. By defeating the Red Wings 4-1, they’ve now outscored opponents 29-17 on the road. They play with more purpose away from MSG. When are they going to petition the NHL to have the remainder of their schedule played on the road? I’d rather see the Rangers have home games at a neutral site at this point. They once beat the Devils in Halifax on Halloween in 1993. Mike Gartner and Sergei Nemchinov each had a pair of goals. Mike Richter made 23 saves in the 4-1 win.

Sullivan had to be extremely pleased with how together his team looked. Sheary drew two penalties and picked up his fifth assist on the Lafreniere goal. Cuylle scored on the power play and also had another one wiped out due to Miller making contact with Talbot in the crease. It was marginal. Laba was all over the ice again. He makes things happen. The rookie is impressive due to his 200-foot game. There’s a lot to like about Laba.

Both Panarin and Lafreniere had big games. Obviously, they need Panarin to produce to start winning consistently. If he doesn’t, they’ll never be more than a mediocre team. Lafreniere has to play the way he did last night. He was more noticeable during shifts. Having him with Miller and Cuylle is smart. They all play a similar North/South style. That works better for him. He can’t go back to being invisible the next game. That’s not how it works in Year 6.

By recording a goal and assist, Lafreniere went over 200 points for his career. He’s one of the youngest Rangers to do so.

That’s an excellent list made up of great Rangers. You have Brian Leetch at the top headlining it. Of course, Alexei Kovalev is on there. So is Brad Park and Walt Tkaczuk.

Now, it’s back to MSG later tonight. The Rangers get their first look at 2025 top pick Matthew Schaefer. He’s quite impressive for a teenager. The Islanders seem to always play their best games at MSG. Last year, the Rangers swept the season series. We’ll see how the first meeting of three goes.

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Bratt Wins It In Overtime for Devils

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Derek

It looked like the perfect record at home was going to end. Instead, the New Jersey Devils rallied back from a one-goal deficit late in regulation to pull out a hard fought 4-3 win in overtime over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night in Newark.

Jesper Bratt scored at 1:33 of overtime to make it six-for-six on home ice for the Devils. After pressuring Alex Newhook at the blue line, Bratt stole the puck and walked in and beat Canadiens rookie Jakub Dobes for the victory, improving New Jersey to 6-0-0 at The Prudential Center.

On a good team headlined by leading scorer Jack Hughes and captain Nico Hischier, the 27-year-old Bratt continues to fly under the radar for the red and black. One of the game’s most unheralded stars, the 2016 sixth round pick is by far the Devils’ most electric scoring wing on a roster that also includes Timo Meier.

It was Meier’s goal with 1:07 left in regulation that forced extras. On a play set up by both Bratt and Hughes, Meier was able to dig out a loose puck in front and steer it past Dobes for his first goal in 10 games (Oct. 16 vs. Fla). It was a critical one for Meier, who had been slumping after a good start.

The Devils need him to produce to remain at the top of a competitive Metropolitan Division. With both the Penguins and Hurricanes each winning, the top three teams are separated by two points. Despite having the same amount of points (20), the Pens have played one more game than the Devils, who upped their record to 10-4-0 by defeating the first place Canadiens (9-3-2) in a well played game.

Boosted by the return of Cody Glass, who slid back in to center the third line, the Devils grabbed an early lead just 93 seconds in. Glass retrieved a loose puck, entered the zone, and surprised Dobes with a wrist shot that went under his glove. He missed the previous seven games with an upper-body injury. Since Devils team president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald acquired him from the Penguins on Mar. 7, he’s been a good support player. After putting up two goals and five assists for seven points in 14 games last season, Glass has three goals in seven games this season.

It was the play of the third line that stood out for most of the game. Glass played in between Ondrej Palat and Arseny Gritsyuk. According to Natural Stat Trick, the line had a strong night by posting a team-leading 69.23 CF while holding a 5-3 edge in shots. They weren’t at fault on Kirby Dach’s tying goal, which came less than a minute later. Dach got a fortunate break when Noah Dobson’s point shot banked off his back and in past Jacob Markstrom to tie the score. He would later bump into Markstrom later for goaltender interference.

