Despite Win, Rangers Need to Make Changes

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Derek

In case you missed it, there was a game last night in St. Louis. Ultimately, the Rangers were winners by defeating the Blues 2-1 on captain J.T. Miller’s third overtime goal of the season. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak.

As has been the case throughout the first three months, the Rangers do most of their winning on the road. They improved to 13-5-1 away from Madison Square Garden. Astonishingly, 13 of their 17 wins have come while on the road, where they’ve outscored opponents 60-43. The plus-17 goal differential ranks fourth in the NHL, trailing the Avalanche, Lightning, and Stars.

There’s one big difference between the Rangers and those teams. They are abominable at home with a 4-10-3 record that ranks near the bottom of the league. Statisically, their minus-23 goal differential (30 GF 53 GA) is the worst in the NHL. In consecutive defeats to the Ducks and Canucks earlier this week, they were held to only one goal, getting booed off the ice. They’ll return to MSG to host the Flyers early tomorrow afternoon for their final home game of the calendar year. Expectations will be low.

When it comes to evaluating this team, there isn’t much cause for optimism. It isn’t a big deal that they came away with two points against the woefully bad Blues. Even on a night that rookie Gabe Perreault scored his first career NHL goal when a Will Cuylle feed deflected off his skate on the power play, there are more reasons to be concerned about how they played.

Somehow, facing an opponent who played the night before, they were outplayed by a significant margin in the third period. It looked like the Rangers were the team that was playing the second game of a back-to-back. After outshooting the Blues 25-15 through two periods, they spent a lot of time in their defensive zone during a lopsided third that saw the home team test Igor Shesterkin with 11 shots while they managed just five. It was mind-numbing to watch.

In overtime, Vladislav Gavrikov did a good job escaping a check to move the puck for Vincent Trocheck. He then skated into the St. Louis zone and made a back pass in the high slot for an open Miller, whose shot beat Jordan Binnington top shelf to give the Rangers the win.

Miller seems to play better during three-on-three when there’s more open space. He has to figure out a way to get it done at five-on-five in regulation. Of his 10 goals so far, three have come on the power play and three have come in overtime.

There hasn’t been enough consistency or production at even strength for a player who’s making $8 million over the next four years, with his contract expiring in 2030. For at least this season and next, he has a full no-movement clause (NMC). It becomes modified starting in 2027-28. He’ll be 34.

Drury’s Commitment to Veteran Centers Problematic

If there’s a dilemma with the current roster, it’s the commitment from Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury to veteran centers in their thirties. I already highlighted Miller’s deal above. At least, he’ll become eligible to be moved sooner rather than later.

Mika Zibanejad is in the fourth year of a contract that doesn’t expire until 2030. Similar to Miller, he’s 32 and has a full NMC that allows him to stay in the New York City until the final year of the deal. He signed an eight-year, $68 million contract extension on Oct. 10, 2021. He’ll be 36 entering 2029-30. Even more noteworthy, Zibanejad’s contract doesn’t become modified until seven days prior to the 2030 trade deadline when it converts to a 21-team No-Trade List.

Zibanejad loves playing for the Rangers and being part of the city. He has a family that includes wife Irma and two-year-old daughter Ella. Why would he want to uproot his family when they live in the greatest city in the world? Such concerns matter when it comes to asking a player to sign off on waving their NMC.

Miller was comfortable with doing it when Canucks general manager Jim Rutherford approached him last January about a trade to the Big Apple. However, that was a different situation. He didn’t get along with Elias Pettersson, and also took a personal leave of absence before returning. It was obvious that something was going to happen. There was no way Rutherford could keep both happy. So, Miller was happy to accept a deal back to the Rangers where his career started.

On Jan. 31, Miller was traded with Jackson Dorrington and Erik Brannstrom from the Canucks to the Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a conditional 2025 first round pick. From a team perspective, Drury doubled down on a roster that never hit its stride. Even though Miller found chemistry with Zibanejad and Cuylle, the Rangers remained inconsistent enough to miss the playoffs.

If there was a positive, Miller put up 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points in 32 games to average over a point-per-game. Zibanejad also finished 2024-25 well by tallying 33 points (11-22-33) over the final 32 games. That included reaching the 20-goal mark for the eighth straight season. However, his 62 points were the lowest total over a full season since he had 47 in 2017-18. He also finished last year with a minus-22 rating for the second lowest of his career.

The thing about investing long-term in players into their thirties is that the contracts normally don’t age well. Zibanejad had already started to show decline in 2023-24 when the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy. He went from achieving career bests in points (91), even-strength points (50), and power-play goals (20) to 72 points, 35 even-strength points, and 12 power-play goals.

While the numbers were still respectable, there was already concern about his effectiveness at five-on-five. Especially following a disappointing performance in the Eastern Conference Final. Zibanejad didn’t score a goal and had only two assists while Chris Kreider finished with a goal and assist. Neither distinguished themselves in a six-game series loss to the Panthers. Unfortunately, that downward spiral carried over into last year. Injuries limited Kreider, who was put on the block by Drury in a very unpopular league memo.

So far, Zibanejad has been better thus far in 2025-26. His 11 goals are tied with Artemi Panarin for the most on the team. Zibanejad ranks third on the team in scoring with 25 points, with his six power-play goals leading the Blueshirts.

When it comes to the center position, the Rangers also have Vincent Trocheck, who used to play with Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. However, he’s mostly been working with Miller, who’s shifted to the right side.

Trocheck has been worth the contract Drury gave him. The $5.625 million cap hit is in line for a capable second center who is trusted in all situations, including the penalty kill. In fact, Trocheck tied for the league lead with six shorthanded goals last season. That followed up a great 2023-24 that saw him set personal bests in assists (52), points (77) and even-strength points (52) while centering Panarin and Lafreniere. Unfortunately, the trio fell apart defensively, which led to them not being as dependable.

Similar to Miller and Zibanejad, Trocheck is the same age. The 32-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native is in the fourth year of his contract. Unlike the first three when he had a full NMC, he now has a moderated No-Trade Clause which includes a 12-Team No-Trade List for 2025-26. It then becomes a 10-Team No-Trade in 2026-27. The final two seasons, it dwindles down to six.

The question right now for Drury is what happens if the Rangers bottom out. They’re still hanging around due to how much parity there is. Entering Friday, they sat in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division with 38 points in 36 games. With teams continuing to move up and down in the playoff race, the Rangers only trail the wild-card leading Flyers by two points.

The Lightning sit in the final wild-card with 39 points. They remain in that spot ahead of the Devils due to the first tiebreaker, with their 15 regulation wins more than every other team except the Panthers, who came in with 16 headed into their home game against the Hurricanes.

It’s hard to predict what will happen. But if the Rangers continue to lose games, perhaps Drury might have to start considering his options. If you believe the reports, the organization isn’t ready to have a firesale. They still think it’s possible to improve the roster and qualify for the postseason. If you’ve watched them, you know how offensively challenged they are.

At some point, things could change. If they wind up going the wrong way, like the classic scene in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Trocheck could start drawing interest around the league. His contract makes him a good candidate for contenders to ask Drury about. He has value for teams who can use an upgrade at center. Especially considering how versatile he is. We’re talking about a player who’s over 54.0 percent on faceoffs for his career. He brings grit and physicality to most of his shifts.

If there’s a reason that the Rangers should be weary about having over $22 million tied into three veteran centers, it’s that they’re all 32. If you start to look around, it’s a young man’s league. Outside of Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, who are the game’s best players, we’re starting to see the meteoric rise of Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Macklin Celebrini, who are all franchise players that haven’t even turned 21 yet. Celebrini is setting records as a teenager in his super sophomore campaign in San Jose while Bedard and Carlsson have emerged for their respective teams in Chicago and Anaheim.

