Rangers Daily: Will Cuylle gets ‘inside’ to end goal drought; Detroit loses key defenseman
Almost lost in the feel-good vibes with the New York Rangers lately was Will Cuylle enduring his longest goal drought this season. The 24-year-old forward put an end to that 13-game goalless streak Thursday, when he scored the tying goal as the Rangers rallied from 2-0 down in the third period, before eventually losing 3-2 to the Montreal Canadiens.
That he broke through for the first time since March 7 was relief to the rugged forward. But what made coach Mike Sullivan happiest is how Cuylle scored that goal. Cuylle crashed the net and the puck bounced off of him and over the goal line, after Jonny Bordzinski’s right-wing shot first hit Montreal goalie Cam Fowler.
“I just felt like he was inside more, when he goes to the net like that, he’s hard to handle,” Sullivan explained postgame. “He can really skate, he’s big, he’s strong. The goal he scores is a perfect example — not too many defensemen are going to box him out in that scenario.”
Though Cuylle does have a strong shot, as he showed in the final minute with a good scoring chance off the rush, most of his goals are going to come around the net. He’s a big (6-foot-3, 212 pounds), strong, fearless forward. Simply, he’s a handful in front of the net, especially when he gets inside positioning on defensemen.
“We’re trying to encourage him to get inside more and, obviously, the timing of when you get in there has a lot to do with it,” Sullivan said. “You can see he’s consciously thinking about trying to get inside more. And when we put the puck there, it gives him the chance to play to his strengths. i thought it was one of his better games.”
Cuylle’s goal was his 17th this season. He scored 20 last season. While it’s great to get excited about young players like Adam Sykora making their mark down the stretch here, it’s the growth of Cuylle and Alexis Lafreniere that are most important to the Rangers forward group in the big picture. They each tied for the team lead Thursday with five shots on goal, and Cuylle had a Rangers-high six hits, as well.
That’s the player the Rangers need Cuylle to be more consistently. Not just for the final six games in 20245-26, but for years to come.
Rangers news and analysis
Here are the key Rangers takeaways from their 3-2 loss to the Canadiens.
Prior to the game, and much to the chagrin of a portion of the fan base, J.T. Miller received the 2025-26 Rod Gilbert Mr. Ranger Award.
Speaking of Miller, our Pat Pickens explores why playing center allows the Rangers captain to be the best version of himself on the ice.
Marty Biron helps analyze the the two sides to the late-season surge by the Rangers.
NHL news and rumors
Detroit Hockey Now: The Red Wings might be without key defenseman Justin Faulk when they face off against the Rangers on Saturday afternoon. Faulk sustained an undisclosed injury and didn’t finish their game Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Philly Hockey Now: William James provides an in-depth breakdown of how the Flyers managed to lose 4-2 to the Red Wings, even though they outplayed them most of the night.
Forever Blueshirts: Former Rangers center Sam Carrick is week to week with an upper-body injury that the Buffalo Sabres center sustained in a fight with Anders Lee of the Islanders.
RG.org: Marcus D’Amico reports that a slew of NHL teams are interested in signing University of Michigan college free agent TJ Hughes once the Wolverines are done playing in the Frozen Four next week. D’Amico listed the Canadiens, Oilers, and Maple Leafs as among the teams showing interest. You’d have to think the Rangers are in that mix, too.
Sportsnet: Luke Fox digs into how the Toronto Maple Leafs were reminded of who they used to be on a night they were eliminated from playoff contention with loss to San Jose Sharks.
The Athletic: Jonas Siegel and Chris Johnston report that star forward William Nylander wants to remain with the Maple Leafs, though only if they plan on a quick retool, not a full-scale rebuild.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Dan Kingerski breaks down how and why the Penguins were simply overmatched in a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Sportsnet: The Edmonton Oilers signed Western Michigan University captain Owen Michaels, a college free agent, to an entry-level contract.