Despite having some good looks, the Devils power play was unable to cash in. Even though they finished the game a disappointing 0-for-5, they certainly had their chances. The top unit that features Bratt, Hischier, Hughes, Luke Hughes, and Dawson Mercer are dangerous due to how quickly they move the puck around. There were a few close calls. Even though they did a good job limiting the Canadiens to four shots in the first period, the Devils remained tied at one into intermission.]

The second was back-and-forth. Both teams are very fast getting through the neutral zone, which meant some entertaining hockey in transition. The Canadiens spent a little more time on the forecheck. It’s an area they seemed focused on as the game moved along. The Habs are a young, exciting team featuring emerging stars Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, and speedy rookie Ivan Demidov. They can really create chances quickly. For the most part, the Devils did a good job defensively by holding them to a combined four shots.

With the game still tied, the Devils got some much needed production from an unexpected source. Entering the game, it had been a rough go for Palat, who came in with only one assist. A disappointing player since joining the Devils on Jun. 14, 2022, the former Lightning forward finally got his first goal of the season. On a good play from Simon Nemec, who pinched down to keep it moving, Nemec made a no-look pass that Palat buried in the back of the net to put the Devils back in front at 8:05. After he scored, Palat put his hands to his head in relief.

By that point, the Devils were playing without Dougie Hamilton. The top point getter among Devils defensemen, Hamilton left the game with a lower-body injury that looked to occur during a board battle with Juraj Slafkovsky in his end. Head coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t provide any upset earlier today. He said that Hamilton was still being evaluated.

The Devils are already without top defensive defenseman Brett Pesce, who was placed on the injured reserve yesterday. It looks like they could be playing this weekend minus Hamilton as well. On Saturday afternoon, they host the Pens in another fascinating early matchup. Obviously, Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon could see a lot of time against Sidney Crosby tomorrow. Jonas Siegenthaler and Nemec will likely draw the assignment against Evgeni Malkin. Figure Hischier to be matched up against the Crosby line.

The Devils also probably won’t have Connor Brown available. He missed last night’s game with an undisclosed injury. The checking forward has been another good player in his first year for New Jersey. In 11 games, he has five goals and an assist. Brown hasn’t played since Oct. 30.

As for the remainder of the second period, Dobes made some key stops on both Bratt and Jack Hughes to keep the Canadiens within striking distance. He fought off a tough Gritsyuk shot on a rush. On the flip side, Jacob Markstrom’s best save on Oliver Kapanen. He was fine in the first two periods, stopping all 12 shots.

At the start of the third, things changed quickly. After taking a Josh Anderson feed at center ice, Jake Evans was able to sneak a routine shot past Markstrom to tie the score at 59 seconds. It was a soft goal. Markstrom let it go right through the wickets much to the chagrin of the sellout crowd of 16,514. It hasn’t been a good start for the 35-year-old netminder, who Fitzgerald recently signed to a two-year, $12 million contract extension. If they want to go far, the Devils will need much better play from Markstrom than what they’ve gotten. Despite winning four of five starts, he hasn’t been sharp.

With the game tied, they had two straight power plays after Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble took two separate minors. However, the Devils didn’t get much done. The Habs did a better job taking away the middle of the ice to hold the Devils to only a single shot.

Back at even strength, it was Montreal who surged ahead. On a Stefan Noesen turnover in the corner, Newhook fired a shot from a sharp angle that Markstrom mishandled. That allowed Kapanen to bury the bad rebound to give the Canadiens their first lead with 9:27 left in regulation.

After Gritsyuk had a shot graze off the crossbar, Markstrom recovered to make a crucial stop on Slafkovsky. The Canadiens began to take the neutral zone away and make life difficult on the Devils, who were pressed for time. They finally got Markstrom off for an extra skater with over two minutes left.

With over a minute to go, Meier was able to tie it. Earlier in the shift, he was all set up for a one-timer with Dobes out of position before a diving block from Mike Matheson prevented the tying goal sooner. Later on, Hughes threw the puck on net. The low shot through a maze of bodies was just enough to cause a rebound opportunity. Before Dobes could cover it, Meier beat a hobbled Matheson to put home the loose puck at 18:53.

In overtime, it didn’t last long. Of course not with these two teams involved in a three-on-three. All it took was Newhook trying to force a pass inside the Devils blue line to lead to a Bratt clean breakaway goal that won it. After taking away the puck, Bratt broke in and patiently waited before tucking in a backhand to give the Devils the overtime win.

