Though it’s well-worn cliche, the Rangers (15-13-4) know now more than ever they must simply focus on what’s right in front of them, and not the busy bigger picture. So, that means trying to get back on the winning side of the ledger Saturday, amid a three-game winless skid (0-1-2).

The first two of those defeats, last weekend against the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, were in overtime. And the Rangers deservedly picked up a point in each loss.

That wasn’t the case Wednesday, when the Rangers were shut out by the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0. Out-played and a step or two slow all night, the Rangers weren’t at all happy with their performance.

Saturday provides the next opportunity for the Rangers to re-set in this rollercoaster season.

“We didn’t have our best in Chicago, I think we all know that in this room,” veteran forward Conor Sheary said Friday after practice. “Come out [Saturday] with a little more energy and try to get a win on home ice.”

Rangers captain J.T. Miller was even more direct in his comments Friday.

“I know we’re going to bounce back. Every time we seem to have a lapse, we bounce back as a group,” Miller stated firmly. “I’m confident we’re going to be good on Saturday.”

They certainly must be on their toes and ready to skate against the speedy Canadiens (16-11-3), who are one point ahead of the Rangers (with two games in hand) in the tight Eastern Conference standings. The Rangers won the first head-to-head meeting with the Canadiens, rallying with three goals in the third period for a 4-3 road victory on Oct. 18.

After a 10-3-2 start this season, the Canadiens are 6-8-1 since Nov. 11. Montreal comes off a 4-2 road win at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, when rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler made 36 saves to win his NHL debut.

3 storylines when Rangers host Canadiens

1. Gonna get scoring chances

The Rangers are 29th in the League, averaging 2.56 goals scored. They’ve been shut out six times, five of those on home ice. But they should get plenty of chances to change that narrative on Saturday.

The high-flying Canadiens own a minus-10 goal differential, and their team GAA of 3.50 is tied for third worst in the NHL. They give up plenty of scoring chances and their goalies don;t exactly bail them out often enough. Montreal’s allowed four or more goals in 14 games, and at least six on five occasions.

Maybe Fowler is the tonic to cure Montreal’s goaltending ills. But the Rangers should see this is as a big opportunity to break out offensively, after totaling only four goals in their past three games

2. Centennial woes

The Rangers celebrate “The New Garden” years (1967-91) on Saturday as part of their 100th NHL season. What they’d really like to celebrate is an actual victory in their sharp Centennial sweaters. The Rangers lost their first five games wearing the good-looking threads this season, and scored just two goals total in those contests. That includes the shutout defeat Wednesday in Chicago.

Saturday marks their 646th regular-season game against the Canadiens. The Rangers are 207-337-7 with 94 ties all-time against the Canadiens. More relevant, they have points in their past eight games (6-0-2) against the Habs.

New York is 3-2-1 against Original 6 foes this season. Montreal is 4-2-0 in such games.

3. Milestone games

Igor Shesterkin joins a select group Saturday, when he becomes the eighth goalie in Rangers history to play 300 games for the franchise. An interesting note is that Shesterkin already has more career wins (174) than two of the goalies ahead of him on the Rangers games-played list — Chuck Rayner (377 games; 123 wins) and Dave Kerr 324 games; 157 wins). Of course, Kerr led the Rangers to a Stanley Cup championship in 1940, so there’s that.

Shesterkin’s allowed two goals or fewer 14 times this season, second most in the NHL. His 2.48 goals-against average is fourth best among goalies who’ve made at least 20 starts this season. And his 15.1 goals saved above expected is fifth most in the League, per MoneyPuck.

Rangers forward Will Cuylle plays his 200th NHL game Saturday. He’s played all 32 games this season, and missed just one game — as a healthy scratch — in his three full NHL campaigns. The 23-year-old is third on the Rangers with eight goals, and second with three power-play tallies. His 109 hits lead the Rangers and are fifth most in the NHL.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard

Jaroslav Chmelar — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen — Matthew Robertson

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

Rangers vs. Canadiens: When, where, what time, how to watch

Who: New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens

When: Saturday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

“One of the things that I’ve always been a strong believer in is I think your mindset going into a game goes a long way to set you up for success. You’ve got to bring the right mindset even before the puck is dropped, and I think that is important for us. I think we have to have the right mindset, the right intentions before the puck’s dropped, and that’s going to set us up for success and give us the opportunity to put the game on the ice that we want to put on the ice.

“Why can’t you have your A Game every night? That’s the human element of sports. We’re trying to navigate through this stuff.

“Again it’s the human element. There are things as a coaching staff you can predict, and there are other you can’t. I’d be lying if I told I could’ve predicted that one coming into this season. … I think the guys did a good job … we try to focus on the process. Let’s play the game the right way. Let’s stick to it. Let’s stay in the moment, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s not dwell on the circumstance

“It’s a long season, it’s just the next game, doesn’t matter where it is for us. We’re not going to win every game on the road. We’re not going to lose every game at home. It all evens out over the course. We’ve been better [at home], we take pride in that arena.

