Mika Zibanejad scored two power-play goals in 45 seconds, Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists, and the Rangers made it three wins in as many games this week by defeating the injury-depleted Bruins. It was their sixth win in seven games against their Original Six rival.

The last time the Rangers scored as many as six goals in Boston was Jan. 29, 2007, when they knocked off the Bruins 6-2.

The Bruins were without their leading scorer, David Pastrnak, who was sidelined with an undisclosed injury reportedly sustained Wednesday against the New York Islanders, as well as their top center, Pavel Zacha, also with an undisclosed injury. How much difference their presence would have made is questionable considering the way the Rangers (13-11-2) played, especially in the first 40 minutes.

The Blueshirts were on their game from the opening face-off; they were quicker to the puck than the Bruins, forcing them into eight turnovers in the first period alone and making life easier than usual for Igor Shesterkin, who finished with 19 saves.

The Rangers have scored 6+ goals in a game for the fourth time this season, tied for the second most in the NHL. #NYR

— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) November 28, 2025

The Bruins woke up in the third period, getting goals 1:47 apart by Casey Mittelstadt and Morgan Geekie, but the Rangers’ four-goal lead proved to be too much to overcome. Alexis Lafreniere hit the empty net with 3:24 remaining and Vladislav Gavrikov scored 26 seconds later to rub a little salt in the wound.

The Rangers grabbed a 1-0 lead 3:28 into the game on their second shot on goal. Will Cuylle’s neutral-zone takeaway from Bruins defenseman Jonathan Aspirot triggered a 2-on-1. He carried the puck into the Boston zone and fed Panarin, who beat Joonas Korpisalo for his eighth goal of the season and sixth in his past seven games against Boston.

THE BREADMAN FROM COOLS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/H0KjAB8EjR

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 28, 2025

New York held Boston without a shot for more then eight minutes in the middle of the period and doubled its lead at 12:02. Vincent Trocheck’s pass from the right boards near the goal line zipped untouched through the slot and came to Carson Soucy at the top of the left circle. The big defenseman stepped into a shot that caught the top far corner, just under the bar, for his second of the season.

Korpisalo kept his team in the game with big stops on Brett Berard and Sam Carrick before Boston got the game’s first power play when Cuylle was called for tripping Hampus Lindholm with 41 seconds left in the period. The Bruins nearly tied it just before the buzzer, but Geekie misfired on a rebound just outside the left post.

Rangers ride fast start to 6-2 road win against undermanned Bruins

Boston dominated the first few minutes of the middle period. Shesterkin kept them off the board 3:15 into the period when he robbed Alex Steeves on a 2-on-1 break, and the Bruins had a couple of other chances before the Rangers began controlling play again.

The game turned on two careless high-sticking penalties in a span of just under two minutes. Marat Khusnutdinov got a two-minute minor at 12:21, and after the Rangers forced Korpisalo to make three superb saves, Lindholm drew a double minor for high-sticking Jonny Brodzinski with six seconds remaining on the first penalty, giving the Rangers a brief two-man advantage.

Zibanejad took a perfect feed from Panarin and beat Korpisalo with a knuckling one-timer at 14:22, one second after the 5-on-3 power play expired. He scored again at 15:07 when Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov deflected his pass for J.T. Miller into the net.

Mika goes back 2️⃣ back on the power play! pic.twitter.com/KMzxJ0voVn

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 28, 2025

Maybe it was being booed off the ice after going down 4-0 and failing to get a shot on goal in the final 15 minutes of the second period, or maybe coach Marco Sturm’s between-periods speech was inspiring. Whatever the reason, the Bruins came out on fire in the third period, cutting the deficit to 4-2 before the first TV timeout.

Mittelstadt broke up Shesterkin’s shutout bid at 4:07, banging in a rebound in the crease off a scramble. Rangers coach Mike Sullivan called time out at 5:54 as the Bruins continued to press, but the home team won the draw and Geekie cut the Rangers’ lead to two goals by deflecting Henri Jokiharju’s shot past a screened Shesterkin.

But that was as close as the Bruins got. The Rangers began controlling play again, holding Boston without a shot after Geekie’s goal until Lafreniere’s empty-netter sealed the win. Gavrikov rubbed it in a bit when he tipped in Trocheck’s shot 26 seconds later.

GAVI TIPS AND SCORES 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NQfyPwCyyG

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 28, 2025

Key takeaways after Rangers defeat Bruins 6-2 for third straight win

Fast start = two points

The Rangers skated off the ice after the first period up 2-0, the first time in eight games they led after 20 minutes. The last was Nov. 12, when they were up 3-2 on the way to a 7-3 road victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This was the first time all season the Rangers led by two goals after the first period, and the first time since the win against the Lightning that they scored more than once in the opening 20 minutes.