Following a disappointing road trip that saw them go 1-3-0, the Devils are on a three-game home stand. After the Pens visit tomorrow, they’ll get their first look at impressive 2025 number one pick Matthew Schaefer when the Islanders invade Newark on Monday. That’ll be the last home game for a while. The next five will all be on the road. Considering how much better they play at home, it’s a good chance for the Devils to pocket four more points. We’ll see how they handle some more adversity due to the injuries.

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Sullivan’s Rangers Lineup Brings More Questions

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Derek

Following the latest shutout at home, a 3-0 loss to the depleted Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the New York Rangers remain without a win at Madison Square Garden. They’ve been shut out four times in six home games.

Astonishingly, the Rangers have been outscored 18-6 by opponents at MSG. The only game they scored over two goals in was a 6-5 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23. The only other goal came against the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 20 in a 3-1 defeat. That was the last time Artemi Panarin scored. Since then, he’s been held without a point in six straight games. That included the successful 3-1-0 road trip.

Panarin’s offensive issues have become a team wide epidemic for the NHL’s lowest scoring team. The Rangers rank dead last in offense averaging 2.21 goals-per-game. With another 0-for-2 performance on the man-advantage against the Hurricanes, who managed to convert on their first chance off the stick of Nikolai Ehlers, the Rangers have plummeted to 32nd in the league on the power play. They’re a woeful 4-for-36 for a league-low 11.1 percent. Ironically, the Hurricanes entered Thursday with the 31st ranked power play. They managed to capitalize with Ehlers getting his first goal on Nov. 4.

After sticking with the same lineup that was successful on the Western swing, coach Mike Sullivan decided to rearrange his lines at today’s practice in preparation to visit the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. With Panarin still struggling, along with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere hardly producing, Sullivan has once again tweaked his lines for tomorrow. Despite having some success playing with rookie Noah Laba, both Lafreniere and Will Cuylle will play with J.T. Miller instead. The Rangers captain was extremely frustrated with himself over the team’s latest shutout.

“It starts with me. I need to be better. I need to do something to help drag the team in for an extra couple percent here,” Miller told reporters in the Rangers locker room following Tuesday night’s loss.

Despite having only three goals and five assists so far, Miller ranks second on the team in scoring with eight points. Sadly, that leads all forwards. Panarin has been stuck on two goals and five assists for a while. Despite ranking second among Rangers in total shots (41), which trails only Mika Zibanejad (43), he has a shooting percentage of 4.9.

That isn’t getting it done for a player who reportedly isn’t open to taking a pay cut on his next contract. If he really wants to make a strong case to stay in New York City, Panarin might want to start producing. He also is in need of checking his ego. There’s no way Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury is going to keep him at a similar rate to his current salary ($11.64 million AAV).

What if Panarin is unwilling to waive his no-movement clause next year if the Rangers are out of playoff contention? They’d be stuck with an unhappy player playing out the final year of his contract, willing to test free agency next summer. That’s the worst case scenario for the organization.

Both the Hurricanes and Wild already have expressed interest in acquiring Panarin. Considering how good the Hurricanes are, I can see why. As they proved a couple of seasons ago when they acquired Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins as a rental, they’re always a player. Panarin’s former teammate K’Andre Miller is finally ready to return to the lineup after missing a chance to face the Rangers at MSG. The Wild already locked up Kirill Kaprizov on a record eight-year, $136 million contract extension that’ll make him the league’s highest paid player next season. If they turn things around, I’m sure they’d love to have Panarin playing alongside Kaprizov.

Of course, none of it matters right now. Panarin has a job to do in helping turn around the Rangers. Sullivan broke up the loaded top line that featured Panarin with Miller and Zibanejad. When they visit Detroit, it’ll be Zibanejad and Panarin with Taylor Raddysh, who somehow still leads the Blueshirts in goals with five. He’ll get another look in the top six. He’s certainly played well enough to earn a promotion.

