Rangers Daily: ‘Special’ Gavrikov goal; Penguins land mercurial forward
Mike Sullivan made a surprising personnel decision with the New York Rangers’ top power-play unit Monday, and it paid off less than two minutes into their game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Rangers coach put defensive-minded defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov at the power-play point, playing his off (right) side in the offensive zone. And Gavrikov made the most of his rare man-advantage opportunity, hammering an Artemi Panarin pass into the back of the net 1:39 into the first period.
It was not only Gavrikov’s first power-play goal in 476 NHL games, it was his first power-play point.
“That’s pretty good. I got the opportunity to play power play, that was huge for me,” Gavrikov said postgame. “So, it’s been long time since I was on the power play, and finally got a point, scored a goal, so that’s obviously pretty special.”
The opportunity presented itself because their power-play quarterback Adam Fox missed his 14th game with an upper-body injury, and Sullivan chose not to go with rookie defenseman Scott Morrow, a right-handed shooter, again in that role.
So, why Gavrikov, coach?
“It’s a few things. We think he’s played extremely well. We like the left-handed shot up there with some of the looks we were trying to present tonight for a potential one-timer,” Sullivan explained. “For example, the goal he scored, to have a lefty there when ‘Bread’ (Panarin) plays his off (left) side is beneficial.”
The goal was Gavrikov’s seventh overall this season, already an NHL career high for the 30-year-old with 41 games left on the Rangers schedule.
Despite the early special teams success, the Rangers surrendered a pair of power-play goals, including the game-deciding score late in overtime, and lost 3-2 to the Hurricanes.
New York Rangers news and analysis
Here’s a detailed recap, complete with key storylines, from the Rangers OT loss in Raliegh on Monday.
Our John Kreiser breaks down the Rangers week ahead, which includes a New Years Eve matinee in DC and the 2026 Winter Classic outdoor game in Miami.
Ricky Milliner delivers the latest Hartford Wolf Pack weekly, leading with how rugged forward Daniel Walcott is making the most of his second opportunity with In Hartford.
USA Today: Rangers defenseman prospect EJ Emery didn’t hit the score sheet, but he helped the United States rally for a wild 6-5 win over Slovakia at the 2026 World Junior Championship. The U.S. has now won each of its three preliminary-round games.
NHL news and rumors
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Dan Kingerski breaks down the Penguins acquisition of talented and mercurial forward Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Daily Faceoff: From the NHL rumor mill, here’s a take on why the Minnesota Wild could look to trade forward Ryan Hartman.
TSN: At one point Monday, it appeared Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov was starting against the Rangers. But shortly before gametime, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind-Amour announced that instead Kochetkov was heading for surgery to repair a lower-body injury and likely is done for the season.
Philadelphia Hockey Now: William James breaks down the pros and cons of the Flyers signing center Christian Dvorak to a contract extension after Jan. 1, as Elliotte Friedman reported was possible.
TSN: Rick Tocchet leads his Flyers into Vancouver for the first time Tuesday since stepping down as Canucks coach this past offseason.
Sportsnet: Pius Suter is out at least four weeks with an ankle injury for the St. Louis Blues.
NHL.com: Break up the Buffalo Sabres! With a 4-2 road victory over the Blues, the Sabres extended their winning streak to nine games, their longest run since 2018. They are now tied for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with the Florida Panthers, after sitting last in the East a few weeks ago.
Toronto Hockey Now: Though his name surfaced recently that he could replace Craig Berube as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Peter DeBoer explained why that is not the case, and why he’s not happy about the rumors.
