His return comes one game after Ryan Lindgren returned from a lower-body injury of his own for a 3-2 shootout win against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

So, the Rangers defense corps is almost at full strength again, though Erik Gustafsson remains out with an upper-body injury. Just two games ago, the Rangers were down three of their regulars in a wild 6-5 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

The Rangers were 9-2-0 without Trouba in the lineup and he’s been champing at the bit to return.

“A lot of sitting and waiting,” Trouba told the New York Post. “It was good, the team is obviously playing really well.”

Related: Rangers coach seized moment against Avalanche, recognized ‘time to win’

Jacob Trouba returning to Rangers lineup against Coyotes

The Rangers had some massive wins during Trouba’s absence. They defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins and Avalanche on the road and the Florida Panthers at home, solidifying their current first-overall position in the NHL standings.

Zac Jones, who entered the lineup when Trouba went down and has played extremely well, will remain in against the Coyotes since Gustafsson is still hurt. Chad Ruhwedel will be a healthy scratch after playing five straight games.

Braden Schneider, who elevated his game when moved from the third-pairing up into Trouba’s spot alongside K’Andre Miller, is expected to pair with Jones against the Coyotes.

“A lot of those guys have taken a lot and it’s been fun for me to watch and see them kind of grow — especially ‘Schneids,’ Trouba said. “He’s really stepped up and taken advantage of the ice time and the minutes.”

Trouba has 22 points (three goals, 19 assists) in 60 games this season and is third on the Rangers averaging 21:46 in ice time per game. He also leads them with 170 blocked shots and is second with 164 hits.

Check This Out: Key Area Rangers Need To Improve On For Playoffs

After defeating Stanley Cup contenders Boston, Florida, and Colorado in their recent four-game winning streak, the Rangers could overlook the 28th ranked Coyotes. But that would be a big mistake, especially in the intimate settings of Mullett Arena, which seats only 5,000 fans.

This season, the Coyotes have a home record of 20-17-0 and are 3-1-0 on their current seven-game homestand. That includes an 8-4 win over the red-hot Nashville Predators on Thursday, handing them their first regulation loss since February 15.

One person that can help the Rangers avoid the proverbial trap game is captain Jacob Trouba, who is close to returning from a lower-body injury. He’s missed the past 11 games, but the Rangers are 9-2-0 in his absence. That’s thanks to other blue-liners thriving with more responsibility. In particular, Braden Schneider and Zac Jones have both been thrust into bigger roles with the club and succeeded.

“A lot of sitting and waiting,” Trouba told the NY Post. “A lot of those guys have taken a lot and it’s been fun for me to watch and see them kind of grow — especially ‘Schneids’. He’s really stepped up and taken advantage of the ice time and the minutes.”

Defenseman Erik Gustafsson (upper body) remains day to day and is not on the road trip.

Here’s today’s game and broadcast info:

New York Rangers (49-20-4) vs Arizona Coyotes (31-37-5)
Date/Time: March 30, 2024 @ 6:00 PM ET
Arena: Mullett Arena
TV: MSG
Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM

Note: Subject to change, updated for each game

Related: Artemi Panarin hits 100 points

New York Rangers projected lineup

Here’s the expected lineup:

Kreider – Zibanejad – Roslovic
Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Brodzinski – Wennberg – Kakko
Cuylle – Goodrow – Vesey

Lindgren – Fox
Miller – Schneider
Jones – Ruhwedel

Quick
Shesterkin

Update: Head Coach Peter Laviolette notes Jonathan Quick will start and Jacob Trouba will return to the lineup.

New York Rangers vs Arizona Coyotes

The Rangers (102 points) currently lead the Presidents’ Trophy race, up one point over the Dallas Stars (101 points) who visit the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. A look at the Metropolitan Division standings has the second-place Carolina Hurricanes (99 points) visiting the Montreal Canadiens. Although the Habs will be missing the playoffs, they’ve won three straight, including a 2-1 regulation victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

The Coyotes are solid at home, but the Blueshirts road record is excellent at 23-11-4. New York has also won four of their past five away from the Garden. Overall, the Rangers are a stunning 20-4-1 since January 27.

New York leads the regular season-series (1-0-0) defeating Arizona 2-1 in their home opener all the way back on October 16. This is not only the final meeting of the year against the Coyotes, but their last against a Western Conference opponent, where the Rangers hold a record of 20-9-2 heading into the game Saturday.