As for the remaining lines, it’s back to the drawing board for Laba. He’ll go from playing with Cuylle and Lafreniere, who he had chemistry with, to centering Sullivan team ornament Conor Sheary and Jonny Brodzinski. As hard as he plays, I’ve had enough of watching Sheary blow scoring chances. The four assists he’s put up are fine. But couldn’t it be a younger player instead? Somehow, Adam Edstrom will likely find himself a healthy scratch for tomorrow night. Even if he had a bad game on Tuesday, why is it always young players who get the shaft with this team? It doesn’t matter who the coach is. They always favor veterans. It’s sickening.

If there’s one consolation, it looks like Jaroslav Chmelar will make his NHL debut. Recently called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack on Monday for Brennan Othmann, the 22-year-old forward is slotted in on the fourth line with Sam Carrick and Juuso Parssinen. A 2021 fifth round pick who represented the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championships twice, Chmelar has two goals and three assists in nine games for the Wolf Pack this season. He has some size and edge to his game. I remember seeing him in the WJC, and liking how he played. It’s an opportunity for the 22-year-old to show what he can do.

The issue is why can’t Sheary sit out. Sullivan is really all about keeping it all in the family. I don’t care if they’re related due to Sheary marrying his niece. Enough is enough. Of course, he’ll continue to receive some time on the second power play unit. This time, it’ll be Lafreniere moved down with Raddysh, Brodzinski, Sheary, and Braden Schneider. That unit isn’t even worth the time. Laba would be a better option over the team ornament.

As usual, another coach is throwing all his eggs in one basket. At least, Cuylle will get the chance to be the net front presence on the number one unit. Nobody has come close to replacing Chris Kreider, who scored another goal in a Ducks win the other night. Kreider has seven in eight games. Old friend, Jacob Trouba is up to three goals and five helpers while tied with a league-leading plus-11 rating without taking a penalty. I’ve watched the Ducks play. They’re really good. Joel Quenneville knows what he’s doing. Nobody ever said he was a bad coach. What happened in Chicago remains a black eye for the NHL.

If you want more mind-numbing changes, you got it. In a Rangers World, I guess it makes perfect sense for Connor Mackey to play on the third defensive pair in the 15th game of the season. Nothing against Mackey, who gives an honest effort while playing with plenty of edge. He’ll probably get into a fight. At this stage, should Mackey be in the top six? Why even have Matthew Robertson on the roster? Urho Vaakanainen will miss his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury. He isn’t that good, either. But his analytics are much improved, like most of the defense under Sullivan. Having Mackey with Schneider doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence. Neither does continuing to roll out Schneider on the second power play. It won’t even matter.

They didn’t renew Zac Jones for another year of Vaakanainen, Robertson, and now Mackey. At least Jones could jump into the rush and run the point on the little-used second unit. He wasn’t good, either. But he had some offensive capabilities to his game. Sometimes, it’s really hard to support this team. They make it so hard.

Vincent Trocheck is getting closer to a return. He and Vaakanainen won’t be making the trip to Detroit. Perhaps Trocheck is a possibility for Saturday night when the New York Islanders come to town. I may as well just call them the Matthew Schaefer Islanders. That kid is a breath of fresh air. To think the Rangers were one loss away in their final meeting against the Islanders from lucking into Schaefer last spring. It would’ve changed everything. If you haven’t seen him play, please do so. Or watch his interview with the NHL On TNT panel, where he gave Henrik Lundqvist the business because he was a former Rangers legend who asked the first question.

To the fans who don’t get it, you never will. Schaefer has the larger than life personality that hockey lacks. He’s similar to Brad Marchand. Imagine that at age 18 while lighting it up as a rookie defenseman for the bitter rival Islanders. If they don’t market him, why even bother. Everyone knows how bad the NHL is at promoting the game’s best players. It’s kids like Schaefer and Macklin Celebrini who are the future of the sport.

In terms of who will get the start at Hockey Town, Sullivan could go with Jonathan Quick. Considering that it’s a quick turnaround with the Islanders coming to MSG on Saturday, I’d save Igor Shesterkin for them. But he might decide to have Shesterkin face the surprising Red Wings. Igor rarely gets both starts in a back-to-back. Quick is again off to a good start. We’ll see what Sullivan decides tomorrow.

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Celebrini and Schaefer Highlight the New Wave

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Derek

If there’s one thing that’s much different in today’s game, it’s how willing most NHL teams are to bring in the new wave of talent. The league has never been younger than it currently is. It’s all about the future.