The Big Panarin Question

Since he chose the bright lights and big city in July 2019, Panarin has been the best ever free agent signed by the Rangers. At 34, the uber talented Bread Man continues to pile up points on Broadway.

Panarin has paced them in scoring every season since agreeing to a seven-year, $81.5 million contract that made him the highest paid player in franchise history. That included posting a career best 49 goals and 120 points in 2023-24. One of the best years ever by a New York Ranger. His 120 points rank second behind Jaromir Jagr for the most in a single season by a Blueshirt. Jagr broke Jean Ratelle’s record in 2005-06 when he scored 54 goals and had 123 points. Both are still franchise marks.

In 465 games with the Rangers, Panarin has registered 197 goals with 387 assists for a total of 584 points, which put him well over a point-per-game. There’s no debating how much he’s produced. Even if his postseason track record hasn’t been as good, he certainly is making a strong case to stay in his walk year.

The big question is whether or not it’s the right move for the team moving forward. With basically all the premier free agents of the 2026 class gone due to signing contract extensions with their current teams (big shocker), there aren’t many big names left. Unless you think Alex Tuch is going to be worth north of the $10 million that he’s rumored to be seeking while stuck in Buffalo. There’s not much else out there.

Entering the season, Panarin was unwilling to take a home team discount for an extension. Is he going to be worth it when he turns 35 on his next deal? He keeps himself in great shape. The skating and dynamic playmaking are still there on most nights. He also possesses a worldclass shot, which he connected on much more over the past two seasons – scoring a combined 86 goals. It hasn’t been as easy to finish on a lousy roster that lacks elite talent.

Part of it might be Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan’s defensive system. They pay much more attention to the details, which include having a solid structure and coming back defensively. The team remains one of the league’s worst offenses, ranking near the bottom in scoring. At the forefront is their Jekyll and Hyde act with the lack of offense at The Garden leading to them getting shut out a franchise record six times in a season.

What does Panarin want? If the team’s going nowhere while stuck in mediocrity, wouldn’t it make sense for him to consider waving his NMC to go try to win a Stanley Cup? He has the final say on whether he wants to stay or go. If they continue to look like a non-contender, the communication between Drury and Panarin will be important.

If you believe the rumors that circulated earlier this season, a number of teams would be interested in acquiring Panarin. How they plan to fit that salary into their cap remains to be seen. Figure any such deal would have the Rangers picking up a portion of the $11.667 million salary. As the calendar year changes, we’ll have a better idea of where things stand.

The Need to Get Younger

On some nights, the lack of speed is evident. It’s hard for the Rangers to keep up with some of the younger and more talented rosters. They were outgunned by Bedard in Chicago. His line dominated most of their shifts with Bedard scoring and setting up a goal in a Blackhawks 3-0 win on Dec. 10.

There hasn’t been much success in regulation this month. In December, the Rangers are 4-3-2. Three of those four victories have come in overtime. In fact, their only win in regulation came on Dec. 4 when they defeated the Senators 4-2. Since then, they’ve lost five of their last seven (2-3-2).

If the big guns aren’t leading the way, the Rangers don’t stand much of a chance. After the top three of Panarin, Zibanejad, and Miller, Cuylle and Lafreniere are the closest. Neither is having a good season.

For the second consecutive year, Lafreniere seems to coast during games. The seven goals and 18 points is underwhelming for a former top pick who gets paid over $7 million. It’s rather pitiful that he only has seven goals, which follows a disturbing trend that started after he was signed long-term.

Cuylle puts more of an honest effort in on most nights. Though not as skilled as Lafreniere, he makes up for it with a willingness to go to the front of the net. He also finishes checks and is more effective on the forecheck. He ranks fourth among Rangers forwards with 19 points (9-10-19). Unfortunately, his defensive game has suffered due to some costly turnovers leading to goals against.

Outside of that, there’s rookie Noah Laba. After making the roster from camp, he’s certainly an effective player while centering the third line. The trouble is that he doesn’t have much to play with.

On a roster devoid of talent, Laba has somehow put up decent numbers. He has five goals and six assists, a plus-1 rating, and is over 52.0 percent on faceoffs as a first-year player. He is even trusted enough by the coaching staff to kill penalties. Laba picked up his 11th point of the season with a nice cross-ice pass that set up Perreault’s first. It was a head-up play by him to get the puck across for Cuylle to find Perreault.

Laba has both the size and speed that most of the roster lacks. However, it’s hard to conclude what his ceiling is. He looks like a capable third line player who’s fundamentally sound. On a team that doesn’t possess much speed, the 22-year-old center has stood out as one of the bright spots. It’ll be interesting to see if he can maintain his play in the second half.

Look no further than Sullivan using Conor Sheary more often than not in the top six. Without Panarin, who missed Thursday’s game due to illness, the 33-year-old veteran was on the first line. For a player who made the team on a PTO, that shouldn’t be the case at this point. He has one goal and eight assists in 33 games. In a recent game, Sheary had what should’ve been a two-on-one, but he butchered the puck, turning it into nothing.

If they want to play him, it should be in a reduced role. He isn’t a bad player, but he shouldn’t be receiving more ice time than Perreault or Brennan Othmann, who was stuck on the fourth line yesterday. What’s even the point of bringing up the 2021 first round pick if he’s not going to play in a top nine role? They’ve absolutely tanked his value. He’s still young enough to be given a look with Laba on the third line and second power play unit, where he should replace Sheary.

Depth scoring remains an issue. Taylor Raddysh hasn’t scored since Oct. 30. He once led the Rangers in goals with five. Now, he’s an afterthought. Why did Drury sign him for two years? Juuso Parssinen was exiled to Hartford and got hurt. He was inexplicably signed for two years last spring. Nothing like Drury doubling down on a failed prospect before he even hired Sullivan.

They’ve tried unsuccessfully to bring up prospects. Brett Berard got 11 games, playing mostly with Laba. Despite providing energy and grit, he didn’t record a point. Jaroslav Chmelar was back up for the second time to play with Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe on the fourth line. His skating and size make him a possible NHL player. But like Berard, he didn’t contribute offensively. His physicality is a plus.

If you could believe it, they actually miss Adam Edstrom. He had only two goals and two helpers in 24 games. He’s still on LTIR. Edstrom has the size, skating, and speed to become a trusted fourth liner. Whether or not he can improve his goal scoring remains to be seen.

With most of these guys, including Rempe, who provides energy on the forecheck and by screening goalies, they’re severely limited. Outside of Perreault, who’s a top prospect, there’s hardly any reason to get excited. The best we can hope for is that Perreault follows up getting his first goal by proving he belongs. At only 20 years old, there’s cause for optimism.

Still Missing Fox

When the Rangers host the Flyers tomorrow, it’ll be without Adam Fox. Remarkably, he still ranks second on the team in points with 26 (3-23-26). He suffered an upper-body injury (shoulder) against the Lightning in the second period on a Brandon Hagel hit on Nov. 29.

Without Fox, the power play is a horror show. Sullivan has tried a five-forward top unit that didn’t have any success. They’ve given up three shorthanded goals, with one being an empty netter against Vancouver. The little used second unit has actually been okay producing both power-play goals since Fox went down.

In the most recent game, Scott Morrow was on the point of the number one unit. A rookie defenseman who’s a good skater with offensive instincts, Morrow is a player to watch. Acquired from Carolina as part of the K’Andre Miller deal that included a first round pick in return, Morrow has one assist in 11 games so far.

On what’s mostly a defensive oriented blue line that features Gavrikov, at least he’s provided offense. The former King has six goals and eight assists for 14 points, which ranks second among Rangers defensemen behind Fox. He isn’t shy about shooting the puck when there’s an opening. The problem is he’s the only defenseman who’s proven capable of contributing from the back end.