Upcoming Rangers Milestones

• Chris Kreider is 1 goal away from 300 in his career
• Vincent Trocheck is 3 goals away from 200 in his career
• Adam Fox is 2 points away from 300 in his career
• Braden Schneider is 3 games away from 200 in his career
• Jonathan Quick is 1 win away from passing Ryan Miller (391) for most wins by an American-born goalie and sole possession of 15th all-time

Of course, Igor Shesterkin was the story stopping 26 of 27 shots, including a penalty shot against Jason Zucker in the final period.

The much needed bounce back brings the Rangers to a 2-1-0 record on the season.

“It was a hard fought win,” Peter Laviolette said. “We had to kill a lot of penalties, that took away from the flow of the game. We came out in the third period and started to push after it didn’t go our way in the second. It was a pretty gutsy effort.”

Related: A look at the Rangers salary cap situation

New York Rangers 2 vs Arizona Coyotes 1

The game opened up with incredible pace as both teams exchanged scoring opportunities. Contributing to the furious play was Artemi Panarin, who has been skating noticeably well. The Rangers and Coyotes continued the back-and-forth action throughout the period.

The Blueshirts came close to finding the back of the net multiple times but could not break through Arizona goaltender Conor Ingram. This was until a 2-on-1 rush up the ice saw Mika Zibanejad freeze up Ingram and slide the puck over to Kreider for a wide open net, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead. This was Kreider’s fourth goal of the season and gives him a three game goal scoring streak.

You know how this story ends. pic.twitter.com/Hc6kQCbmsI

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 16, 2023

Following the first tally of the night, a Vincent Trocheck penalty would give Arizona the first man up opportunity. The Ranger’s penalty kill was solid, denying the middle of the ice for over a minute until an Arizona penalty negated the man-advantage.

The ensuing power play led to several scoring chances for the Blueshirts, but they could not capitalize. After the first, the Rangers head into the locker room with a 1-0 lead, out shooting the Coyotes 13-10.

The Rangers came out flying to start the second period. Passing well and controlling play for the first three minutes, yet registering no shots. Unfortunately, this momentum was put to a halt due to a Ranger penalty. This would be the man-advantage that Arizona needed to even the score, as Clayton Keller blasted one off Shesterkin’s glove and in. A goal that the Ranger’s netminder would certainly like back.

After yet another penalty, the Rangers struggled to find the rhythm and speed that made their first period successful. Special teams quickly became a story for this game, as the Rangers not only gave up a goal on the penalty kill but failed to capitalize on the power play.

The ice seemed to be tilted against New York throughout the period. So much so that Panarin had a near breakaway blocked by the skate of the referee in what would have been their best scoring chance in the middle frame. Immediately following this, the Rangers took two more penalties, giving the Coyotes a 5-on-3 with just 1:19 to play in the period.

Igor Shesterkin bailed out the Rangers big time, making several incredible stops to end the period tied 1-1. Momentum certainly swung in favor of Arizona in the second, as the Blueshirts only managed four shots on goal. The Coyotes would come out for the third period with 41 seconds remaining in the 5-on-3 advantage.

Largely due to a selfless block by Jacob Trouba, the Rangers were able to kill off the remainder of the 5-on-3. New York ramped up the shots shortly after as they looked to score the crucial tie-breaking goal.

The momentum of the game swung heavily following the incredible penalty killing of the Rangers. Special teams remained a factor as the Rangers’ power play was given another opportunity. After Zibanejad was robbed of a sure goal by Ingram, the Blueshirts finally broke the tie. Vincent Trocheck found the back of the net off of a deflection from a Panarin shot for his first goal of the season, giving his team a 2-1 lead.

🗣️ IT’S A POWER PLAY GOAL. pic.twitter.com/5op7cNc8qE

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 17, 2023

The Rangers began to lock it down defensively, relying on head coach Peter Laviolette’s new system and 1-3-1 trap. They denied the middle of the ice and kept scoring chances to the outside. The biggest chance of the game for Arizona came when Jason Zucker beat the Ranger’s defense, but was held and awarded a penalty shot with just under five minutes to play.

This set the stage to solidify Igor Shesterkin as the game’s first star, remaining calm the entire way he made a casual stop, keeping the score at 2-1. For his career, he’s a perfect 4 for 4 on penalty shots.

“I’d rather them have a penalty shot than a power play,” Trocheck admitted. “Two minutes can create a lot of momentum, but Shesterkin is going to save most of those.”