When you look at the most recent top two picks, there’s so much to love about both players. Somehow, Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer have outshined Connor Bedard. The good news is that Bedard is starting to figure it out. The Blackhawks 2023 first overall pick is still only 20. He hasn’t scored as many goals, but he’s starting to pile up assists on a more promising team that also features 22-year-old sidekick Frank Nazar and 20-year-old defenseman Artyom Levshunov. They’re headed in the right direction.

Celebrini has continued to light it up in his second year for the Sharks. The 19-year-old center is up to seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in the first 13 games. After an inauspicious start, the Sharks are 4-2-1 over their last seven. That included beating the Devils 5-2 in a rematch at SAP Center at San Jose. In the win, Celebrini found Will Smith for a big goal late in the second period. Their chemistry is undeniable. Smith is a former Boston College standout who the Sharks grabbed with the fourth pick in 2023. The 20-year-old forward ranks second in team scoring with 11 points (4-7-11).

San Jose followed that up with a 3-2 overtime victory at home over the Avalanche. Celebrini had a goal. Free agent pickup Philipp Kurashev scored twice, including the overtime winner. In a 3-2 shootout loss to the Red Wings last night, 19-year-old defenseman Sam Dickinson scored his first career goal late in regulation to get the Sharks a point. He’s the future of the blue line. Yaroslav Askarov is who they’re counting on in net. The 23-year-old is still trying to find some consistency. He made some good saves in the Sharks’ win over the Devils. Right now, he’s sharing the net with Alex Nedeljkovic.

What makes Celebrini special is his elite skating and playmaking skills. He spent a year preparing for the NHL by playing for Boston University in 2023-24. He put up 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points to win the Hobey Baker as a freshman. If not for the remarkable rookie season that Lane Hutson had with the Canadiens along with the strong campaign from Flames’ netminder Dustin Wolf, he would’ve won the Calder Trophy. In 70 games, Celebrini paced the Sharks with 63 points (25-38-63). Even though he finished a minus-31 on one of the NHL’s worst teams, he learned plenty.

In Year 2, he isn’t only over a point-per-game. He also is winning 50.6 percent of faceoffs (123-and-120). A well-rounded player, Celebrini certainly plays with a lot of passion. After getting cross-checked by Red Wings defenseman Mo Seider to draw a penalty, he went right back at the bigger Seider during a scrum. Seider wound up with the extra.

Due to where the Sharks are in their rebuild, Celebrini has played a lot in his end so far. His 41.1 CF is way down from the 48.7 CF he posted in 2024-25. San Jose head coach David Warsofsky has continued to use Celebrini very similar to last year. He’s started 51.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone while starting 48.5 percent in the defensive zone. His zone starts in his rookie season were 52.0 on offense and 48.0 on defense.

What that means is that Warsofsky trusts Celebrini enough to play him in the defensive zone. His most common line mates are Smith and Tyler Toffoli. They’ve logged over 104 minutes together while posting a 46.35 CF, and outscoring opponents 7-2 according to Natural Stat Trick. A big improvement from when he played with other players. The Sharks next play tomorrow night at the Kraken.

If Celebrini is the brightest young star, then Schaefer is right behind him. The Islanders lucked into the 18-year-old defenseman by winning the NHL Draft Lottery last spring. The consensus top pick has been nothing short of special since arriving on Long Island.

An extremely fast skater who possesses elite skills to become one of the best players at his position, Schaefer has already established himself as a teenager. The six-foot-two, 186-pound Islanders defenseman has five goals and five assists for 10 points in his first dozen games.

In a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on home ice, Schaefer recorded the first two-goal game of his career. With the Islanders trailing the Blue Jackets by a goal late in regulation with David Rittich pulled for an extra skater, Schaefer managed to tie the game at two with 1:07 left. Earlier in the contest, he also scored on the power play. Just 29 seconds later, Simon Holmstrom beat Elvis Merzlikins at 19:22 to give the Islanders the thrilling win at UBS Arena.

Afterward, an emotional Schaefer gave another exciting interview on the Islanders bench. Before it concluded, he screamed, “Let’s Go!!!” to cheers from the crowd. It’s his unique personality that’s really a big part of his character.