“I’ve never done it before until this year. It’s new. It’s a hard position to play up there. I know Bread and Mika are trying to obviously learn it. Foxy is such a big piece of our power-play unit, little nuances in his game that help us so much. Just have to find a way to find a little better rhythm. i think these past couple games we’ve struggled with pressure a little bit … we’re just not executing as sharply. We’ve gotten a couple looks, that being said. But not up to our standard either.

So, that means Rempe misses his 24th consecutive game Saturday, when the Rangers host the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden.

“He will not play tomorrow. He was full contact today,” coach Mike Sullivan stated Friday. “Given the time he was out, we think it’s important he gets a couple of practices under his belt in a full capacity. We’ll monitor as he goes, but he’s getting close.”

When those practices come is anyone’s guess. The Rangers’ schedule turns fairly hellacious next week, when they play five games in seven days, including a pair of back-to-back sets bookending the week.

It’s certainly possible that Rempe practices hard in a morning skate or two and then gets back in the lineup later in the week.

The popular 23-year-old has one goal and seven penalty minutes in nine games this season.

He’s missed on the fourth line, which had several different looks in his absence. Veteran stalwart Sam Carrick will center Taylor Raddysh and rookie Jaroslav Chmelar against the Canadiens, based on practice Friday.

Rangers make ‘number of adjustments’ to top power-play unit

After the 3-0 shutout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, Sullivan alluded to making changes on the power play. The Rangers were 0-for-3 in Chicago and allowed a back-breaking short-handed goal. They’re now 0-for-11 in five games since PP1 quarterback Adam Fox went down with an upper-body injury.

So, the Rangers made a “number of adjustments” to the top unit at practice Friday, in Sullivan’s words. But the one thing that didn’t change was the five-forward personnel. Alexis Lafreniere moved to the bumper spot, and Mika Zibanejad replaced Artemi Panarin up top to fill Fox’s usual role. Panarin moved to the flank, and J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck continued to round out the top unit.

So, again, no defenseman manning the point. Why’s that, coach?

“Because we think they’re the best five guys right now to help us have success.”

Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov did quarterback the second power-play unit Friday. And Scott Morrow, the rookie defenseman who seemed most likely to join PP1 after the most recent game, appears to be the odd-man out completely. He skated as an extra, and it looks like Urho Vaakanainen replaces him in the lineup Saturday.

As for Zibanejad swapping places with Panarin?

“He’s a cerebral player. He sees the ice so well. He’s similar to ‘Bread’ in that regard,” Sullivan explained. “But I think Mika might add a little more defensive conscience back there. One of the things I’ve always admired about Mika is his willingness on both sides of the puck. I think that’s an important element on the power play, using five forwards.”

Sullivan also pointed to Zibanejad’s willingness to shoot more often, and to create rebound opportunities for his teammates.

“One of Mika’s strengths is that he can really pound the puck. He can really shoot it. Now that he’s up top, he can do the same thing from there, also,” Sullivan explained.

“Sometimes we want to pass the puck into the net. We need to create in different ways. We can create off the shot.”

Since Sullivan is also coach of the United States team for the 2026 Milan/Cortina Olympics, he has a big say in the construction of the roster. At one point, it seemed Miller was a slam-dunk candidate to make the team, especially after playing a gritty middle-six role for Team USA at the 4 Nations tournament this past February.

Now, there are doubts about Miller’s inclusion on the roster, based largely on his declining production with the Rangers this season. A former point-per-game player, Miller has seven goals and 18 points in 30 games

That leaves Sullivan in the unenviable position of, perhaps, informing the proud 32-year-old center that he didn’t make the team. Or the flip side — trying to keep the peace, Sullivan pushes for Miller to be included at the expense of players perhaps more deserving of the honor. No bueno either way.

“The whole thing with J.T. Miller, it’s more of a challenge then I thought it would be,” Elliotte Friedman stated Friday on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I think he’s going to be on the U.S. team, but Miller’s played himself into a situation where you’re almost asking the question, ‘Should he be on the U.S. team?’ Like it’s a really tough spot on Sullivan because that’s his captain, and you want to take your captain, and you’re picking the team, and you’re worried about how Miller will handle it if he’s not going to be picked. But he’s really had a rough year.”

Allow yourself for a minute to picture that uncomfortable conversation, if Miller doesn’t make the team. Then ponder how that could possibly affect their relationship moving forward and what that could do to the Rangers (15-13-4), who already face considerable challenges to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“It is conjecture, so it’s hard to get into somebody’s heart, their mind, about how they feel about something like that,” NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek told Forever Blueshirts on the RINK RAP podcast. “I’m sure J.T. would be disappointed … the top players seemingly all want to compete in a best-on-best tournament, and J.T. Miller was part of Team USA at the 4 Nations.

“I ran into [Team USA general manager Bill Guerin] at an Islanders game at UBS Arena last week and, obviously, he keeps his cards close to the vest, but he said to me, ‘I’m going to have to deliver some tough news to a lot of good guys.'”

Even if Guerin was the one who delivered bad news to Miller, it still wouldn’t make for a great situation between the veteran forward and Sullivan.

Rangers coach, captain hope to lead United States at 2026 Milan/Cortina Olympics

This all be a moot point because Miller likely has enough cache as a relentless grinder and shutdown center to at least earn a spot in the Team USA lineup in a checking role on the third or fourth line. He’s consistently gone up against opposing teams’ top forwards this season with the Rangers, and he basically filled that role at the 4 Nations, too.