Will Borgen, Braden Schneider, and Carson Soucy are offensive to the eyeballs. That isn’t meant to be disrespectful to each. It’s not in their DNA to jump into the play and create offense. To his credit, the defensive-minded Soucy has three goals and three assists to lead that trio. Borgen has two goals and two helpers. Schneider has a goal and five assists. None are capable of playing top minutes.

Sullivan has trusted Schneider enough to have him work with Gavrikov on the top pair. They’ve given up more goals than they’ve been on for, getting outscored 9-3. If they aren’t getting it done, why not try someone else instead? He probably doesn’t want to bump the inexperienced Morrow up. He would have difficulty matched up against better quality competition. Sullivan doesn’t seem interested in breaking up Soucy and Borgen.

If there’s been a player who’s stood out, it’s Matthew Robertson. An unproven commodity entering the season due to Laviolette’s reluctancy to use him, the 2019 second round pick has proven capable of playing sound defensively on the third pair. He’s a stay at home defenseman who uses his size well.

Most intriguing is that when he’s been in the offensive zone, Robertson has made some smart reads that resulted in shots getting through. As evidenced by his two goals and four assists in 27 games, the 24-year-old has proven himself under Sullivan, who seems to favor him over the less physical Urho Vaakanainen. Robertson and Morrow have gotten better as a third pair. Of course, there’s still growing pains, but it’s been mostly positive.

If ever a team needed an infusion of young talent, it’s the Rangers. They still must wait until Fox is cleared before he can return from LTIR. He doesn’t become eligible until Dec. 27 against the Islanders. However, that might not be a realistic timetable for his return. According to Mollie Walker of the NY Post, Fox skated for the first time with the team yesterday. He might not be ready until the new calendar year.

Looking Ahead

Following Saturday’s game against the Flyers, the Rangers head out for Nashville to face the Predators on Sunday night. It’s the first of a six-game road trip. They’ll visit Washington two days before the Christmas break.

Afterwards, they visit the Islanders on Dec. 27 at Elmont Park. In another puzzling schedule snafu, they have to go back to Washington following Carolina for an early New Year’s Eve game. In two days’ time, they’ll meet the Panthers in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at LoanDepot Park in Miami. That’s assuming the weather cooperates.

These next seven games could help determine what happens with the season. Of course, there’s no guarantee that any of the teams they’re jockeying with will go on a hot or cold streak. The bottom line is that there’s too many unwatchable games in a league that has invited chaos. The archaic point system isn’t helping. More emphasis must be placed on winning in regulation.

Even worse is that you have potentially three playoff contenders all playing in the same division. If you’ve been paying attention, you know exactly which teams I’m referring to. If not, your hint is where Quinn Hughes now plays. With the current playoff format, only one of those teams will reach the Conference Finals. That is an indictment on the current playoff system.

I’ll have more on other league stuff around the holidays. It sure beats writing about the Rangers.

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Othmann and Perreault Return to Struggling Blueshirts

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Derek

Following a woeful display in a mind-numbing 3-0 loss to the NHL worst Canucks on Tuesday night, the Rangers made some changes. Brett Berard and Jaroslav Chmelar were sent back down to the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault returned to the struggling Blueshirts, who have already set a franchise record for most times shut out at home in a season. By losing to an opponent that was without their leading scorer Elias Pettersson, and playing for the second time since former captain Quinn Hughes was traded to the Wild, the Rangers’ offensive futility at MSG hit rock bottom. Thatcher Demko stopped all 23 shots to shut them out for the sixth time on home ice. That included another collar on the power play with them going 0-for-4.

Even the return of Mika Zibanejad, who sat out against the Ducks due to getting stuck in traffic due to an accident on Monday, wasn’t able to make a difference. For some reason, the Rangers don’t score goals at home, which is what made the 5-4 come from behind win over the Canadiens so rare. They have won a league low four games at MSG. Now 4-10-3, they’ve been outscored by opponents 53-30. Nobody has scored less goals at home than these Blueshirts, who are the gang that can’t shoot straight.

By sending down Berard and Chmelar, they’re obviously searching for more scoring. Despite doing some good things early in his recall, Berard failed to record a point and only had 10 shots. After getting seven shots in his first three games, he only totaled three over the last eight, which included none in his last three. A good skater who brings energy and hustle, the 23-year-old Berard needs to regain his confidence in Hartford. He can’t stay up if he’s unable to contribute on the third line.

For Chmelar, it was his second brief stint with the big club. He got into four games while bringing some physicality to the fourth line, which looked more in sync with the return of Matt Rempe. Chmelar has no points in six games this season. If he can continue to develop nicely in the American Hockey League (AHL), it probably won’t be the last time we see him.

Once Rempe was activated off long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on Monday with Zibanejad missing the game against the Ducks, it was a matter of time before some roster moves were made. Especially with the offense reverting back to what it’s been for most of the first half.

With Perreault continuing to prove himself in the AHL by pacing the Wolf Pack in scoring with 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points over 20 games, he earned another chance to come up. In three games, he recorded his first career point by assisting on a power-play goal. Now, the 20-year-old will have another opportunity to show what he can do with the Rangers, whose offense ranks near the bottom of the league entering tonight’s match at St. Louis. Ironically, it’s a matchup between two of the worst scoring teams. At the very least, Perreault will be featured on the second power play unit.

Artemi Panarin is sick, which means he’s a game-time decision. The Rangers could very well be without their leading scorer. If he can’t go, someone else will have to step up.

Othmann is finally back up for another chance. After having a rough outing in a blowout loss at Calgary, he never played another game earlier this season. Eventually, he was sent down to Hartford. It took a while for the 2021 first round pick to regain his confidence. Something he didn’t shy away from when speaking to reporters.

The question for Mike Sullivan is, why is Othmann playing with Carrick and Rempe on the fourth line? What’s he going to prove playing with two grinders who have a combined two goals and seven points? It doesn’t make any sense for him to not at least be on the third line with Noah Laba. Conor Sheary could easily slide down to play on the fourth line. They can’t ever have vets on PTO’s doing that. Especially when they’re family, for Christ sake.

This is how the Rangers operate. Why mess with success? They’re masters at getting the most out of their first round picks. Excuse me if I don’t have much excitement for the game. If it’s anything like the last two, I’ll change the channel.

At this point, they have to earn my respect.

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Rangers Hit Another Dud in Loss to Ducks

Posted on December 16, 2025 by Derek

On an emotional night they welcomed back Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, the Rangers hit another dud in a frustrating 4-1 loss to the Ducks at Madison Square Garden. It was one of those familiar feelings that have become all too common on home ice, where they fail to score enough to win.

At this point of the season, with the holidays in full swing, it’s absurd for the Rangers to continue to struggle at MSG. No matter who’s out of the lineup, there’s enough to win these games. They’ve skated plenty without Adam Fox, who continues to be on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury since Nov. 29. Tonight, they played minus Mika Zibanejad due to him missing a meeting. The script writes itself for this sad collection that’s underperfoming.

There are no excuses for this team to only score once against the Ducks. As young and talented as they are, they’re not good defensively. As usual, there were missed opportunities from the Rangers, who controlled large portions of the game.

The biggest failure came on special teams. Like a broken record, they were inept on the power play finishing 0-for-4 with a shorthanded goal allowed on a two-man advantage. Indeed, they managed to accomplish the unthinkable during the second period of a scoreless contest. They also gave up a power-play goal that proved to be the game-winner during an uninspired third period.

Igor Shesterkin got outplayed again by another goalie. This time, it was Lukas Dostal, who made the key saves on his way to 26 to outduel the highest paid goalie in hockey. Although it’s hard to blame Shesterkin for the loss, in which his team didn’t provide much run support, he’s yet to steal a game this season. He threw a fit when he left the ice, slamming his equipment while teammates were coming off. It wasn’t what anyone needed to see from a player who makes $11.5 million on a long-term contract he signed last year.

