Rangers vs. Golden Knights: Lineups, storylines seek back-to-back rebound
It’s right back to work for the New York Rangers on Sunday night, when they host the Vegas Golden Knights in the second of back-to-back games at Madison Square Garden this weekend.
The Rangers (15-12-3) lost the front end of this back to back, falling 3-2 in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche in a Saturday matinee. Though they didn’t defeat the top team in the NHL, the Rangers did secure a vital standings point when Artemi Panarin scored a 6-on-5 goal in the final minute to tie the game and force overtime.
That, and their continued strong team effort and play against such an elite opponent left the Rangers feeling pretty good about things afterward. They enter play Sunday with points in their past three games (2-0-1) and six of the past seven (5-1-1).
“It was a helluva hockey game for both teams,” Rangers captain J.T. Miller said Saturday. “There’s a lot of things we can look for to build on going into tomorrow. Sometimes you lose and you don’t feel good about. But there’s other times when you don’t get the result, but you can sleep good tonight knowing we played a pretty good hockey game.”
For sure, it’s not about moral victories for the Rangers, the two-point variety are the ones they seek. But there’s much good to be said about their play the past couple of weeks, and how they responded to an ugly 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last weekend.
“The last few games, we’ve just had a consistent effort, given ourselves a chance to win every night,” veteran forward Conor Sheary explained Saturday. “I think throughout the season you’ll have some bad games, but if you give a good effort, have everyone locked in, I think you give yourself a chance.”
Different contributors continue to step up for the Rangers, especially in the wake of Adam Fox set to miss his fourth game with an upper-body injury. Sheary is one of those players. The veteran forward scored his first goal of the season in the loss Saturday.
Of course, Sunday provides another big challenge for the Blueshirts. They’ll host the Golden Knights (13-6-8), who are one point out of first place in the Pacific Division. Vegas has a three-game winning streak, and defeated New York 3-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Nov. 18. Last season, the Rangers swept the season series, including a 4-2 win at MSG on Feb. 2.
This is the second of a five-game road trip, where the Golden Knights visit only Metropolitan Division teams. They shut out the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Friday and are 4-0-1 against Metro teams this season.
3 storylines when Rangers host Golden Knights
Expecting Quick start
Well, this can be taken two ways. Yes, the Rangers would love to start quickly Sunday. Keep in mind, they’re 13-2-0 when scoring first this season.
But this is more about goalie Jonathan Quick, who’s expected to make his first start since Nov. 22 for the Rangers. The 39-year-old sustained a lower-body injury following a collision late in that game against the Utah Mammoth, and Igor Shesterkin started seven straight games since. Quick dressed as the backup Saturday and should get the call against the Golden Knights, his former team with whom he won his third Stanley Cup championship in 2023.
For goalies who’ve played at least six games this season, Quick (3-3-0) is tops in the NHL with a 1.69 goals-against average and .944 save percentage.
Vegas likely counters with Akira Schmid, who blanked the Devils and won his career-high 10th game Friday. Carter Hart, who won his first start with the Golden Knights this past Tuesday, is sidelined with a lower-body injury.
Captain’s milestone game
Miller plays his 900th NHL game Sunday. The milestone contest comes nearly 13 years after his League debut for the Rangers on Feb. 5, 2013 against the New Jersey Devils, and well before the Golden Knights inaugural season in 2017-18.
The 32-year-old center, in his second tour of duty with the Rangers, has 727 points (267 goals, 460 assists) in 899 games. He’s played 40 games with the Rangers, 404 with the Vancouver Canucks, and 94 with the Lightning.
This season, Miller has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), including four assists in the past two games. In his past five games against Vegas, Miller has seven assists.
Change of power?
The Rangers are 0-for-8 on the power play in three games without Fox, their PP1 quarterback. Coach Mike Sullivan said he liked one of their two failed opportunities against the Avalanche with the five-forward grouping again leading the way.
Might Sullivan consider changing up the look Sunday?
“That’s always the art of coaching, when to make a change, when to stay with it and allow them to play through certain things. That’s just a feel thing,” Sullivan explained Saturday.
He did acknowledge that if a change is made, rookie Scott Morrow is most likely the first option to join the top power-play unit. That makes the most sense considering Morrow’s pedigree as a skilled, puck-moving defender, currently running PP2.
“We recognize Scotty is a guy we can plug in there,” Sullivan noted.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Alexis Lafreniere
J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary
Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard
Jonny Brodzinski — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh
Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider
Carson Soucy — Will Borgen
Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow
Jonathan Quick
Igor Shesterkin
Rangers vs. Golden Knights: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Vegas Golden Knights
When: Sunday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden
How to watch: MSG