His physicality and intensity level rub off on his teammates — just some of the intangibles that favor Miller landing a roster spot for the United States.

“I think he’ll be there because I think they’ll look at it and say, ‘This is the team we’re going to need to beat Canada, and he can be that kind of player,'” Friedman said, before adding, “But it’s been harder this year for Miller, and less impressive, I think, for Sullivan, when it comes to him, than any of us expected.”

Interestingly, Hradek sees a major positive if Miller doesn’t participate in the Olympics. And that’s shutting it down for three weeks between games on the Rangers schedule, kind of a February vacation of sorts for their captain.

“In the case of J.T., if he doesn’t get selected, he gets the rest. I think he’s been dealing with an injury for pretty much most of the season. It might serve to spur him on to have a really strong post-Olympic stretch, which would be great for the New York Rangers.”

“It’s a lot that day, when you’re heading back into the building, even just walking to the other side. It’s just a heavy day,” Stepan explained last week on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast. “Everyone around you wants to give you advice, like ‘Hey, after your first shift you’ll get into it.’ And then the video [tribute] comes and you’re sitting there watching it.

“So for Chris, there’s just no good advice and there’s no easy way to do it. He’ll do it like the rest of the guys have done it, and he’ll get through it, and the next time it gets easier.”

The Rangers traded Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks last summer, and Monday marks his first return to MSG. The popular 34-year-old forward played 883 regular-season games, and another 123 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, over 13 seasons with the Rangers. He’s third in franchise history with 326 goals, and tied for first with 116 power-play goals.

Kreider’s off to a great start with the Ducks. He has 13 goals and 21 points in 26 games, helping the Ducks (19-10-1) to the top of the Pacific Division standings.

Outside of his famous roars when he scores a goal, Kreider is not known to share his emotions publicly. It’ll be interesting to see how Kreider reacts to the expected rousing ovation when he hits the ice at The Garden, and again when the tribute video is played on the MSG videoboard.

“It’s goofy. Again, it’s just heavy,” Stepan explained. “You go into the building, and whatever the emotions were at the time you got traded, whether you were angry or sad or excited to be going out of there, whatever your scenario was, when you come into that building, all you wan to do is win. You’re like, ‘I don’t care what it takes, we’ve got to get two points, and then I want to get out of this building.’

“You get out on the ice and then they show you the tribute and you’re like, ‘Oh man, it was a great time when I was here.’ It just downshifts you so hard. It’s mixed emotions. … It’s just one goofy night.”

Derek Stepan recalls his first game back at MSG after Rangers traded him

Stepan was a very popular homegrown Rangers player, but didn’t have quite the distinguished career on Broadway that Kreider did. Nor did he play as long with the Rangers. The former top-6 center, who’s now retired and working for the Minnesota Wild, is 29th in Rangers history with 360 points (128 goals, 232 assists) in 515 regular-season games.

As teammates, Stepan and Kreider helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy in 2014-15, reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, and play in the Eastern Conference Final three times. The Rangers traded Stepan at the 2017 NHL Draft, sending him to the Arizona Coyotes. Not unlike Kreider, Stepan was moved primarily to create more room under the salary cap.

Stepan’s return to Madison Square Garden didn’t go so well. The Coyotes lost their 10th straight game that night, falling 5-2 to the Rangers on Oct. 26, 2017. Stepan was held without a point and finished minus-3.

The Rangers would sign up for a similar result Monday. The Ducks and Kreider? Not so much.

Right now, Hughes feels like a luxury for a team that already has Adam Fox as its No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback. A dynamic proven point producer to play in the top-six forward group is the more immediate need for the Rangers, if they’re going big-game hunting any time soon. Especially with the possibility high-flying forward Artemi Panarin bolts as a free agent next summer.

Of course, the flip side to that argument is that superstars in their prime — regardless of what position they play — demand your attention if they become available, either through free agency or trade. Chris Dury would do a disservice to the Rangers organization if he didn’t check in about Hughes and find out what’s the cost of doing business with the Canucks.

Really, that’s the crux of NHL insider Dave Pagnotta’s take that the Rangers are serious about Hughes

“Do I think it’s going to happen tomorrow? No. Do I think he’s going to be a New York Ranger? I don’t know yet. It’s still way too early in that process,” Pagnotta explained Wednesday on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast. “But in terms of teams that I anticipate to be in the mix in a more serious rather than just poking around type of situation, I think the Rangers are going to be one of them with where they’re at, with the owner they’ve got, and with a clear lack of desire to go through a rebuild. I think the New York Rangers … are one of those teams that will try to step up to this.”

And let’s face it, whether goals and points come from the forwards or the back end, the Rangers need to score more 5v5 and on the power play. Through 32 games, they’re 29th in the NHL, averaging 2.56 goals per game. The Rangers were shut out Wednesday for the sixth time this season, losing 3-0 to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hughes has 431 points (61 goals, 370 assists) in 458 career games, slightly better numbers than Fox (395 points also in 458 games). Each has a Norris Trophy on his resume (Fox in 2021; Hughes in 2024), and each recorded 70 or more points three times.