In the first period, the Rangers had some early looks, but were unable to beat Dostal. He was particularly sharp on point blank chances from Will Cuylle on the power play. Cuylle did a lot of good things working in front, but Dostal kept him off the score sheet.

Without Zibanejad, Mike Sullivan had Vincent Trocheck reunited with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. J.T. Miller centered the second line with Cuylle and Conor Sheary. The Noah Laba line remained intact with Brett Berard and Jonny Brodzinski. Matt Rempe made his return on the fourth line next to running mate Sam Carrick and Taylor Raddysh. The defense remained the same, which meant yet another game where Scott Morrow sat in the press box.

In an interesting twist, Ducks coach Joel Quenneville had Kreider start the game with Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano, and Trouba. Kreider received a loud reception during warmups from appreciative fans. They got even louder during a stoppage when they showed a video tribute.

Somehow, MSG Network decided to go to commercial instead of letting the viewers see the whole thing. All fans at home got was an emotionally moved Kreider bowing his head and putting his arm to his heart and waving to the crowd, who wouldn’t stop cheering. That moment clearly surprised Kreider, who was moved by it when he returned to the Ducks bench.

At another stoppage, Trouba had his moment as well. He heard the familiar  “Truuuu” chants from some fans. It was mostly cheers with a few boos mixed in from the imbeciles who think they know the game better than others.

Once Chris Drury tried to move him the previous summer, we all knew it wouldn’t end well for Trouba, whose play was impacted. He wasn’t the same player and had to go. Unfortunately, all they have to show for the trade is part-timer Urho Vaakanainen. At least he had a decent showing against his former club.

As competitive as the game was, it had some lulls due to the Rangers, who aren’t the most exciting team. However, they did a good job stifling Leo Carlsson at 5-on-5. Had they played exclusively at even strength, maybe they would’ve won. Kreider was a non-factor in 18-plus minutes, going without a shot despite three attempts. One of which was a deflection on an Anaheim power play that missed the mark.

Trouba was called for a penalty when Lafreniere went down in the offensive zone. It was called ‘tripping’ by the ref. Replays showed that Trouba didn’t take Lafreniere down. He finished a check. It was only the third penalty on Trouba so far. He has been much more disciplined playing under Quenneville than he was under Peter Laviolette, who deployed him way too much in the defensive zone. Trouba also partnered with Jackson LaCombe, who’s the Ducks best defenseman.

On their first man-advantage, the Rangers got two shots. The first was from Cuylle on a tricky deflection that Dostal stopped. He also made a save on Sheary with the second unit out. Dostal later made good stops on Miller and Trocheck back at full strength. He was sharp in the opening 20 minutes, making nine altogether.

During a shift late in the period, Shesterkin denied Alex Killorn in tight. He also had to swat away a long attempt from Trouba. For the most part, the Ducks’ chances were kept to the outside. Shots after one were 9-9.

After killing off a Raddysh penalty early in the second, the Rangers had their best opportunity to get on the scoreboard first. Already up a man due to Cuylle drawing a hooking minor on Olen Zellweger, Shesterkin fired a pass that caught the Ducks with too many men to hand the Blueshirts an abbreviated 22-second 5-on-3.

They had two good chances to take the lead. The first one saw Trocheck get denied by Dostal on a faceoff win. Panarin had a longer attempt kicked out. With the point vacated, Ryan Poehling broke in and was stopped by Shesterkin. But a trailing LaCombe got his own rebound and put it in off Cuylle for a crushing shorthanded goal.

Trouba started the play and picked up a secondary assist. The guilty party was Panarin, who didn’t get back fast enough. Shesterkin was unable to handle the rebound, which allowed LaCombe to score.

Even following another shorthanded goal allowed by the five-forward unit, Sullivan stuck with them. With the Ducks down a man, the Rangers failed to convert with Cuylle getting the best chance on a backhand that Dostal handled.

For a while, it felt like another shutout at MSG was inevitable. That was until Matthew Robertson got credit for a fluky tying goal with 3:42 left. On a play started by Lafreniere, Panarin moved the puck to Robertson, who wound up and sent a shot that took a funny hop in mid-air with Trocheck in front. Initially, it looked like he touched the puck above the crossbar to negate the goal. However, the officials got together and determined that he never made contact. Instead, the puck deflected in off Vatrano to tie the score.

Shortly after, Carson Soucy took a bad high-sticking penalty on Beckett Sennecke in the offensive zone to put the Ducks on the power play. Mikael Granlund came close with his high riser glancing off the goalpost. The game remained even through 40 minutes.

The difference proved to be the third period. With Will Borgen off for hooking Carlsson, the ever dangerous Cutter Gauthier converted a Sennecke pass in transition just as the power play was expiring. Sennecke took a Zellweger feed and made a quick pass across for an open Gauthier, who unleashed a laser past Shesterkin to put the Ducks ahead to stay.

Moments later, Vaakanainen had his shot hit the goalpost. That was as close as the Rangers came. They barely tested Dostal in the period, getting only five shots.

Eventually, with Shesterkin on the bench for a 6-on-5, Carlsson hit Gauthier for the empty netter late.

More frustrating was that the Rangers gave up another goal to Pavel Mintyukov with three seconds remaining. It’s the second time that’s happened in a home defeat. That last one was a blowout that added further insult. This one made it seem like they didn’t compete. That probably is why Shesterkin fumed after.

There isn’t a lot to say. When Rempe, Vaakanainen, and Robertson are three of your best players, that doesn’t say much. It was another step backward following a win.

Now, it’s onto the league worst Canucks. They already proved that they can come in and beat the Devils, doing so thanks to Thatcher Demko and newly acquired rookie defenseman Zeev Buium. Considering how bad they are on home ice, the Rangers can’t take it lightly.

Figure Jonathan Quick to finally return to the net. He has played better than Shesterkin this season. For whatever reason, the Rangers make Quick work harder in his starts. He stood on his head in a tough overtime loss to Vegas on Dec. 7. If they don’t win against Vancouver, they should get coal for Christmas.

Wishing those who celebrate a Happy Chanukah!

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Kreider Keeps Things Light In Return to MSG

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Derek

For over a decade, Chris Kreider called New York City home. The 2009 first round pick scored many goals with the Rangers, including some memorable ones in the postseason.

Since being dealt to the Ducks last summer, Kreider’s approached things very business like. As was on display earlier today when he spoke to reporters, he’s moved on. Kreider comes into tonight’s much anticipated game between the Ducks and Rangers with 13 goals and eight assists for his new team. Not surprisingly, he leads the Ducks in power-play goals (6), which is twice as many as teammates Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier. They’ve played together at even strength for most of the season.

Asked about his expectations when he lines up for the Ducks in those bright orange and white jerseys with the cool throwback logo, he said:

“I don’t know. Trying to go on with no expectations and just get ready to play a hockey game. But it’s a passionate fan base. It’s a place that I’ve spent the majority of my life, so I’m sure it’ll be emotional for me. To what extent, I don’t know. I’m just trying to worry about the here and the now.” Colin Stephenson, Newsday.

Kreider is smart enough to understand that playing in the NHL is special. By the time he left the Big Apple, he ranked third on the all-time Rangers franchise list in goals (326), getting one in his final game from close friend Mika Zibanejad on Apr. 17. Fittingly, he set up Zibanejad one last time in the Rangers’ 4-0 win over the Lightning.

When asked if he’ll be watching the video tribute at Madison Square Garden during a stoppage, Kreider deadpanned, “I don’t know how the angle is from that bench. … Probably. What am I gonna do? Stare at my shoes.”