I
G
O
R pic.twitter.com/B8aZ60oZbm

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 17, 2023

The Rangers denied Arizona the ability to pull Ingram by keeping the puck in the offensive zone for the majority of the final minutes. Once the Coyotes did pull their goalie for the extra man, the Rangers were able to take care of business and lock things down defensively in order to win their home opener with a final score of 2-1.

“We played a great game and it wasn’t easy,” Shesterkin said afterwards. “On the penalty shot it’s more like mind games. I was ready for a shot on the blocker side. Right now I want to go relax with my family.”

Rangers Notes

• Igor Shesterkin bounced back from last game, stopping 26 of 27 shots.
• Chris Kreider scored for the third consecutive game and now has four goals on the season.
• Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad both recorded their fourth assists of the season while Artemi Panarin notched his third.
• The Rangers went 1 for 3 on the power play and killed 4 out of 5 penalties.

The Rangers are back in action on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden.

New York will be back at practice on Tuesday at the MSG Training Center starting at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Madison Square Garden last saw a hockey game during the playoffs on April 29, when the New York Rangers forced a Game 7 against the New Jersey Devils with a 5-2 win. Unfortunately, the team laid an egg the very next game and were eliminated.

The Rangers come into this contest after a tough 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday that featured 3 disallowed goals. Meanwhile, their opponent for tonight, actually opened the season with a shootout win over those same Devils and will look to stay unbeaten. Overall, the Rangers have a lifetime record of 51-26-6-2 versus the Coyotes and have earned a point in 15 of the last 16 meetings.

Here’s tonight’s game and broadcast info:

New York Rangers (1-1-0) vs. Arizona Coyotes (1-0-0)

• Date/Time: October 16, 2023 @ 7:00 PM ET
• Arena: Madison Square Garden
• TV: MSG
• Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM

Note: Subject to change, updated for each game

Related: New York Rangers lose to Columbus

New York Rangers Projected lineup

Updated

Per multiple reports, the Rangers lines at the morning skate are as follows:

Kreider – Zibanejad – Kakko
Panarin – Chytil – Lafreniere
Cuylle – Trocheck – Wheeler
Goodrow – Bonino – Pitlick

Lindgren – Fox
Miller – Trouba
Gustafsson – Schneider

Shesterkin
Quick

Defenseman Ryan Lindgren missed the last game (5-3 loss to Columbus) due to an upper-body injury. The Rangers will hold a morning skate at 10:30 a.m. ET, which should better indicate the final lineup.

Update: Ryan Lindren is a game-time decision

Laviolette on Lindgren: "It was great that he's out there… Game-time decision."#NYR

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) October 16, 2023

New York Rangers vs Arizona Coyotes

Madison Square Garden was a fun place to be in 2022-23 for the Blueshirts, who posted a 23-13-5 record on home ice.

The team will look to continue their dominance at the Garden, but will have to execute defensively as they did to start the season in Buffalo last Thursday. In that 5-1 win over the Sabres, the Rangers were sharp in all three zones for 60 minutes. However, against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they suffered several defensive lapses leading to a 5-3 loss.

“It wasn’t a volume of defensive things, but there were some issues that could’ve been better,” coach Peter Laviolette said. There were some odd man rushes I didn’t like and some [bad habits] that snuck in there that we’ve got to take out.”

His words were echoed by the Rangers captain, Jacob Trouba, who has 10 blocks after 2 games this season.

“We got looser as the game went on,” Trouba explained. “We’re building trust in our game. The first game we liked a lot, but [in Columbus] we saw things we can clean up. We’re still learning [this system] and we’ll get more comfortable as we go.”

One player the team will look to lead the way is Chris Kreider. The current longest-tenured member of the Blueshirts is off to a hot start with 3 goals and 4 points in 2 games. Historically, Kreider has 11 goals lifetime versus the Yotes.

“We gave up a few too many chances, and they capitalized,” Kreider said Saturday. “The process is good, but we can’t get impatient.”

New York will also get their first look at the Yotes impressive rookie, Logan Cooley. The third overall pick in the 2022 draft recorded two assists in his first NHL game and is someone the Rangers will have to mark closely along with Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller.

Check back in for updates leading all the way up to puck drop beginning after the Rangers morning skate.

A major reason for the outcome in Seattle was not playing a full 60 minutes. Improving here will be a key to success for the remainder of the trip. They will also benefit from continuing to receive contributions from up and down the lineup.