“The puck went in, honestly.” 😆

Mika Zibanejad straight to the point about his 2 goals w/ @NabilKarimTV after the Rangers took down the Bruins 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/J6crjYhEKU

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) November 28, 2025

The best sign was that they didn’t let up in the middle period, when they held an 8-2 advantage in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, and outscored the Bruins 2-0 again to grab a 4-0 lead.

After giving up two quick goals early in the third, they kept the Bruins off the scoreboard and the shot clock until the goals by Lafreniere and Gavrikov locked up the win. But the fast start meant the Rangers could overcome the push by the Bruins and head home with another road victory. They’re now an NHL-best 11-4-1 on the road.

“I thought after they scored, we started to respond again and started to play the game that we wanted to play,” coach Mike Sullivan said.

Stars step up

The Rangers aren’t going anywhere without their top players leading the way. Panarin, Zibanejad, Adam Fox and Shesterkin did just that on Friday.

Panarin is up to 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in 26 games, including 19 in 16 contests since he shaved his head three weeks ago. The four-point game was his third of the season and second in the past nine games.

Zibanejad took over sole possession of the team lead with nine goals, and scored his fifth and sixth of the season on the power play. Fox quietly had three assists, and Trocheck had the primary assist on two goals, giving him 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 games since he returned from an upper-body injury.

Shesterkin wasn’t severely tested but came through with a couple of big stops when the game was close.

The Rangers need a lot more efforts like this one from their top players.

Road warriors, home worriers

The Rangers lead the NHL with 11 victories away from Madison Square Garden; they are the only team in the League to hit double figures in road wins.

The problem has come at home, where the Blueshirts are 2-7-1 — the worst mark in the League — and winning at home is about to become especially critical.

Beginning with a Saturday matinee against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers play four of their next five games at the Garden. All four of those games come against top-level teams; the Lightning and Colorado Avalanche lead their respective conferences, and the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights are perennial Cup contenders.

In all, the Rangers play eight of their next 11 games at home. They can’t afford to waste more opportunities at the Garden.

Does Igor go back to back?

Shesterkin has been in goal for all three wins this week, allowing two goals in each game. The only game in which he was severely tested was the 4-2 road win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, when he made 36 saves. He saw 21 shots in a 3-2 home victory against the St. Louis Blues on Monday and the win at Boston.

Ordinarily, Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick split these back-to-back games. But Quick is on IR with a lower-body injury, and rookie backup Dylan Garand has yet to make his NHL debut.

So, the question is whether Sullivan wants to give Garand his NHL christening in a game against the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning, one of the League’s highest-scoring teams.

“I might,” the coach said when asked after the game whether he’ll ride with Shesterkin.

But will he?

“I’ll tell you tomorrow”

Coach Mike Sullivan and his staff must hope that the Rangers show a lot more energy on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden when the Pittsburgh Penguins come to town for the regular-season opener than they did in the first period Saturday.

With J.T. Miller (lower body) and Artemi Panarin (upper body) each out with an injury, the Rangers looked discombobulated on offense until the hole they were trying to climb out of was too big. They trailed 3-0 until Noah Laba’s 6-on-4 power-play goal with 3:37 remaining in regulation. But Nikita Zadorov scored his second of the game into an empty net with 1:29 remaining to ice the win.

The Rangers outshot the Bruins 31-16, including 26-9 after the first period. But the Bruins made the Rangers pay for some sloppy defensive zone coverage and took a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Morgan Geekie won a puck battle in the corner and fed Fraser Minten, one of Boston’s top prospects, to the right of Shesterkin. Zadorov, who scored in overtime when Bruins won 5-4 at the Garden on Sept. 23, slipped down from the left point to give Minten an outlet, took the pass and buried it at 5:55 for a 1-0 lead.

Pavel Zacha doubled Boston’s lead at 14:39 after the Rangers fumbled the puck away behind their own net. Casey Mittelstadt found Zacha alone in front for a wide-open shot that Shesterkin again had no chance to stop.

Matt Rempe and Mark Kastelic drop the gloves in Boston pic.twitter.com/g1NjHVTQgn

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) October 4, 2025

The only real energy the Rangers showed in the first 20 minutes came when Matt Rempe and Boston’s Matt Kastelic got into a scrap with six seconds remaining. The Bruins had seven scoring chances to two for the Rangers in the period, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The visitors looked much better in the second period, outshooting Boston 13-2 and out-attempting the Bruins 33-4. But Boston scored the only goal, 11 seconds into its first power play. David Pastrnak spun a pass to Charlie McAvoy, whose wrist shot was tipped up and into the net by Elias Lindholm at 16:48 for a 3-0 lead.