The Rangers’ all-time franchise leader in power-play goals (116), which tied him with Camille Henry, talked about MSG being an amazing building. Clearly, it’ll be special for Kreider to be back playing in the arena of some of his most memorable moments. If there’s one that stands out, it would be his clutch tying goal with the Rangers staring at elimination in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2015. His goal led to Ryan McDonagh winning it in overtime in a great series the Rangers came back and won in seven games over the Capitals to advance to the Conference Finals.

His finest moment still has to be the natural hat trick he scored to lead the Rangers to a third period comeback win over the Hurricanes, sending them to the Conference Finals in 2024. It’s amazing how much things can change. In the blink of an eye, both he and current Duck Jacob Trouba were former Rangers.

Now, both will return to face the Rangers on a Monday night in icy Manhattan.

Jacob Trouba on if the ending of his time with the #NYR changes his feelings toward coming back: “I didn’t enjoy it in the moment, but it’s just a small piece of what was a very, very memorable and impactful five 1/2 years for me. That’s not the moment I focus on.” Peter Baugh, The Athletic.

Jacob Trouba on his emotions walking into MSG this morning: “You don’t know exactly how you’re going to feel. It was pretty good for me. I went downtown back by my apartment last night and walked around. That one got me a little bit. It’ll be fun being back here tonight.”

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Zibanejad to Miss Game Against Ducks

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Derek

The Rangers will be without Mika Zibanejad for tonight’s game against the Ducks. Unfortunately, he missed a team meeting this morning. Under head coach Mike Sullivan, who has strict rules, a player must sit out a game for failing to show up for a meeting on time.

“There are logistical challenges that this city presents sometimes. … He feels terribly about it. … He’s a great human and he takes responsibility for it,” Sullivan told reporters after announcing that Zibanejad won’t play.

Losing Zibanejad will hurt the Rangers when they take on the high scoring Ducks, who enter Monday ranked second in offense with 3.44 goals-per-game. They’re led by breakout center Leo Carlsson, whose 40 points (17-23-40) are tied with Jason Robertson for 10th in scoring. The 2023 second overall pick is an explosive player due to his skating in transition. He also has the size and skill that make him a very difficult player to stop.

Anaheim also boasts super sophomore Cutter Gauthier, whose 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points are tied for second with Troy Terry (10-24-34) in team scoring. Calder hopeful Beckett Sennecke leads all NHL rookies with 26 points (10-16-26). A strong skater with lethal hands, he can make things happen quickly. In a win over Pittsburgh last week, he tied the game at the buzzer with a shorthanded goal. The Ducks came back to win it in a shootout.

Former Ranger Chris Kreider has been good so far in his first year in Anaheim. Although he’s cooled off following a hot start, he still has 13 goals and eight assists for 21 points. Mason McTavish (7-13-20) is another Duck who plays in the top six. After re-signing before the season, big things are expected for McTavish, whose size and playmaking are strengths.

The Ducks are led on the blue line by Jackson LaCombe. After a slow start, he’s picked it up, with his 18 points pacing all Ducks defensemen. Olen Zellweger and former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba have chipped in offensively. However, most of Trouba’s production came early on. He’s more known for throwing big hits on opponents that push the boundaries. The Rangers’ forwards will have to keep their head on a swivel when Trouba is on the ice.

Lukas Dostal just returned from an injury. The Ducks starting goalie is 11-6-1 with a 2.83 goals-against-average and .902 save percentage. In a 4-1 loss to the Devils this past Saturday, he gave up three goals on 21 shots. Ville Husso is the backup.

Expect Miller to Shift Back to Center

Without Zibanejad, who’ll miss his first game of the season, expect J.T. Miller to shift back to center. He’s been playing mostly with Vincent Trocheck and Conor Sheary on a matchup line. However, the Rangers should need him to center one of the big lines. In their comeback win over the Canadiens, Miller recorded his second two-goal game of the season. That included getting the tying goal and the overtime winner on the power play.

Perhaps Sullivan will have Trocheck reunited with Alexis Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin. They’ve been playing with Zibanejad on the number one line. Unless he decides to have Miller play with them, it makes logical sense for Trocheck to assume that role for tonight’s game. They also could move Will Cuylle up to play with Miller and Conor Sheary.

Due to no Zibanejad, Cuylle was taking reps on the first power play unit. He’ll likely join Lafreniere, Miller, Panarin, and Trocheck. Jonny Brodzinski, who’s back in tonight, was on the second power play unit with Noah Laba, Sheary, with Vladislav Gavrikov quarterbacking it. Who replaces Cuylle?

Rempe Could Return

Earlier today, the Rangers removed Matt Rempe off long-term injured reserve (LTIR). He’d been skating recently, which meant he was getting closer to returning. That could actually come later tonight.

If he’s indeed back, Rempe would slot in with Sam Carrick and Taylor Raddysh on the fourth line. Considering that Jaroslav Chmelar stayed out late with Scott Morrow, neither will be in the lineup. Chmelar had filled in the past three games after he was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Whether they keep him up remains to be seen.

Assuming he’s back, might we see Rempe on the second power play as a net-front option? Perhaps that’s too much to expect. They could decide to double shift their best players, with Panarin likely to play the whole two minutes.

Rempe hasn’t played since Oct. 23 versus San Jose. He injured his hand in a fight with Ryan Reaves. The early indication is that he’ll likely be in.

Rangers With A Chance to Gain Ground

On a light night for the Metropolitan Division, the Rangers are the only team in action. It’s a chance for them to gain ground in what’s an unpredictable race due to so many teams being bunched up.

With almost everybody caught up, this will be their 34th game of the season. The Rangers bring a 16-13-4 record into play on Monday, with their 36 points ranking seventh in the division. However, two total points separate the wild card-leading Flyers from the Rangers. Philadelphia has only played 31 games, but they also have just nine regulation wins, which is the first tiebreaker. The Rangers have 11 regulation wins.

The top three teams in the division are the Hurricanes (44 points), Islanders (42 points), and Capitals (40 points). Washington leads the division with 17 regulation wins, which is four more than the Hurricanes, Islanders, and Penguins (37 points). The Devils have 12 regulation wins, but now are sixth in the division with 37 points. The Rangers sit right behind them. The Blue Jackets are in last place with 32 points and only seven regulation wins.

Undoubtedly, nobody is out of it completely. Even the Sabres, who finally fired general manager Kevyn Adams, have 32 points due to winning three in a row. With both the Flyers and Bruins sitting in wild card position with 38 points, six total points separate the pack. Anything can happen.

It’s important for the Rangers to take advantage of tonight’s game. They can ill afford to lose. Even without Zibanejad, and Adam Fox, they are capable of winning against a Ducks team that doesn’t defend well. We’ll see if they’re up to the challenge.

If they can come out with a victory, they would then have the Canucks tomorrow night. That would be a chance for a winning streak before they go visit St. Louis later this week. Considering what’s coming before and after Christmas, they really need to sting together wins at Madison Square Garden to be taken seriously.

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Devils Take Two Steps Back in Brutal Loss to League Worst Canucks

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Derek

One step forward. Two steps back. Like Paula Abdul’s classic hit “Opposites Attract,” the Devils managed to suffer a brutal loss to the league worst Canucks on Sunday afternoon. After putting together one of their most complete performances without Jack Hughes, they reverted to form in a frustrating 2-1 defeat at The Rock.

It was as bad as it seemed for a struggling team that’s been decimated with injuries. Despite missing several regulars for a second straight day, it wasn’t a good enough excuse for failing to pounce on an inferior opponent that just moved star captain Quinn Hughes to the Wild.

The Canucks entered play losers of six of their last seven, sinking to an NHL worst 11-17-3 record. Top center Elias Pettersson remained out with an upper-body injury. That meant they iced a lineup with Kiefer Sherwood as their leading scorer.