Of course, each is used to playing big minutes as the top dog on defense, and there’d have to be a shift in mindset about shared roles. But, hey, it certainly worked for the Rangers in 1994, when they won the Stanley Cup with Brian Leetch and Sergei Zubov, two highly-skilled Hall-of-Fame defensemen, anchoring the top two defense pairs.

That’s not an apples to apples comparison, since Leetch and Zubov each were Rangers draft picks, with the latter establishing himself after Leetch already won the Calder and Norris Trophies. A closer comparison is one Rangers coach Mike Sullivan knows well from his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who acquired Erik Karlsson when they already had Kris Letang. That hasn’t worked out so well.

But Fox paired with Vladislav Gavrikov, and Hughes alongside Will Borgen? There’s lots to like there, for sure.

So, let’s play along and break down what a possible Rangers trade for Hughes could look like.

What it could take for Rangers to land Quinn Hughes in a trade

Hughes earns a reasonable $7.85 million annually, and his contract runs through 2026-27. The Rangers have $3.709 million in available salary cap space, per PuckPedia. And that’s factoring in LTIR ramifications, since Fox, Matt Rempe, and Adam Edstrom each is on long-term injured reserve.

The Canucks have less than $200,000 in available cap space, with defenseman Derek Forbort on LTIR.

A smooth financial fit for each side is to have Alexis Lafreniere be the main return for Hughes, since the 24-year-old makes $7.45 million through 2031-32. So, for argument’s sake, the Rangers trade Lafreniere, one of their two first-round picks in the 2026 draft, and a prospect, say Brennan Othmann, for Hughes. Maybe the Rangers also get a mid-level prospect or mid-round draft pick back as well. Perhaps, the Canucks want rookie defenseman Scott Morrow included in the deal, since they’ll need a good, young puck distributor to help fill the Hughes void.

That may not be enough for the Canucks, who can expect serious offers from many teams, including the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings. But it’s an intriguing offer, especially since the Canucks long had interest in Lafreniere.

Nick Kypreos: Re Quinn Hughes: It seems the going rate for a team wishing to acquire Hughes is a combination of four or five pieces, including roster players, prospects and first-rounders. The Canucks are seeking those first-rounders to be unprotected – Sportsnet (12/9)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) December 11, 2025

If it’s not enough, and the Rangers really want Hughes, do they swallow hard and include top prospect Gabe Perreault? That’d leave the Rangers mighty thin in their top-six forward group. Lafreniere is currently a staple there, and if he’s traded, Perreault is the most logical fit to replace him. It’s difficult to see the Rangers sending both forwards, plus a first-round pick, to the Canucks for a player we already deemed a luxury.

In this iteration, Perreault feels a bit untouchable. So, too, do young forwards Will Cuylle and Noah Laba. So, Lafreniere, Morrow, Othmann, and a first-rounder for Hughes. And maybe the Rangers get a piece to help up front.

Another possibility is the Rangers using Braden Schneider as another central figure in a bigger deal for Hughes. That’s another player the Canucks like a lot, and tried to acquire as recently as last season. Since, Schneider makes $2.2 million per season — though is an RFA with arbitration rights after this one ends — this specific trade scenario needs to be expanded because the numbers don’t add up cap-wise for the Rangers, and it’s not a big enough return from the Canucks point of view.

But how about this blockbuster? The Rangers send Lafreniere, Schneider, Othmann and/or Morrow, and a first-round pick to the Canucks for Hughes and Evander Kane, or Nils Hoglander if you prefer? Kane is a rugged veteran forward making $5.125 million in the final season of his contract. The inconsistent but talented Hoglander, makes $3 million per through 2027-28.

It’s all speculative at this point, though fun to go through the process. One thing for certain is that until he’s traded, Quinn Hughes will be the dominant name in NHL trade rumors.

Fox, who quarterbacks New York’s top power-play unit, sustained a left-arm injury on Nov. 29 that landed him on long-term injured reserve. In his absence, coach Mike Sullivan opted to use a five-forward setup with the No. 1 power-play group, with their top scorer, left wing Artemi Panarin, running the show.

The 2021 Norris Trophy winner and a 2023 finalist was tied for the Rangers scoring lead with Panarin at 26 points when he landed on LTIR. Fox has resumed skating, but is expected to miss several weeks.

His absence brought the power play to a crashing halt.

The Rangers were 0-for-3 and allowed a short-handed goal in a poorly played 3-0 road loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. In the five games since Fox’s injury, the Rangers are 0-for-11 with the extra man and have a total of 14 shots on goal. Without Fox, the Rangers are out-scored 1-0 on their own power play.

“It’s one goal,” center Vincent Trocheck said about Louis Crevier’s shorty 7:08 into the second period that gave Chicago a lead it never relinquished. “We have a ton of game left. We can’t let that happen. That’s on us.”

Sullivan changed his power-play strategy during the game, moving rookie Scott Morrow into the quarterback role, and said afterward that he’s junking the five-forward approach, at least for now.

“They showed us enough to stay with it for as long as we have, but they showed us enough to make a change,” he said after the loss. “We put a defenseman up there. I’m not sure what we’re going to do moving forward, but obviously Fox is not an easy guy to replace.”