To think that he didn’t turn 18 until Sept. 5. The Hamilton, Ontario native is unlike anything the league has seen in decades. A top pick who’s already making a big impact as a first-year defenseman. Not even two-time Norris winner Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes came right to the NHL without playing a year in college. Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger is one of the few former players who graduated right to the NHL after getting selected second overall by the Hartford Whalers. The only difference is he was a year older than Schaefer – turning 19 on Oct. 10, 1993.

So far, Schaefer leads all rookies in ice time (21:56 TOI) and is tied in both goals (5) and points (10) entering Tuesday night’s home game against the Boston Bruins. Speaking to how polished he is, Schaefer has a 51.8 CF at five-on-five and 52.9 CF at even strength.

Even though he plays for the enemy, it’s impossible not to love this kid. He has more charisma than Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon combined. It would be wise if the NHL actually decided to market Schaefer. He has that kind of appeal.

Fans will definitely enjoy watching Schaefer as he leads the Islanders back to respectability. They bring a 6-5-1 record into tonight’s action. If there’s a game to look forward to, it comes this Saturday in the Big Apple when the Islanders visit the New York Rangers. That’ll mark Schaefer’s debut at Madison Square Garden. He’ll get to go up against Adam Fox. Along with frontrunner Makar, both are early Norris candidates. The game is at 7 PM on Nov. 8.

With the league’s three recent top picks all front and center, hockey is in great shape moving forward.

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Cuylle’s Winner in Overtime Highlights Successful Road Trip

Posted on November 2, 2025 by Derek

Through the first 13 games, there haven’t been many players who have impressed for the New York Rangers. An offensively challenged team, they needed someone to provide spark after suffering a 5-1 drubbing to the lowly Calgary Flames on Oct. 26.

Enter Will Cuylle. Having gotten off to a bad start, the third-year forward helped the Rangers turn it around to have a successful road trip. Moved onto a line with rookie Noah Laba and Alexis Lafreniere, Cuylle provided the impetus. In the blowout defeat at Calgary, Cuylle set up Laba for the first goal of his career with a nice touch pass in the neutral zone that allowed the speedy center to cut in and score.

Following the team’s third straight loss, it felt like they hit rock bottom. Especially after the Flames got three unanswered goals to pull away for their first win in regulation. It would’ve been easy for the Rangers to continue to revert to the form that ruined last season. Instead, they got well against a depleted Vancouver Canucks with a 2-0 shutout last Tuesday, Oct. 28.

It was another Cuylle pass that allowed Mika Zibanejad to break in and score for what proved to be the game-winner late in the first period. Jonathan Quick stopped all 23 shots to pick up the victory. Sam Carrick added the empty netter.

In the win, Cuylle played with Zibanejad and slumping star forward Artemi Panarin. When they fell behind the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 after a lackluster second period that saw them get outscored 2-0, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan had seen enough of his top two lines. He made the switch that ignited his team to rally back from a two-goal deficit and pull out a 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers.

With Sullivan loading up the top line by moving captain J.T. Miller up with Zibanejad and Panarin, he decided to bump up Laba to the second line with Cuylle and Lafreniere. It was the play of that line that led to the turnaround. After taking a pass from Urho Vaakanainen, Cuylle turned on the jets to force Stuart Skinner into giving up a rebound that Braden Schneider deposited. Less than four minutes later, Conor Sheary set up Taylor Raddysh for the game-tying goal. In extra time, Miller coasted by Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard to win the game on a breakaway.

Pleased with how they played after the line adjustments, Sullivan kept his new lines intact for last night’s game against the Seattle Kraken. The Rangers started off November by pulling out a 3-2 overtime victory over the Kraken. It was Cuylle who played the hero when he took a Miller cross-ice pass and beat Joey Daccord at 2:42 of OT.

Back in the first period, after Vladislav Gavrikov and Chandler Stephenson exchanged goals 2:33 apart, Cuylle took a Lafreniere feed and took a shot through traffic that created a rebound that Laba put in for his second. That aggressive style is a big part of Cuylle’s game. In a game the Rangers largely dominated by limiting the Kraken to only 13 shots, they still required overtime due to Igor Shesterkin giving up a tying goal to Brandon Montour in the third period.