None of it mattered for a Devils team that plays with zero consistency or zest. They went from posting a good win over the Ducks to shooting blanks at Thatcher Demko, with the oft-injured Canucks starter making 25 saves. That included stopping 12 of 13 in a busy second period. He turned aside eight more in a mind-numbering third period that saw Vancouver sit back and protect a one-goal lead that they built on the strength of a pair of early power-play goals.

Undisciplined penalties hurt the Devils in the first period. Less than a minute in, Dougie Hamilton took a needless slashing minor to put the Canucks on the power play.

On a set play that was started by newly acquired defenseman Zeev Buium, Conor Garland moved the puck down low for Jake Debrusk, who banged in his own rebound past Jacob Markstrom to put the Devils in an early 1-0 hole only 61 seconds in.

Stefan Noesen followed suit by boarding Liam Ohgren in what amounted to a careless penalty by a player who’s been underwhelming. Once again, Vancouver took full advantage when Buium had his wrist shot go off Brenden Dillon past Markstrom, giving the former Wild prospect his first goal as a Canuck at 6:48.

If that wasn’t enough, the Devils only mustered five shots in a lackluster opening period that drew boos from the fans. 

Frustration boiled over when they didn’t convert on a 5-on-3, which lasted 78 seconds. Demko made a few key stops, including one on Nico Hischier and another on Connor Brown, who was set up in front.

The second was better from the home side. The Devils picked up their play by outshooting the Canucks 13-6. They spent a lot of time on the attack.

Luke Hughes scored for the second time in three games. On a good play started by Dawson Mercer in transition, he got the puck over for Jesper Bratt, who found the trailing Hughes for his third to pull the Devils within one at 4:02.

Hughes was flying throughout the game. He led the team with five shots while pacing them in total ice time (27:01). He’s looked better over the past few games. He was very involved on the rush when the Devils needed someone to create offense.

Despite dictating most of the play, they never found the equalizer. Instead, Demko continued to thwart them. That included a good stop on a Hughes shot late in the period to keep the Canucks ahead.

Early in the final period, the Devils had another power play, but they were unable to even test Demko. It was a wasted opportunity in a game where special teams and goaltending were the difference. Not that Markstrom was bad. He still allowed Debrusk to get his own rebound, which set the tone. Since team president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald signed him to a two-year contract extension, he’s taken a beating.

More often than not, Markstrom has allowed bad goals that hurt the Devils. He almost always gives up at least three, which explains his 3.56 goals-against-average and .874 save percentage. He finished the game with 13 saves on only 15 shots, making it a rare instance in which he allowed only two. Granted. It was the Canucks, whose offense sucks without Pettersson. At least Marcus and the other Elias Pettersson played.

The problem for the Devils is that they have a hard time finding offense. It sure isn’t coming from Hamilton, who’s looked done. Fitzgerald handed out a moderated no-movement clause along with the nine million cap hit on a contract that doesn’t expire until 2028. Good luck trying to move him.

There’s also Ondrej Palat, who somehow has a similar moderated no-movement clause while earning $6 million. The former Lightning forward has been a shell of the player he was in Tampa. Unless someone’s desperate enough to take the remainder of Palat’s contract, which expires in 2026, the Devils will have to eat some salary or buy him out.

When you subtract key players such as Timo Meier, Arseny Gritsyuk, and Simon Nemec, it only underlines how flawed the roster is. Unless Cody Glass, Brown, and Paul Cotter are able to contribute more consistently, it basically falls on Hischier, Bratt, and Mercer to supply the offense.

Maybe it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that they only beat Demko once. Despite playing on a bad team, he’s capable of stealing games. It’s not like the Devils threw the kitchen sink at him. They had their chances in the second, but were only able to score once.

Considering how bunched up the teams are in the Metropolitan Division, these are the games the Devils have to win. They can’t be losing to cupcakes at home. It’s inexcusable for them to lose to such a bad team. It doesn’t say much for the roster Fitzgerald constructed.

Eventually, they’ll get Hughes and Brett Pesce back, which will stabilize things. But when you look at this team, are they good enough to seriously compete? Even fully healthy, they’ll probably need a checking center and another scorer to have any kind of chance.

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Rangers Show Character In Comeback Win Over Canadiens On Miller’s Overtime Goal

Posted on December 14, 2025 by Derek

For most of the first period, it looked like the same old script for the Rangers wearing their centennial jerseys on home ice. Facing another Original Six rival, they got the game’s first five shots on Canadiens rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler.

Despite holding them without a shot for over 12 minutes, the Rangers predictably fell behind on the Habs’ first shot. A Zach Bolduc tap-in from Nick Suzuki. When Arber Xhekaj made it 2-0, Montreal had scored on their first two shots. Jake Evans then finished off a nice pass from Lane Hutson to make it three goals on four shots. At that point, Igor Shesterkin was taking a beating despite some defensive breakdowns that put the Rangers in a 3-0 hole.

Instead of letting it get to them, they showed a lot of character in coming all the way back to post a well-deserved 5-4 win in overtime over the Canadiens at Madison Square Garden.

On a special night in which Sam Rosen emceed the pregame festivities that honored past great Rangers, who were an integral part of the New Garden covering 1967 through 1991, the current roster decided to dig deep like some of those past teams in the 1970s and earn an important win in front of former players and fan favorites. Among the honored guests were Brad Park, Jim Fairbairn, Gilles Villemure, Walt Tkaczuk, Steve Vickers, Ron Duguay, Dave Maloney, John Davidson, Ron Greschner, Nick Fotiu, John Vanbiesbrouck, Brian Mullen, and Pierre Larouche. If I left anyone out, sorry in advance.

Despite falling behind by three, the Rangers hadn’t played that badly. The turning point came while they were on a power play. On a turnover at the blue line, Evans had a shorthanded breakaway that would’ve probably finished them off. However, Vladislav Gavrikov hustled back to apply just enough back pressure on Evans, who missed the shot wide.

Afterward, Conor Sheary and Will Cuylle helped set up a Noah Laba power-play goal that got the Rangers back in it. Laba’s fifth was his first since Nov. 26. He played a key role in the comeback.

Shortly after Laba scored, Artemi Panarin got in the clear for a breakaway. Just as he was about to shoot, Noah Dobson grabbed him to deny the opportunity. A penalty shot was rewarded. Facing a 21-year-old goalie who was playing in his second game two days after winning his NHL debut, Panarin moved in and froze Fowler with a fake before converting the penalty shot to make it a 3-2 game just 19 seconds later. That goal swung the momentum, or so it seemed.

Just over three minutes into the second period, the Canadiens took advantage of a Cuylle turnover to quickly come back in transition and restore a two-goal lead. On the play, Hutson drew Laba which left Josh Anderson open for a one-timer that beat Shesterkin high glove to make it 4-2.

But a few minutes later, Cuylle would redeem himself by banking in a Matthew Robertson rebound off Hutson and Fowler to cut the deficit to one. Laba was given a secondary assist for helping set Cuylle’s ninth up. That gave him a two-point game.

The chaos continued when J.T. Miller steered in a rebound of a Robertson shot to tie the score at four. Sheary picked up his second assist for his first multi-point game of the season.

Despite playing on the second line with Vincent Trocheck and Miller, Sheary has played well since Mike Sullivan moved him back up. It’s hard to criticize it with how hard Sheary’s played. He’s a good skater who always comes back defensively. At least for the time being, he’ll remain on Sullivan’s matchup line.

Once the game was tied, things cooled down considerably. Neither team wanted to make a mistake. That was very evident in a low event third period that saw the Habs and Rangers combine for 10 shots, with each getting five apiece.

It felt like every time the Panarin line was out with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere, they had the puck inside the Habs’ zone. Most of the time, it was Panarin who kept firing long shots from the outside towards Fowler, who was able to make the saves. For the game, Panarin paced all skaters with eight shots and 15 total attempts.