“There was a lot of opportunities to put a stamp on this game,” Chris Kreider explained after the OT loss. “It’s a long change (in the second period) that somehow makes us think we can open it up. But we got away from the stuff we did well in the first and then they come right on back into the game.”

New York Rangers need a full 60

In the previous two games against Seattle and the Arizona Coyotes, the Rangers have gotten off to slow starts. They only recorded four shots in the first period against the Coyotes while giving up 17. Igor Shesterkin stood tall, stopping all 17 shots to give the Rangers a chance. The team did respond in the second and third periods to win the game 4-1. However, Shesterkin cannot be relied upon to keep the Rangers in the game like this every night. A stronger forecheck and more pressure early on are needed.

Seattle presented a similar problem. The Rangers allowed an early goal, but they were able to build momentum regardless. Momentum shifted between teams during the period, but the Rangers outshot the Kraken 14-6, and Mika Zibanejad tied the game on the power play. The demonstrated chemistry and cohesion on that power play, with Zibanejad scoring off of a clean pass from Chris Kreider, who got the puck from Vincent Trocheck with a crafty kick, was good to see.

This time, the issue of not playing a full 60 minutes showed up largely in the second period. The Kraken outshot the Rangers 16-5 during those twenty minutes, and Shesterkin once again stood out, stopping all 16 shots including two on breakaways. Defensive lapses and lack of pressure led to these breakaway scoring chances. The difference in play between the first two periods was too great. Seattle brought energy and a sense of urgency that the Rangers could not match. Going forward, the Rangers should focus on playing with the same effort period to period.

“First period was great, second period was awful, and the third period was pretty even,” Gerard Gallant said. “There was some good stuff, but there was some bad stuff in the second period that we got away from what we did in the first period. [Shesterkin] kept us in the game and we found a way to get a point but it’s not good enough. We’re better than that.”

Contributions from the entire lineup

Filip Chytil had the Rangers’ lone goal against the Nashville Predators last Saturday with Kaapo Kakko picking up an assist. Alexis Lafrenière, Chytil and Kakko have all shown improvements so far this season, clearly playing with more confidence. If they can continue to bring significant effort each night, more points will come. This is a huge piece of the Rangers’ development into a complete cup contender.

In the Rangers’ 4-1 win over the Coyotes, Barclay Goodrow opened the scoring. Goals by Fox, Kreider, and Ryan Carpenter followed. Chytil assisted on Fox’s goal, and Braden Schneider and Jimmey Vesey did so on Carpenter’s goal. Goodrow has nine points on the season, Carpenter has two, and Vesey has five. Their production against Arizona was encouraging. The same can be said for Braden Schneider as a young defenseman.

The third and fourth lines often contribute physically. Sammy Blais, for example, has 55 hits through his 15 games. These kinds of contributions are necessary but getting points from the bottom six as well can certainly help the team progress.

“I see some bright spots. He’s playing well but it was a major injury,” Gallant said. “I’ve seen the last four or five games, he’s played better hockey and it’s coming. Be big, physical, bumping, finishing checks, going to net and showing good hands. That’s what he can do for us.”

Whether the contributions come in the form of points or physical play, every player needs to be bringing something substantial to every game. This and playing a full game every night are two steps towards returning to contender form. Both factors make the team more complete. Despite the disappointing start to the western road trip, the Rangers have an opportunity to regroup and recover.

Note: All stats come from nhl.com and hockeyreference.com

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Rumors: Erik Karlsson on trade talk? Read more.

NHL Rumors: Jonathan Toews trade talk. Read more.

Tonight, Arizona came out firing from everywhere on a Rangers’ team that looked like they were skating in quicksand after arriving home at 3 AM. The reigning Vezina winner was unbeatable early on and that allowed New York’s skaters to slow find their legs and get going.

“I like when I have a lot of shots, not like 2 or 3 shots in a period,” Shesterkin explained during the MSG postgame. “We played a team game, we blocked a lot of shots, PK was great. What was important for me was to win the game.”

Recap: Rangers 4 vs Coyotes 1

1st Period

The Blueshirts obviously left their skating legs in Nashville because they were consistently a step behind on every play and it showed. By the time the buzzer sounded to mercifully end the opening stanza, Arizona had a walloping 17-4 shot advantage.

Igor Shesterkin, who was certainly rested since Jaroslav Halak played yesterday, held the fort when the Rangers needed him most.