Rangers look for answers to Fox-less power-play issues

That’s an understatement. The Rangers were 13-for-61 (21.3 percent) on the power play in 27 games with Fox but have yet to score without him. He has a point on eight of the 13 power-play goals.

It’s also a big change from what Sullivan touted after practice Tuesday.

“I think the guys have done a really good job,” he said then. “We are competing hard. … I think the guys that have stepped in have done a really good job, just as far as bringing what they bring and not trying to do too much, playing within themselves, defending hard. So, we’ll continue to work at it.”

It looked like Morrow was going to be quarterbacking the power play when the Montreal Canadiens come to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. But he was not on the top power-play unit at practice Friday — in fact, he and forward Johnny Brodzinski were not among the four forward lines or three defense pairs on the ice, indicating they’re unlikely to play Saturday.

Instead, Mika Zibanejad replaced Panarin at the point on PP1, and Vladislav Gavrikov, Fox’s regular partner, played on PP2 with four forwards.

But perhaps a bigger problem is the Rangers’ inability to draw power plays in the first place.

They’ve had just 72 opportunities in 32 games, an NHL-low 2.25 advantages per contest. In the five games without Fox, that average is 2.20 – including the 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, when they didn’t have a single power play. They have more than three power plays in a game just three times this season.

Of their three man-advantages against the Blackhawks, two came in the final 13 minutes of the third period — after Chicago took a three-goal lead. They had all of one shot on goal in six minutes with the extra man, matching the Blackhawks total shorthanded.

Captain J.T. Miller said his team wasn’t very good with or without the extra man.

“They outcompeted us and outexecuted us,” Miller said. “We had trouble getting on the inside. It’s hard to score when you’re on the outside on the O-zone. They’re a man-on-man team. They kept us on the outside most of the night, created a lot of turnovers and defended well.”

The Rangers lived by the power play in 2023-24, scoring on 26.4 percent (65-for-246) of their opportunities when they won the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL regular-season champion. They dropped to 17.6 percent (37-for-210) last season, when they missed the playoffs, and are on pace for just 34 PPGs and 185 attempts this season. Those are numbers that could well keep them out of the postseason again.

It was the sixth shutout loss in 32 games this season for the Rangers, and their first on the road. Knight was sharp, though it was hardly a taxing game for the 24-year-old goalie, who earned his second shutout of the season and seventh of his career. He faced only four shots in the third period, though two were point-blank opportunities by Noah Laba during a 1-2 sequence by Knight’s crease.

Spencer Knight with back-to-back stops on Noah Laba pic.twitter.com/ENiClWbocU

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) December 11, 2025

Igor Shesterkin finished with 22 saves for the Rangers, who are winless in their past three games (0-1-2). Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks, who surrendered 13 goals over the weekend in consecutive losses to the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks, and appeared committed to playing a far better all-around game Wednesday.

Tyler Bertuzzi and Louis Crevier also scored for Chicago.

Neither team scored in the first period, but there were several close calls for each side. Shesterkin made a diving blocker save to deny Andre Burakovsky’s rebound try 3:15 into the game; and three minutes later he got a pad on Bedard’s one-timer after accepting a cross-ice pass.

IGOR WHAT A SAVE IN CLOSE TO KEEP IT SCORELESS 😱❌ pic.twitter.com/PhblGQjLQ6

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 11, 2025

Roughly 30 seconds after that clutch Shesterkin save, the Rangers came within inches of scoring the game’s first goal. Between the circles, J.T. Miller deflected Scott Morrow’s pass/shot from inside the blue line, but hit the post. Then at 11:20, Mika Zibanejad had a breakaway, and though he beat Knight between the pads, the his shot went wide of the net.

The Rangers were out-shot 10-6 in the scoreless first period, but started strong in the second. Knight made two clutch pad saves on the first shift, one on Miller’s wraparound and another on Conor Sheary’s putback. New York killed off a Matthew Robertson holding penalty at 2:31, and then received their first power play at 5:25.

Not only did the Rangers fail to generate any good looks on the power play, but they surrendered a short-handed goal at 7:08 to fall behind 1-0. Crevier got behind the five Rangers forwards on the ice, and the 6-foot-8 Chicago defenseman used his long reach to push a backhand shot past a poke check from Shesterkin. It was Crevier’s third goal, first career shorty, and first goal of any kind in the past 20 games.

Shorthanded goal alert! 🚨

Louis Crevier scores first for the @NHLBlackhawks!

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @StreamOnMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3T pic.twitter.com/5PY1nJg4Gl

— NHL (@NHL) December 11, 2025

Chicago nearly doubled its lead at 10:40 when Ryan Donato barreled down the middle and buried a Burakovsky chip into the slot. But video review upheld a Rangers challenge that their was a missed hand pass before the goal, and the score remained 1-0.

Or at least it did until Bedard chipped a pass from Burakovsky top shelf past Shesterkin’s glove at 14:27. It was Bedard’s 19th goal of the season and his first in four career games against the Rangers.

Bedard had a hand in the next goal too, when the Blackhawks took a 3-0 lead at 3:52 of the third period. He drove to the middle with speed and got the puck to Ryan Greene, who put the puck between his legs for a shot on goal. Bertuzzi collected the rebound and flipped the puck past Shesterkin from in tight for his 16th goal, and fourth in the past six games.