To their credit, the Rangers held Canadiens’ sharpshooter Cole Caufield in check with only a single shot. Even in what wasn’t a well played game defensively, the Montreal top line anchored by Nick Suzuki was limited to just the Bolduc goal back in the first period.

As time wound down, the Canadiens were content to play for overtime. In it, the Rangers were the better team. Following an Evans’ slash Panarin drew that gave them a 4-on-3 advantage, they made it work thanks to some nice teamwork. After taking a pass from Trocheck, Zibanejad whipped the puck across for a wicked one-timer from Miller that was in quickly to give them the satisfying win at home.

A game after their special teams hurt them in a loss to Chicago, the Rangers went 2-for-2 on the power play to come from behind and earn two points. The win allowed them to keep pace with most of the division. The Hurricanes came back and won while the Islanders won. The Flyers earned a point and the Devils won. With 36 points in 33 games, the Rangers remain within striking distance behind Philadelphia and New Jersey for the wild card.

Kreider and Trouba Return Monday

Next up for the Rangers is the Ducks. That’ll mark the return of former players Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba. Both were key parts of two good teams that reached the Eastern Conference Finals two years apart.

Kreider remains very popular due to all the goals he scored. His natural hat trick is still fondly remembered against the Hurricanes, helping the Rangers advance to the third round in 2024. A core player who was part of five teams that reached the Final Four and played for the Stanley Cup in 2014, he’s still tied for first on the all-time franchise list for most power-play goals (116). Zibanejad trails both Kreider and Camille Henry by two.

Trouba was the Rangers’ captain before things unraveled last year due to a league memo Chris Drury sent out, intending to trade the defenseman and make Kreider available. Eventually, Trouba was rerouted to Anaheim for Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth round pick. Kreider knew his days were numbered. He was moved last summer for Carey Terrance and a 2025 third round pick. Because Drury was willing to have Anaheim absorb both contracts, he hardly got anything back in return for two good players.

Whatever happens on Monday should be emotional. Kreider’s indicated that he’s treating it as a business trip. But when they show a video tribute, it’ll be interesting to see what his reaction is. He meant a lot to the organization and the fans.

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Devils Dig Deep in Win Over Ducks to Snap Five-Game Home Losing Streak

Posted on December 13, 2025 by Derek

The Devils have been a hot mess lately. A day after losing promising rookie Arseny Gritsyuk for the weekend, they announced that Simon Nemec would miss some time due to a lower-body injury he sustained in practice. Also without Timo Meier, who took a personal leave of absence due to a family issue, they still surged ahead to win for just the second time over their last eight by defeating the Ducks 4-1 at The Rock this afternoon.

The big victory snapped a five-game home losing streak. Coming off an 8-4 humiliation to the Lightning on Thursday night, the Devils knew they needed to dig deep to get back in the good graces of frustrated fans, who booed them off the ice. It hasn’t been easy for them to string together wins without top star Jack Hughes. They entered play 5-9-0 since Hughes’ bizarre hand injury at a Chicago steakhouse. In particular, the good feeling at home had disappeared. They started the season 9-0-1 in Newark before losing to the Flyers on Nov. 29.

Something had to change. As it turned out, being without nine regulars was enough for them to get the kind of strong performance they needed to send the fans home happy. In what amounted to one of their best efforts of the season, the Devils responded well by getting the final four goals against the Ducks, who looked like they thought they could just show up and win.

It was the sheer hustle and scrappy play of the shorthanded Devils that earned cheers from the crowd. Playing like their lives depended on it, they were the superior team on Saturday. It showed in how they won most of the puck battles and defended to protect a two-goal lead in the third period.

With Gritsyuk out, Xavier Parent got the call from Utica. He played on the fourth line with rookie Angus Crookshank and Luke Glendening. They epitomized the kind of effort the Devils gave.

For once, it was the supporting cast who stepped up to provide the scoring. Stefan Noesen, Paul Cotter, and Cody Glass each scored to help the Devils improve to 18-13-1. Connor Brown added the empty netter. They also got good contributions from others, including Juho Lammikko, Ondrej Palat, and Colton White. They all had a pair of assists. Jake Allen made 30 saves to pick up his first victory since Nov. 28.

After falling behind a goal due to Leo Carlsson setting up Troy Terry, the Devils struck back less than three minutes later thanks to Lammikko slipping a feed in front for Noesen to bury past Lukas Dostal. It was only his second goal and first since Oct. 28, erasing a 21-game goal drought. The assist was Lammikko’s first point of the season. Jesper Bratt picked up a secondary helper.

With the game still tied in the second period, White sent a point shot towards a maze of players. The puck was deflected by Lammikko right to Cotter, who retrieved it and put it in to extend his goal streak to three straight. In his first season with the Devils, he finished with 16 goals. If he can keep it going, that would help the offense tremendously.

Continuing to outplay the Ducks by attacking a subpar defense, some strong work from White on the boards led to Palat finding Glass open for his sixth to increase the lead to 3-1 with 2:56 left.

The difference was the Devils’ relentless puck pursuit on the forecheck, which gave the Ducks problems. In fact, they victimized the Mason McTavish unit on three goals. Most of the work was provided by Cotter, Lammikko, Noesen, and White. It was a welcome change for a team whose lack of scoring depth had been problematic.

In the third period, they opted to protect the two-goal lead. However, they didn’t sit back. Instead, the Devils sent two forwards in when they had the opportunity to forecheck. They also did a good job in the neutral zone by having active sticks to break up Ducks’ rushes. Anaheim found it difficult to complete passes due to the aggressive strategy, which included players standing up at the blue line.

When the Ducks managed to get some good looks, Allen was there to slam the door shut on Carlsson. With Dostal pulled for an extra attacker, Terry was left all alone in front until a hustling Palat got back in time to check him. He didn’t even get a shot on goal. The much maligned Palat played one of his better games. After narrowly missing an empty net from inside his zone, he made a good defensive play to send Connor Brown in alone for the empty netter with two minutes remaining.

Devils Host Canucks After Quinn Hughes’ Trade to Wild

The Devils will again have an early start against the Canucks on Sunday at 12:30 EST. Vancouver made some big headlines by finally trading captain Quinn Hughes last night in a blockbuster with the Wild that involved three players going back to the Canucks.

It was speculated for a long time that Devils team president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald had shown strong interest in acquiring Hughes. The Devils were one of several teams reported to be in on trade discussions with the Canucks. However, the Wild made the best offer to beat out the Devils and Capitals for Hughes. I’ll have more on this story in another post. Here was some reaction from younger brother Luke about Quinn going to Minnesota.

Luke Hughes spoke honestly about the situation with his older brother, whose days in Vancouver had been numbered. It was becoming too much of a distraction. There had been so many rumors floated by different sources, which probably wasn’t helping Quinn’s play. His offense had suffered recently despite continuing to pile up minutes on a bad Canucks team that knew they had to rebuild.

The Wild will have a window to sign Hughes to a contract extension on July 1. They will be the only team that can offer him an eighth year. For the Devils, they can go back to focusing on playing hockey. Something that Keefe acknowledge had become hard lately.

Keefe’s team was a lot better today. If they can win tomorrow against the Canucks, that would be two in a row. The last time they had a winning streak came between Nov. 24-28.

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Rangers get Blacked Out in Chicago

Posted on December 11, 2025 by Derek

If they were hoping to build on a good weekend against some of the league’s best teams, the Rangers reverted in a dismal 3-0 loss to the Blackhawks. Just like that, they’re winless in three (0-1-2).

Facing a younger opponent building around Connor Bedard, the Rangers were exposed. The Blackhawks used their speed and transition game well to respond after getting chewed out by coach Jeff Blashill, following two bad losses that saw them outscored 13-1.