🗣IGOR! pic.twitter.com/bE7eObsT3b

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) November 14, 2022

“It was a long road trip and we started slow,” Fox said on MSG. “[Shesterkin] keeps us in most games. What he does for us speaks for itself. He’s the backbone of the team and we’re lucky to have him.”

2nd Period

It took a few minutes, but the Rangers finally started to get their wheels going. They also began to outwork the Coyotes with a strong forecheck and getting to loose pucks. Eventually, they would be rewarded.

Barclay Goodrow was the recipient of an awful Coyotes’ turnover that found him in the slot. The gritty forward made no fancy play with the puck and put it right on goal to beat Connor Ingram at the 15:05 mark.

GOODY IN FRONT! 1-0 #NYR pic.twitter.com/wgqE5sVjzi

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) November 14, 2022

Just 76 seconds later, Adam Fox stuck with a bouncing puck and snapped it by Ingram’s glove for a 2-0 lead. Filip Chytil and Artemi Panarin registered the assists.

6 GAME POINT STREAK FOR THE NORRIS TROPHY WINNER pic.twitter.com/drphSw8KIN

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) November 14, 2022

The second period was a night and day difference from the first as the Rangers outshot the Yotes 14-9.

3rd Period

New York would continue to skate hard earning a power pay when Nick Bjugstad tripped Kaapo Kakko.

Despite failing to connect on the three previous man-advantages, the first unit kept dancing the puck around looking to set up Mika Zibanejad in his office. Instead of firing his one-timer, the Blueshirts’ power play goal leader snapped a shot intended for Chris Kreider’s stick that directed behind Ingram for a 3-0 lead. Fox notched the other helper.

Holy Deflection! pic.twitter.com/fGYzg1hvFw

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) November 14, 2022

Arizona ended Igor Shesterkin’s shutout bid with a power play goal on their 6th attempt. Ryan Lindgren hooked Christian Fischer hard into his goalie, who game up nursing his right leg.

After the Clayton Keller goal, Shesterkin was still flexing that knee. He would finish the game not showing any other discomfort.

Ryan Carpenter would give the Rangers the all-important insurance marker with a deflection in front off a Braden Schneider point shot at 11:43. It was his first as a member of the team. Jimmy Vesey notched an assist on the play.

🚨 Carpy’s first as a #NYR 🚨 pic.twitter.com/iUsVMQRFyo

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 14, 2022

When it was all said and done, Shesterkin was the first-star of the game in winning his 8th of the year.

“We couldn’t get our legs going but we had a two good PKs that gave us a boost,” Gerard Gallant said. “Plenty of times last year our goalie stole games for us. He didn’t need to steal this tonight but he kept it scoreless until we got going in the second half.”

Notable Rangers

• Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 of 32 shots
• Adam Fox is on a 6 game point scoring streak (3G – 7A)
• Barclay Goodrow has 4 points in his last 3 games
• Chris Kreider now has 3 PPG in his last four games

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Rumors Roundup: Flames, Blues, Senators, and Canucks. Read more.

NHL Trade Bait Tracker: Top 20 trade candidates. Read more.

This season, the Blueshirts are 3-3-3 at Madison Square Garden and have been outscored by a 27-22. Aside from looking to avoid a losing streak after a 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators, the team wants to snap an 0-2-1 skid in their last three home games.

Here’s tonight’s game and broadcast info:

New York Rangers (7-6-3) vs. Arizona Coyotes (6-7-1)
Date/Time: November 13, 2022 at 7:00 PM ET
Arena: Madison Square Garden
TV: MSG
Radio: ESPN 98.7

New York Rangers injury report:

Vitali Kravtsov: Tooth infection (Day-toDay)

“He had the flu yesterday morning and his teeth are really bothering him so he spent the morning in the dentist’s chair,” Gerard Gallant said via the team’s YouTube channel. “That’s the latest update I got.”

There’s no work on when he will be available to return.

NY Rangers lineup vs Coyotes

Shesterkin, 26, is 7-2-2 on the season with a GAA of 2.53 and a SV% of .909. At the Garden, he’s 3-2-2 with a .910 SV% and a 2.53 GAA.

For his career against the Coyotes, Shesterkin is a perfect 2-0-0 with a 2.50 GAA but a .898 SV%.

As for the lineup, Gallant hinted that their could be one change.

“There might be one and you’ll find out soon,” he said.