Alexis Lafreniere came close to ending Knight’s shutout bid at 11:15, but his gorgeous 1-on-1 move resulted in a backhand shot hitting the crossbar.

Key takeaways after New York Rangers’ 3-0 loss to Chicago Blackhawks

Trap game

The Rangers said all the right things heading into this game about not taking the Blackhawks for granted, or as a lesser opponent than the gauntlet of top NHL teams they faced — and played well against — last week. They promised there’d be no drop off in their play and intensity after those big games against the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights.

But this felt a bit like a trap game. Struggling opponent — Chicago was 2-6-2 in its previous 10 games — badly outclassed over the weekend. Plus the Rangers had two days between games, and have another two straight off before hosting the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. So maybe they took the foot off the gas pedal.

Rested and confident. And then outplayed, pretty much right from the first puck drop, by a hungrier opponent, one perhaps motivated even more by their recent embarrassments. Trap game or perhaps just an off night. Either way, a missed opportunity to get two important points for the Rangers.

Not passing the eye test

The analytics and underlying numbers tell you that the Rangers played on pretty much even terms with the Blackhawks. New York had a 12-10 advantage in high-danger chances, and a decent 48.5 percent expected goal share 5v5, per Natural Stat Trick. Even the shots on goal were close, with Chicago holding a 25-21 advantage. And the shot attempts were 52-49 Blackhawks. All that seems OK for the Rangers.

Except if you watched the game, you saw how much quicker the Blackhawks were than the Rangers. Quicker through center ice. Quicker to pucks. Quicker decision making. That’s the main takeaway from this loss. The Rangers appeared slower in every facet of the game. That, and Chicago showed more hunger.

Sure, the Rangers were credited with a decisive 36-12 edge in the hits category. That says something. But all those hits didn’t slow down a pretty darn committed opponent. That says something else.

This game and result was a case of trusting your eyes, trusting what you see.

Powerless

The Rangers not only were 0-for-3 on the power play, but that short-handed goal they surrendered was a crusher. It snapped a scoreless tie and sent the Blackhawks on their way with an extra jolt of confidence, and brought the United Center crowd into the game.

It was the first time the five-forward PP1 unit deployed in Adam Fox’s injury absence allowed a shorty. Zibanejad lost a puck battle just outside the offensive blue line; Vincent Trocheck was late to help out; and Artemi Panarin skated in a circle in the neutral zone, failing to realize Crevier was behind him at the the other blue line. All of that led directly to the third short-handed goal surrendered by New York this season.

Morrow shifted on to the top power-play unit later in the game, and likely will be its quarterback in the next game against the Canadiens. Trocheck had New York’s only shot on goal, a good scoring opportunity late in the third period, in six minutes of power-play time Wednesday. And the Rangers are now 0-for-11 on the man advantage in the five games Fox missed with an upper-body injury.

The NHL insider first mentioned the Rangers’ interest in Hughes on Monday.

“With all the attention on the New Jersey Devils and Quinn Hughes lately – and yes, the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers have been lumped in there, too – another team to look out for is the New York Rangers,” Pagnotta wrote in The Fourth Period. “That would allocate a lot of dollars to their back end, but it wouldn’t shock me to see the Blueshirts taking a swing.”

Given a chance by co-hosts Jonny Lazarus and Colby Cohen to walk back his take on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast Wednesday, Pagnotta remained firm in his belief that the Rangers are seriously interested in the All-Star defenseman.

“Do I think it’s going to happen tomorrow? No. Do I think he’s going to be a New York Ranger? I don’t know yet. It’s still way too early in that process,” Pagnotta explained. “But in terms of teams that I anticipate to be in the mix in a more serious rather than just poking around type of situation, I think the Rangers are going to be one of them with where they’re at, with the owner they’ve got, and with a clear lack of desire to go through a rebuild. I think the New York Rangers … are one of those teams that will try to step up to this.”

Pagnotta admitted most, if not all, general managers will check in with their Canucks counterpart, Patrik Allvin, to see if the Canucks really would trade Hughes, the 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner as top defenseman in the NHL.

However, Pagnotta’s bigger point is that only a select group of teams would be in serious pursuit of the 26-year-old … and the Rangers are in that mix.

“I think this is a team that’s going to be interested in actually making an attempt to acquire him.”

NHL insider believes Rangers would love to ‘get their hands on Quinn Hughes’

The Canucks are in freefall for the second straight season, just two years after they finished first in the Pacific Division. They traded J.T. Miller to the Rangers on Jan. 31 last season and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canucks (11-16-3) are last in the NHL standings with the Christmas break less than two weeks way and let other teams know they’re willing to discuss possible trades involving their pending free agents.

Hughes is under contract at a very affordable $7.85 million annually through the 2026-27 season. So, he is not a pending free agent. However, with all the talk about Hughes leaving to possibly reunite with brothers Jack and Luke with the New Jersey Devils in two summers, and no belief that he’ll stay long term in Vancouver, the Canucks likely want to end the distraction, cut the cord and move him sooner rather than later — especially considering their poor on-ice performance.