Back at home, they played one of their best games against the Rangers, who once again looked allergic, wearing their centennial jerseys. As nice as those throwback Blueshirts are, they might want to consider retiring them. Sadly, they’ve only won once while wearing the historic threads.

Even worse, they got shut out for the sixth time in 32 games. It marked the first time they failed to score a goal on the road. For the most part, they’ve played their best hockey away from Madison Square Garden. In 17 road games, they’re 12-5-1. With some big games at home coming up, including the Canadiens this Saturday, they need to start winning at The Garden.

Nothing went right for the Rangers last night. At the forefront were lousy special teams. In particular, the eyesore that’s become the power play.

Following a scoreless first period thanks in large part to Igor Shesterkin, they went on the man-advantage following a slash that Artemi Panarin drew. The five-forward first unit imploded to give up a shorthanded goal to Louis Crevier. A Mika Zibanejad turnover led to Crevier coming in and deking Shesterkin to give the Blackhawks the lead.

In a period where they got 11 shots on Spencer Knight, the Rangers were unable to break through. The Blackhawks played well defensively to limit most of their chances to the perimeter. When they needed a big save, Knight was there to provide it.

J.T. Miller came the closest to scoring, but he had his shot go off the goalpost. It wasn’t the only close call. Alexis Lafreniere, who played an inspired game, would also have a shot draw iron later.

The Blackhawks went up by two thanks to Connor Bedard, who finished off his 19th from in front with 5:33 remaining. After Zibanejad went to the bench for a change, Andre Burakovsky gained the zone and centered for Bedard, who had enough space to roof a shot top shelf past Shesterkin. Vladislav Gavrikov didn’t close out Bedard in time.

In the third, Bedard helped set up the Hawks’ third goal less than five minutes in. He drew Will Borgen to him and left the puck for Ryan Greene, who then had it go right to Tyler Bertuzzi, who buried his 16th.

Trailing by three, the Rangers tried to get back in it. Lafreniere was the one player who had it going. He was double shifted by Mike Sullivan, who was in desperate search of offense.

Lafreniere created a great opportunity for Noah Laba when he centered the puck in front. But Laba was denied twice by Knight, who finished with 21 saves for his second shutout of the season.

Two shifts later, Lafreniere took a Panarin cross-ice pass and then beat two Blackhawks to the net, but he had his backhand ring off the crossbar. All he could do was look to the ceiling after failing to complete a great move that would’ve given the Rangers some life.

In Year Six, he’s still looking for his 100th career goal. A far cry from what the Rangers envisioned when they selected him first overall in 2020. Lafreniere can look very dangerous when he’s engaged. It hasn’t been enough since signing the contract extension last year.

Lafreniere would also draw consecutive penalties to give the Blueshirts two more looks on the power play. By then, Sullivan replaced Will Cuylle with Scott Morrow, who was the only defenseman on the point following the run of failures by the five forwards. Sadly, nothing changed.

In three chances, the Rangers only had one shot on Knight. It was as inexcusable as their effort, which a vocal Miller criticized afterward.

There isn’t much to add. If the top guys don’t produce, it’s hopeless. The lack of scoring depth, which was a concern coming in, has become an issue. Sullivan’s still trying to find anyone who can play with Laba. While he’s been alright, Brett Berard has no points since his recall. Cuylle was dropped down to help, but he must play with Miller and Vincent Trocheck, who’s cooled considerably since he was split up from Lafreniere and Panarin.

Taylor Raddysh sat out for a second consecutive game. After his hot start, he’s been reduced to almost nothing. All while Conor Sheary keeps getting top six opportunities that a pro-tryout player shouldn’t have on a good team. It’s extremely frustrating to see how Sullivan is running things. He likes to use Sheary in a checking role. But what good is it if it hurts what’s already a thin offense?

The fourth line never scores. It’s basically Sam Carrick by himself. Wouldn’t it make sense to see what Brennan Othmann can do? Obviously, he’s not going to play on the checking line. But what about on the third line?

The Rangers are remaining patient with Gabe Perreault, who’s played very well for Hartford. They don’t want to rush him. At some point, he’ll be back up. It won’t be for a while.

If they can’t score consistently, it begs the question of what exactly Chris Drury did to improve the roster? He subtracted Chris Kreider (13 goals) for a crummy return. Zibanejad leads the team with 11 goals. He isn’t a finisher. Panarin has been that guy the last two years. He has 10 goals so far. They need him to start burying shots.

There’s a lot wrong with this team. Even if they give a better effort under Sullivan, it’s still too reliant on the goalies. Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick stand on their heads. It isn’t any different than before.

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Edstrom Placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve

Posted on December 10, 2025 by Derek

When the Rangers take on the Blackhawks later tonight, they’ll do so without Adam Edstrom. The second-year forward didn’t travel with the team to Chicago. Instead, Edstrom will be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).

Edstrom suffered a lower-body injury during a practice on Dec. 1. He hasn’t played since Nov. 29 and will miss his fifth straight game this month. In 24 games this season, the 25-year-old forward has two goals and two assists for four points. He had just started to play better when he got injured.

Counting tonight, he’ll have to sit out another five games before becoming elibible to return from LTIR. The soonest that can happen is on Dec. 21 versus the Predators. If he’s able to come back by then, he’ll join the Rangers on a season long six-game road trip that includes Washington, the Islanders, Carolina, Washington, and Florida.

Rempe Getting Closer

Matt Rempe has been skating on his own. He’s been out since suffering an upper-body injury in a fight with Ryan Reaves on Oct. 23. Rempe has been on LTIR since Nov. 10. In nine contests, he had a goal and 30 hits with a 56.9 CF while playing on the fourth line.

Without him, the Rangers aren’t as tough, which is probably why they brought back Jaroslav Chmelar from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Similar to Rempe, Chmelar has the size and strength to create space for Sam Carrick and Jonny Brodzinski. He isn’t shy about finishing checks or defending a teammate.

If and when he Rempe returns, he’ll probably be reinserted into the lineup by coach Mike Sullivan.

Mika Magic Returns

Mika Zibanejad has been playing his best hockey in quite some time. After a slow start, the 32-year-old center is finally getting results. With a goal and assist in the 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights on Dec. 7, Zibanejad extended his season-high point streak to seven. During that span, he has four goals and five assists for nine points.

In fact, Zibanejad has 18 points (7-11-18) over his last 17 games. The run started when he tallied two assists against the Red Wings on Nov. 7. He’s been arguably the Rangers’ most consistent forward all season. He just didn’t have any puck luck early on.

Zibanejad ranks third on the team in scoring with 24 points, with his 11 goals one better than Artemi Panarin to pace the Blueshirts. His six power-play goals also top all Rangers. With 114 power-play goals, he trails both Chris Kreider and Camille Henry by two for the franchise record.

If he scores in tonight’s game, he’ll tie Vic Hadfield for sixth on the all-time franchise goalscoring list. With Zibanejad back in form, he could also pass Andy Bathgate for fifth. As a Ranger, he has 261 goals. Bathgate had 272. Adam Graves ranks fourth with 280. Zibanejad hasn’t reached 30 goals since 2022-23. If he can, it would go a long way to helping the Rangers get back to the postseason.

No Lineup Changes

The Rangers plan to stick with the same lineup for tonight’s TNT game that starts at 7:30 EST. That means Chmelar remains in the lineup while Taylor Raddysh is a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game.

Igor Shesterkin gets the start. He’ll be opposed by Spencer Knight. Both have similar numbers. Shesterkin has a 2.46 goals-against-average and .913 save percentage. Knight has a 2.62 GAA and .914 save percentage. Shesterkin will be making his league-leading 25th start. Since Nov. 24, he’s 5-1-1 with a 2.29 GAA and .923 save percentage.

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