One potential swap could be Ryan Carpenter coming in for Ryan Reaves.

Here’s the projected lines (updated via MSG Broadcast):

• Kreider – Zibanejad – Vesey
• Panarin – Trocheck – Goodrow
• Lafrenière – Chytil – Kakko
• Blais – Carpenter – Gauthier
• Lindgren – Fox
• Miller – Trouba
• Hajek – Schneider
• Shesterkin
• Halak

Rangers Game Notes

• NYR all-time vs Coyotes 50-26-6-2
• NYR 12-1-2 in their last 15 meetings vs Coyotes
• Artemi Panarin is 2 assists from 400 career helpers
• Jacob Trouba is 1 assist away from 200 in his career

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Rumors Roundup: Flames, Blues, Senators, and Canucks. Read more.

NHL Rumors: St. Louis Blues big trade chips. Read more.

NHL Trade Bait Tracker: Top 20 trade candidates. Read more.

Madison Square Garden hasn’t been that tough a place to play for opposing teams this season and the Rangers want to change that reality. They are 3-3-3 and have been outscored by a 27-22 margin at home.

The Rangers will also be looking to snap a three-game home losing streak (0-2-1) where they’ve blown consecutive two-goal leads to the Red Wings and Islanders.

“We controlled the play and we just need to keep doing what we’re doing,” Barclay Goodrow said after outshooting the Predators 35-18. “It can get frustrating, but we can’t get down. It’s all about moving on and getting the two points tomorrow night.”

New York Rangers looking for home win

The New York Rangers scored a big win in Detroit by scoring 8 goals to start their two-game road trip on Thursday, but likely wished they would’ve save a few for their 2-1 loss to Nashville on Saturday.

The biggest issue for the Rangers was their inconsistent power play that went 0-5, including a four-minute man advantage late in the third period with a chance to tie.

“It wasn’t as good as it should have been,” Gerard Gallant said. “I mean, that was the difference, obviously. They had some looks, but they didn’t have the premier looks that they usually get. Just a little off, that’s all.”

Igor Shesterkin is expected to get the start in goal against the Coyotes, whom he beat on October 30 by a 3-2 score. Mika Zibanejad broke the tie in the final frame on a power play goal, which the team would like to get back on track as soon as possible.

The Blueshirts have dominated the Coyotes going 12-1-2 in their last 15 minutes dating all the way back to 2013-14.

“We have to keep the trust we have in this room,” captain Jacob Trouba said. “There wasn’t much adversity in the past for us and I think we’re going through a pretty good stretch of it here. We’ll see what this team is made of. You’ve got to keep the faith and keep believing in the game we’re playing.”

Coyotes hanging tough in games

The Coyotes are off to a solid 3-1-0 start to a 14 game road trip due to a locker room annex being constructed at the Mullett Arena. Their temporary home on the campus of Arizona State University has received some positive reactions, but the locker room situation is not up to par.

“This room is a little poo poo. It’s a little cold in here, too. Not gonna lie.” Ryan Reaves said via The Daily Faceoff after playing their last month. “It’s a weird setup.”

Arizona lost to the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Saturday night and could only muster 18 shots.

Despite the Rangers being the home team, they are the ones who actually travelled before the game. The Yotes have been in the Tri-State area starting on Long Island this past Wednesday beating the Islanders 2-0.

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Rumors: St. Louis Blues big trade chips. Read more.

NHL Trade Bait Tracker: Top 20 trade candidates. Read more.

And just like he did in 2020, Shesterkin won them both.

“Great! Might do it again,” head coach Gerard Gallant said about Shesterkin’s play in consecutive night.

The story of the game was Artemi Panarin celebrating his birthday by having a hand in all three goals. His play helped give the Blueshirts their first win on the backend of a back-to-back set this season.

By sweeping the weekend, the Rangers are now two games over .500 (5-3-2).

Recap: Rangers 3 vs Coyotes 2

1st Period

The Blueshirts came out a little sluggish in the game until a Liam O’Brien crosscheck against Mika Zibanejad put them on the power play. Connor Ingram was able to stop all 4 shots against but the ice was now tilted in the road team’s favor.

New York finished the opening stanza with 15 shots, including a Vincent Trocheck breakaway that Ingram came up big on.

Igor Shesterkin was able to to turn away all 7 shots he faced.