Pierre Lebrun stated this week on TSN that moving Hughes ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline likely affords the Canucks the best return package. But is this the type of trade the Rangers even have an appetite for?

🎙️| Quinn Hughes on the #NJDevils HNIC trade rumours as well as the Canucks rumours in general

“It wasn’t like, if there was a call, me, Jim and Fitzy hopped on the call. You know, I wasn’t apart of that but obviously I’m aware things like that could happen, for sure.” pic.twitter.com/vTSX1hKW9o

— Hughes Updates (@_hughesupdates) December 7, 2025

In the immediate short term, it’d be a boon to land Hughes with Adam Fox on LTIR with an upper-body injury. But no deal of this magnitude will come together that quickly, and Fox isn’t expected to be sidelined for months. In fact, Fox is skating on his own, and misses his fifth game Wednesday when the Rangers visit the Chicago Blackhawks.

A potential Hughes trade is fascinating to consider for the Rangers. His addition would give New York a top four on defense featuring Fox with Vladislav Gavrikov, and Hughes with Will Borgen. That’d be among the best in the League. But are there enough minutes and high-end responsibility to keep Fox and Hughes — each a Norris Trophy winner — content? And what about sinking all that cap space on those two and Gavrikov on the back end?

Plus any trade likely weakens the Rangers at the forward position, assuming Alexis Lafreniere and/or Gabe Perreault are part of the return.

Nonetheless, it’s an intriguing topic to ponder, and rumor to follow. Let’s see as things progress if Pagnotta is spot on about how deeply the Rangers get involved.

“I would not be surprised if they not just inquire, but take a swing and see if they can get their hands on Quinn Hughes.”

But Zibanejad opened his New York City home and personal life to a camera crew last week, and the result is a segment on the first episode of “Road to the Discover NHL Winter Classic.” The behind-the-scenes, four-part docuseries returns in advance of the 2026 game between the Rangers and Florida Panthers at loanDepot park in Miami on Jan. 2.

The first episode debuts Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT, one hour before the network’s telecast of the Rangers’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center.

Zibanejad, who leads the Rangers with 11 goals this season, admitted to NHL.com that he wasn’t sure what he was hoping to get out of the experience — but was certain there would be value in it.

‘Road To Winter Classic’ debuts with look into Zibanejad’s life away from rink   https://t.co/3nmUb00rri

— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) December 9, 2025

“Hopefully through showing some outside the rink stuff there might be a little more understanding for who I am as a person,” Zibanejad told the League’s website. “I think anyone from outside looking in has no idea who I am. They know what I do but not much of me as a person.”

That should change a bit when Zibanejad is seen through the lens of the camera that followed him from the Rangers suburban practice facility in Tarrytown, New York, to his home in Manhattan. His wife and 2-year-old daughter join him in the segment.

The 2026 Winter Classic is Zibanejad’s fourth outdoor game. He played for the Ottawa Senators in the 2014 Heritage Classic at BC Place in Vancouver, and for the Rangers at the 2018 3-2 Winter Classic win against the Buffalo Sabres at Citi Field in New York and the 2024 Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a game that saw him score the tying goal in a 6-5 overtime win against the New York Islanders. But it’s the first time a camera crew followed him.

Mika Zibanejad shows personal side on ‘Road to the Winter Classic’

“I think for the people that are not in this environment, just from outside, getting a little bit of a different look is cool,” the native of Stockholm, Sweden, said. “You see some of the interviews we do, but you don’t see a whole lot of personality. Obviously, there are some that are better in front of the camera and more inviting than others, but I think this is cool.”

Like many players, Zibanejad said he wrestles with how much of his off-ice personality he wants to show. That includes social media; he said he doesn’t post a lot.

“As much as we play a sport, a lot of attention is on us,” he said. “We get covered by media and all that. I don’t know if ‘selective’ is the right word, but keeping things more private, maybe.”

This might just be the cutest thing you see today. 🥹

Episode 1 of Road To The NHL Discover #WinterClassic presented by @Enterprise premieres tonight at 6:30p ET on @NHL_On_TNT and tomorrow at 7p ET on @Sportsnet! pic.twitter.com/1XWpKBi70c

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) December 10, 2025

The behind-the-scenes access offers Rangers fans a different perspective, Zibanejad said. The segment shows the human side of a player – that he’s more than just a guy who wears No. 93 and scores goals for their favorite team.

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said the show lets fans get to know that players face a lot of the same everyday challenges they do.

“I just think [this show] gives people more of a window into the human side of it,” Sullivan told NHL.com. “When you get to know some of our players, I think what people are going to find is that they’re really good human beings and they live for the most part fairly normal lives other than their livelihood. But they have kids and they’re married and they have challenges, and they go through things just like everybody else does.

“I think the best asset that our NHL has is the players themselves, the way they carry themselves, these guys, they have a certain humility to them, and I think that is admirable. When fans get to know some of the players in that regard, maybe they’ll be more inclined to root for them.”

There’s also away-from-the-rink footage of injured Rangers forward Matt Rempe and Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, as well as on-ice sound via mic’d up players and coaches.

