New York Rangers Daily: Gabe Perreault’s big day, Red Wings coaching change
After the three-day NHL holiday break, the New York Rangers return to the ice Friday to practice before hopping a flight to Tampa, where they’ll skate against the Lightning on Saturday.
Perhaps the time away from the rink — and each other — gave the Rangers a reset. Their most recent game, a 5-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday when the Rangers managed just 12 shots on goal, was as non-competitive as the Blueshirts have been in years.
And that’s saying something, because the Rangers (16-17-1) have pulled plenty of no-shows this season, especially during their current 4-13-0 slide. As such, the Rangers return tied for last in the Metropolitan Division with the Islanders and tied for 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Yes, there is a bright side, though. Despite a two-month stretch of miserable play, the Rangers are only five points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card in the East. And they’ve still got 48 games remaining on the 2024-25 schedule.
Their final two games in calendar year 2024 are not easy. First, they’ve got the Lightning, then a trip to Sunrise to face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday.
But, really, nothing has come easy for the Rangers since a 5-0-1 start to the season. Let’s see if the Rangers can at least be competitive. That’d be good start.
New York Rangers news
John Kreiser does an excellent job breaking down exactly where the Rangers stand in the playoff race, when they return from the holiday break.
You may agree or diagree with him, but Tom Castro lays out a pretty convincing argument for the Rangers to do whatever they can to re-acquire J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks.
How about a dose of good news? Top Rangers prospect Gabe Perreault scored two goals and had three points for the United States in their opening 10-4 win against Germany at the 2025 World Junior Championship.
Jonathan Quick hasn’t won a start in a month, but he’s only two away from 400 in the NHL. So, how does Quick rank against some of the goalies in that elite club? We take a look.
In case you missed it, Rangers prospect Brody Lamb from the University of Minnesota, is tied for the NCAA goal-scoring lead at the holiday break.
NHL news
Happy Holidays! Not!! The Detroit Red Wings fired coach Derek Lalonde and replaced him with veteran NHL bench boss Todd McLellan. Detroit (13-17-4) is 15th in the 16-team Eastern Conference and could miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth straight season.
Playing in Ottawa at the World Juniors gave the United States a rare opportunity to hear from a top NHL star Thursday. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, who played for the U.S. in the 2018 WJC, stopped by to address the squad after their win against Germany.
Perhaps seeking a spark, the Montreal Canadiens (14-17-3) recalled rookie goalie Jakub Dobes from Laval of the American Hockey League. The 23-year-old is playing extremely well in the AHL after starring the past two seasons at Ohio State.
How about rumors out of Montreal, stating the Columbus Blue Jackets possibly targeted Patrik Laine’s surgically-repaired shoulder in his return to Columbus right before the break?
The Vegas Golden Knights go for their fifth straight win when they visit the San Jose Sharks on Friday. It will also be Tomas Hertl’s return to San Jose after the long-time Sharks forward was traded to the Golden Knights ahead of the 2024 deadline.
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