2nd Period

It took just 91 seconds for the Blueshirts to get the scoring going in the middle frame as Alexis Lafrenière registered his second goal of the season. K’Andre Miller got the puck to Artemi Panarin, who held it just long enough to draw the Yotes defense to him and find his target in front of Ingram.

🍎's for the birthday boy. pic.twitter.com/8xdownem2b

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 31, 2022

Arizona would tie the game with Panarin in the box for hooking as Lawson Crouse scored from the slot at the 6:45 mark.

The Yotes would take the lead less than five minutes later after Ryan Lindgren whiffed on a puck clear. Nick Bjugstad quickly picked up the loose puck and roofed it by Shesterkin.

Late in the period, Panarin would decide to make up for the penalty he took earlier by driving down the right wing and beating Ingram short side. Adam Fox picked up the lone assist with 1:54 remaining.

BIRTHDAY GOALS. pic.twitter.com/gTQ5imRGD7

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 31, 2022

3rd Period

The Rangers legs appeared to be fading as the final period started with Shesterkin being called upon to make a couple of stops.

It took a few shifts but they slowly started coming on and were rewarded with a power play when Dylan Guenther hooked Zac Jones in the offensive zone.

Just 27 seconds later, Panarin found Kreider down by net and watched him make a slick deflection pass cross crease to Zibanejad. The Rangers top center went top shelf over a sprawling Ingram for a 3-2 lead with 7:04 to play.

Mika October is still in full swing pic.twitter.com/VeIgeVsmZp

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 31, 2022

That was eventually all the team needed as Shesterkin and the defense shut the door the rest of the way for consecutive wins.

Notable Rangers

• Igor Shesterkin made 18 saves on 20 shots, he has yet to lose in regulation
• Artemi Panarin now has 16 points in 10 games
• Mika Zibanejad picked up his 5th PPG, tied for 1st in NHL

Tomorrow (Monday, October 31): Day off

Next Game: Tuesday, November 1 vs Philadelphia Flyers (7:00 PM ET – TV: MSG)

*Schedule subject to change

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Rumors: Blackhawks, Canucks, Bo Horvat, and Dylan Larkin. Read more.

NHL Rumors: Sharks say everyone available. Read more.

Grading all 32 Reverse Retro Jerseys. Read more.

During his rookie campaign, under head coach David Quinn, Shesterkin played at the Carolina Hurricanes on 2/21/20 and then versus the San Jose Sharks at home on 2/22/20.

In the first contest, he stopped 27 of 29 Canes shots (.931 SV%) for a 5-2 Rangers win. The team flew home and watched Igor go off against the Sharks halting 44 of 46 (.957 SV%) in a 3-2 victory.

According to Larry Brooks, Gallant only started Marc-Andre Fleury 4 times in back-to-backs while in Vegas.

Here’s today’s game and broadcast info:

New York Rangers (4-3-2) vs. Arizona Coyotes (2-4-1)
Date/Time: October 30, 2022 at 8:00 PM ET
Arena: Mullett Arena
TV: MSGSN
Radio: ESPN 98.7

New York Rangers injury report:

• Filip Chytil – Out at least this week (Upper-body)
• Vitali Kravtsov – Day-to-Day (Upper-body)

Ryan Reaves is back in for #NYR, no real update on Vitali Kravtsov

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) October 30, 2022

New York Rangers lineup starts Igor Shesterkin again

The Rangers lineup will start Igor Shesterkin again in goal.

Shesterkin, 26, is 4-0-2 this season with an excellent 2.64 GAA and a .915 SV%. For his career against the Arizona Coyotes, he’s 1-0-0 with a .897 SV% and a 3.00 GAA.

Gallant also noted that Ryan Reaves will be back in for the injured Vitali Kravtsov.

Here’s a look at the projected lineup:

• Kreider – Zibanejad – Kakko
• Panarin – Trocheck – Lafrenière
• Blais – Goodrow – Gauthier
• Vesey – Carpenter – Reaves
• Lindgren – Fox
• Miller – Trouba
• Jones – Schneider
• Shesterkin
• Halak

NY Rangers Game Notes

• NYR all-time vs Coyotes 49-26-6-2
• This is the third set of back-to-backs out of 16 for NYR this season
• NYR are 2-2-0 on the road this season

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Rumors: Blackhawks, Canucks, Bo Horvat, and Dylan Larkin. Read more.

NHL Rumors: Sharks say everyone available. Read more.

Grading all 32 Reverse Retro Jerseys. Read more.