The Rangers (15-12-4) snagged six of eight points, including at least one in all four games played a week ago. They rallied late to tie the Dallas Stars, then defeated them in overtime. After a solid 4-2 road win in Ottawa over the Senators, the Rangers picked up points in back-to-back overtime losses at Madison Square Garden against the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.

That’s an impressive job against four playoff-caliber teams, including three legit Stanley Cup contenders.

“I think the team is trending in the right direction. I think the way we’ve been playing for each other, to our identity, that’s been good,” veteran forward Mika Zibanejad said Tuesday following practice.

At the heart of that identity is a solid structure and commitment, working in five-man groups on both sides of the puck and over the entire 200-foot sheet of ice. It’s particularly evident in the defensive zone, where the Rangers allowed more than three goals just three times in the past 21 games.

New York is sixth in the NHL, allowing 2.61 goals against per game. On the road, where the Rangers lead the League with 12 wins (12-4-1), their goals against is even better, 2.29 per game, third-best in the NHL.

“I think we’re building towards an identity here where we want to be a team that’s tough to get offense against. And when we do give up some offense, we have two elite goalies that are tough to beat. That’s kind of out M.O. right now,” center Sam Carrick explained. “I think there’s still a pretty good feeling around the room here that we can build something special here.”

To continue those good vibes, the Rangers can’t afford to let up against a lesser opponent Wednesday. Nor can they even consider the Blackhawks (12-11-6) in that light.

Though the Blackhawks haven’t reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past five seasons, and are 2-6-2 in their previous 10 games, it feels like a trap game for the Rangers. It’s up to them to make sure that won’t be the case.

“Just don’t change anything, no matter who we’re playing. It’s an unforgiving league,” Carrick said. “Chicago’s got a lot of good, young talent. Those teams these days, they’re hard to play against, they can score a lot of goals. So, we’ve got to be on our game.”

The Blackhawks have plenty to prove back at home Wednesday, following a brutal weekend in SoCal. They were blown out 6-0 by the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and annihilated by the Anaheim Ducks 7-1 on Sunday.

The Rangers and Blackhawks split the season series in 2024-25. With Louis Domingue in goal, the Rangers defeated the Blackhawks 6-2 at United Center on Jan. 5. New York’s won five straight on the road in Chicago.

3 storylines when Rangers visit Blackhawks

Kick ’em when they’re down

If the Rangers hunt offense — not cheat for it by giving up their defensive principles — they should be able to fill the net against the Blackhawks. An early goal or two could go a long way to bury a young Chicago team whose confidence is a bit shaky right now — and just 1-7-3 when surrendering the first goal this season.

The Ducks outshot the Blackhawks 53-20 and skated circles around them Sunday. Though the Rangers play a different style than the Ducks, their skill set is such that a breakout offensively is certainly possible. Watch Artemi Panarin, who’s not only among the hottest scorers in the NHL right now, but has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 13 games all-time against his former team. And Jonny Brodzinski is a sneaky pick to find the back of the net — he scored in consecutive games against the Blackhawks and has three goals in his past four games at United Center.

Over their past nine games, the Blackhawks allowed four goals or more six times, including nine against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 21. That said, Chicago’s No. 1 goalie, Spencer Knight, owns a solid .914 save percentage and is in the midst of a solid season (9-6-5, 2.62 GAA).

Connor Bedard growing up, breaking out

Connor Bedard is the center of attention for the Blackhawks, and the one player the Rangers must contain. In a breakout season, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft is tied for fifth in the League with 18 goals, and is sixth with 40 points, in 29 games. The 20-year-old has 11 multi-point games, and totaled four points three times. He also recorded a pair of hat tricks, the first of his three-season career.

CONNOR BEDARD 🤯

We are running out of words to describe his goals. pic.twitter.com/NAmN1YAdQm

— NHL (@NHL) December 3, 2025

The League’s Third Star of the Month in November, Bedard is meeting exceedingly high expectations this season. He scored 23 goals and had 67 points last season, but is on pace for his first 100-point campaign in 2025-26.

In three career games against the Rangers, Bedard has two assists and seeks his first goal.

Unleash the ‘beast mode’

Even though the Rangers are on the road and don’t have the final change, expect to see a lot of J.T. Miller out there against Bedard on Wednesday. Miller’s done an outstanding job defensively against some of the best players in the League this season. His veteran linemates, Vincent Trocheck and Conor Sheary, are as responsible as he is on that side of the puck.

Part of what makes the Rangers’ captain so successful defensively is his work deep in the offensive zone, making top players on the other team defend him. The best defense is a good offense, right?

“I think J.T.’s past few games are among his best that he’s had all year long,” coach Mike Sullivan shared on Tuesday. “There were a few instances where you watch him from the bench and the feeling I get is that he’s in beast mode. When he’s possessing the puck in the offensive zone, using his size and physical stature to protect pucks, roll off checks to make the next play, he’s hard to handle.”

In the past month, 12 games since Nov. 12, Miller has 10 points (four goals, six assists), along with his terrific work defensively.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard

Jaroslav Chmelar — Sam Carrick — Jonny Brodzinski

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

Rangers vs. Blackhawks: When, where, what time, how to watch

Who: New York Rangers vs. Chicago Blackhawks

When: Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: United Center

How to watch: TNT/truTV/HBO Max