Even with the power play continuing to fire blanks, the Rangers were able to overcome it to finish the Western road swing 3-1-0. For the first time in almost a calendar year, they have won three in a row. In doing so, they upped their record to 6-5-2. That moved them into a wild card spot with 14 points. With both the Metropolitan and Atlantic Divisions full of parity, they should find themselves in the swing of things.

Before the road trip, Cuylle had only one goal. After putting up five points over the four games, he’s up to two goals and four assists for six points. His impact can be felt due to always being involved. That includes his 46 hits, which lead the team. A North/South player who doesn’t turn over the puck much, it’s the 23-year-old’s game that Sullivan wants to see more of from his team.

Ironically, even though he’s continued to struggle finishing, Lafreniere also plays a similar style. Keeping him with Cuylle and Laba, whose combination of size, speed, and grit make him an effective player, would be wise. Perhaps it can get Lafreniere going. If the line continues its progression, Sullivan could have an interesting decision when Vincent Trocheck returns.

For now, we should continue to see the three young forwards stick together. That’s a good thing for the Rangers moving forward.

Borgen Gets A Nice Welcome Back

On a night that saw former Rangers Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren face their ex-teammates for the first time since being traded last season, current Ranger Will Borgen got a nice welcome back to Seattle.

A hard-nosed defenseman who plays the game with a purpose, the 28-year-old Borgen has been a steady influence on the Rangers’ back end. While he won’t wow fans with tons of offense, he will certainly let opponents know he’s there. Since coming over from the Kraken last year in a trade that sent Kakko to the Pacific Coast, Borgen has become a key factor on the blue line.

Playing against his former team for the first time at Climate Pledge Arena, he was given a warm reception from Kraken fans during a stoppage that featured a video tribute. They made sure to include some big hits and a fight in the highlights. That personifies who Borgen is. While on the Rangers bench, he smiled and waved to the crowd.

Borgen had a solid game in his return. In 27 shifts while logging 20:13 of ice time, he had two hits and two blocks. He teamed with Carson Soucy (19:58 TOI) for an effective duo on the second pair. As usual, Borgen received the third most ice time on the blue line, trailing Gavrikov (21:47) and Adam Fox (25:04).

Fox Picks Up A Pair of Assists

In the win, Fox picked up a pair of assists. That included a secondary helper on Cuylle’s overtime decider. He moved the puck for Miller, who then drew attention before finding Cuylle wide open for the easy finish upstairs with Daccord already down.

In 28 shifts, Fox had two assists with two shots, six attempts, and a game best plus-3 rating. Very quietly, the former Norris winner is off to a good start. His 11 points (3-8-11) lead the Rangers in scoring. It’s been his steady play with new partner Gavrikov that’s getting attention.

If Fox and Gavrikov can keep it up, the Rangers should have one of the best defensive pairs this season. They rank first according to Natural Stat Trick, with a 57.38 CF. Due to the Rangers’ offensive struggles, they’ve only been on for one more goal than against (4 GF 3 GA) despite a dominant shot differential (95-78) at five-on-five.

Brodzinski Keeps Contributing

Playing for the third straight game, Jonny Brodzinski picked up a secondary assist on the Rangers’ first goal. It was the strong work he did down low that resulted in Fox finding Gavrikov for his first as a Ranger to open the scoring. It was his first assist of the season.

In the win over Edmonton, Brodzinski scored on a breakaway for his first of the season. When he plays, he’s capable of contributing. In five games, he has a goal and assist. During 2024-25, the 32-year-old veteran set a career-high in goals (12) while matching his previous career best in points (19). He’s a good fit on the fourth line with Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom due to his skating and the hustle he provides. That was evident on the Gavrikov tally.

With Brodzinski continuing to play well, it looks like Brennan Othmann will remain out of the lineup when the Rangers return to Madison Square Garden to host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. There won’t be any video tribute for K’Andre Miller, who’s been out with a lower-body injury. He was placed on the injured reserve on Halloween.

The Hurricanes could also be without top defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who’s been on the IR with a lower-body injury since Oct. 23. Shayne Gostisbehere (lower-body) doesn’t have a timetable for his return to the lineup. He suffered the injury on Oct. 28. Despite the injuries, the Hurricanes still have a 7-4-0 record. It should be interesting to see what happens in two days at The Garden.

