New York Rangers week ahead includes massive test against Jets before road trip begins
The New York Rangers conclude a stretch that’s seen them play most of the first half of November at Madison Square Garden with two more home games before they head west this weekend.
Igor Shesterkin figures to play against the League-leading Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. He’s coming off his first “pull” of the season, when he was lifted in the second period after allowing the first five goals on 12 shots in what became the Rangers’ worst performance of the season, a 6-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at MSG this past Thursday. Shesterkin got no help from his teammates, who avoided getting shut out at home when Will Cuylle scored early in the third period.
The Rangers broke even in their two-game week by blanking the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, completing the second straight season series sweep of their Original Six rival thanks to a 37-save performance by Jonathan Quick. New York is 6-0-0 against the Red Wings in the past two seasons and 12-1-2 in their past 15 games.
By points, the Rangers (9-3-1) begin the week fourth in the Metropolitan Division behind the New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals. But their .731 points percentage is second in the division behind Carolina, and their plus-19 goals differential is one behind the Hurricanes for best in the Eastern Conference. The key to their success is scoring first; the Rangers are 9-0-0 when they get the first goal but 0-3-1 when they don’t.
Who’s hot
Quick is 3-0-0 and has allowed three goals in his three starts. His shutout of the Red Wings was the 61st of his career, tying him with Hockey Hall of Famer Turk Broda for 18th all-time. He is four victories shy of becoming the first U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history to win 400 regular-season games.
Artemi Panarin reached the 800-point mark with an assist in the Buffalo debacle and had a goal and an assist in Detroit. He became the fastest Rangers player to score 10 goals in a season since Rick Nash (12 GP in 2014-15). Panarin has 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 13 games and has at least one point in 12 of the Rangers’ 13 games this season.
Jimmy Vesey became the 17th Rangers skater to score a goal this season — fifth most in the NHL — when he got his first of the season against the Red Wings. It came in his third game since returning from a lower-body injury that cost him the first 10 games of the season.
Who’s not
K’Andre Miller continues to struggle at both ends of the rink. The 24-year-old defenseman was minus-3 and played a season-low 17:54 against Buffalo, and is minus-1 for the season and has gone eight straight games without a point. He has just two points (goal, assist) so far.
Related: Rangers castoff continues to light lamp for division rival
Rangers lookahead this week includes …
A meeting with the League’s best team in the first month of the season, a visit from one of the worst and the start of a swing through the Northwest.
Winnipeg Jets at Rangers (Nov. 12, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)
The Rangers will try to become the second team this season to defeat the record-setting Jets, who became the first team in NHL history to win 14 of its first 15 games by defeating the Dallas Stars 4-1 on Saturday. Connor Hellebuyck, last season’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner, is 11-1-0 with a 1.83 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage and three shutouts.
Shesterkin has excelled against the Jets in his career, with a 4-2-0 record and 1.86 GAA, .944 save percentage and one shutout.
San Jose Sharks at Rangers (Nov. 14, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)
The Rangers have owned the Sharks since San Jose entered the NHL in 1991, posting a 33-10-3 record with three ties. They are 9-0-2 in their past 11 games; San Jose hasn’t defeated New York in regulation since a 4-1 win at the Garden on Oct. 23, 2017.
The Sharks, who finished last in the overall standings in 2023-24, enter their game Monday at Philadelphia 5-5-0 in their past 10 games after an 0-4-2 start, following a 1-0 win at New Jersey on Sunday.
This will be Macklin Celebrini’s first visit to The Garden. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft has played only four games due to injury, but has three goals and four points already.
Rangers at Seattle Kraken (Nov. 17, 9 p.m. ET; MSGSN)
The Rangers begin a four-game, seven-day trip with a stop in Seattle. New York is 5-0-1 all-time against the Kraken and has outscored Seattle 23-12 in the six games. They swept the two-game series last season, outscoring the Kraken 9-3, and have never given up more than three goals in a game to the Kraken.
This trip includes games against the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Last season, the Rangers swept this exact trip, that also included a stop in Winnipeg against the Jets.
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