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Lindgren Hosts Reunion with Former Teammates, Kakko Expected to Face Rangers

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Derek

It was a family reunion on Friday night in Seattle. As they prepared to face the Kraken on Saturday, the Rangers got to see Ryan Lindgren, who hosted some former teammates at dinner last night.

That included Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere, Braden Schneider, Will Cuylle, Jonny Brodzinski, and Jonathan Quick visiting Lindgren at his home for an Italian dinner.

A popular blood and guts Ranger who always sacrificed for the team over six seasons, Lindgren will face those same players later tonight at Climate Pledge Arena.

After being an integral part of some good Rangers teams that included two that made trips to the Conference Finals, he was dealt to the Avalanche on Mar. 1 in a four-player trade that included Juuso Parssinen, a 2025 second round pick (Malcolm Spence), and fourth round pick (Mikkel Eriksen) coming back in return.

Lindgren signed with the Kraken as a free agent over the summer. So far, he’s been used by Kraken coach Lane Lambert in a defensive role to help stifle opponents. Thus far, he has 18 blocks and six hits in 10 games with an assist and 23 penalty minutes.

Not the highest scoring team, the Kraken rely on tight defense and a strong forecheck to stay in games. They enter play with a 5-2-3 record to rank third in the Pacific Division. They’ve scored 28 goals and given up 28 goals.

Seattle has had some injuries to key players. Ryker Evans started the season on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Jared McCann has been on the IR with a lower-body injury since Oct. 25. Frederick Gaudreau (upper-body) is expected to miss four to six weeks since being placed on the IR on Oct. 16.

However, one player is expected to make his return for tonight’s game. After injuring his hand in preseason, Kaapo Kakko is a game-time decision, according to Lambert. From the looks of it, it sounds like he’ll be back in the lineup for the first time this season.

Originally a Rangers second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Kakko had his ups and downs on Broadway. Although he never met expectations as a hyped prospect, he turned himself into a steady two-way forward in the Big Apple.

If there was a highlight during his six-year Rangers career, it was the play of the Kid Line during the 2021-22 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Under former coach Gerard Gallant, Kakko was part of a good third line that also featured Lafreniere and Filip Chytil. All three were former first round picks who had strong chemistry playing together during that run.

The cohesive trio combined for some nice goals in the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals. That included a dominant shift that led to a Chytil goal in a  Game 1 win on home ice over the Lightning.

It was memorable. At that time, Kakko was 21, and Lafreniere was 20. Chytil was 23. They really did look like a big part of the Rangers’ future.

Although he only finished with two goals and three assists for five points during the playoffs, Kakko did so many things right. He was strong on the puck and tough on the wall. Able to hang onto the puck, he won a lot of battles to help make that a successful forecheck line that ate up possession time and generated chances.

There was every reason to believe that all three players would grow in stature. While Chytil and Lafreniere evolved, Kakko never took the next step as a player. He was unable to follow up an 18-goal, 22-assist, 40-point 2022-23 season the way the organization envisioned.

Eventually, following being a healthy scratch by former coach Peter Laviolette last year, Kakko voiced his displeasure. He was justified in what he said about being made an example out of for the Rangers’ lethargic play. There were plenty of veterans who could’ve benched. Laviolette never did it last season.

Kakko was traded to the Kraken for Will Borgen, a 2025 third round (Sean Barnhill), and sixth round pick (Samuel Jung) on Dec. 18, 2024. After going 4-10-14 in 30 games with the Rangers, Kakko produced better with the Kraken. In 49 games, he had 10 goals with 20 assists for 30 points. That allowed him to post career bests in assists (30) and points (44).

While the Rangers were pleased enough with Borgen to give him a five-year contract worth a $4.10 million cap hit, the Kraken and Kakko agreed on a three-year deal worth an AAV of $4.525 million this past summer

The 24-year-old right wing will have the chance to prove himself in Seattle. He had good chemistry with Matty Beniers last season. On a low-scoring team that’s seen Beniers struggle without him, we’ll see if Kakko can help spark another former number two pick.

The day before, Kakko spent some time with former teammate Urho Vaakanainen. Both are close dating back to their days spent together playing for Finland in the World Junior Championships. That included winning the gold medal in 2019 against Team USA on Kakko’s game-winning goal.

The intriguing storyline is one to keep an eye on tonight.

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