Though the Rangers owned the puck in the middle period, they generated few serious scoring chances against Jeremy Swayman, whose best stop came when he denied Vincent Trocheck during a 4-on-3 power play.

The Blueshirts finally began firing on all cylinders in the third period. Unfortunately, they couldn’t solve Swayman, the game’s First Star, until Laba spoiled his shutout bid by deflecting Adam Fox’s shot into the net. Zadorov’s empty-netter capped the Rangers’ 2-3-1 preseason.

Here are three takeaways after the Rangers completed their preseason with a 4-1 loss to the Bruins in Boston.

1. Noah Laba leaves another positive impression

Miller’s absence meant one more chance for the 22-year-old rookie center to show why he should be on the opening-night roster.

Foxy with the shot + Laba deflects it in. pic.twitter.com/GxDscmtge9

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 4, 2025

Laba led the Rangers in preseason scoring (six points; two goals, four assists). In addition to his goal, he was credited with four hits and won four of his seven face-offs.

The odds are that Laba will be among the last couple of cuts and will begin the season with Hartford, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, where he played 11 games late last season after signing with the Blueshirts following three seasons at Colorado College. That may be the best place for him right now; he’ll get more ice time and play in all situations. He still has a lot to learn.

But don’t be surprised if you see No. 42 in a Rangers uniform before the season is done; he’s given Sullivan and his staff lots to think about.

2. ‘Starting on time’

That’s one of the favorite phrases of longtime NHL coach Mike Babcock, who wouldn’t have been too happy if he were in Sullivan’s shoes on Saturday. The Rangers largely mailed in the first period and paid the price; by the time they decided to play, the outcome was almost assured.

The trip to TD Garden was part of what Sullivan referred to as an “excursion” — a team-building weekend getaway to New England at the end of training camp and before they prepare for the regular-season opener. This couldn’t have been what he envisioned for the hockey part of the trip. Yes, it’s a game that meant nothing, but the poor start couldn’t have pleased him.

3. Will Panarin and Miller be ready for opening night?

That’s the $64,000 question as the Rangers prepare to host the Pens on Tuesday.

Miller appears closer to being ready. He practiced Friday wearing a no-contact jersey and figures to get in at least a practice or two, likely with contact, before the puck drops for real.

Panarin, the Rangers’ leading scorer in each of his six seasons on Broadway, didn’t practice Friday because of an upper-body injury after missing a week with a lower-body injury sustained Sept. 19. He returned to practice on Sept. 26 but has yet to take contact. He skated before practice Friday but did not play in a preseason game.

Needless to say, the Rangers can’t afford to be without either player for very long.

Forward Artemi Panarin didn’t take part in practice Friday because of an upper-body injury after missing time earlier in camp with a lower-body injury that kept him off the ice for a week. Center J.T. Miller returned to practice Friday in a non-contact jersey after sustaining a lower-body injury Monday.

“I think it’s just a day to day thing at this point,” coach Mike Sullivan said Friday. “Our hope is that we’ll have them for opening night.”

Sullivan confirmed that Panarin won’t dress – meaning that he’ll have missed all six preseason games. He sounded more hopeful that Miller would be able to go.

The Rangers are 2-2-1 entering their preseason finale. Sullivan said Friday he’s happy with what he’s seen during training camp.

“I’m excited about working with these guys,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun to this point, and I know it will continue to be. But I’ve been really encouraged and excited about the level of enthusiasm around the group every day. I think if we continue to have that, we can’t help but get better every day.

“We think we have good people and we have a lot of talent. … I think we’ve got the opportunity to be a real good team. Right now, that’s all it is – an opportunity. Now we have to go out and earn it.”

The Rangers sent two of their top prospects, defenseman Scott Morrow and forward Gabe Perreault, to Hartford of the AHL on Friday – opting to give them plenty of ice time in the minors to further their development. There’s no question the Rangers think both are a big part of their future – after a little more seasoning.

“We believe these guys have the potential to have a lasting impact on the New York Rangers,” Sullivan said. “We’re trying to make the best decisions we can to try to help that process and get these guys as close to pushing their way onto the roster as they can.”

New York Rangers news and analysis

Jim Cerny takes a look at what’s next for the Rangers after they sent Perreault and Morrow to Hartford.

Here’s Jim’s look at the storylines for the game against the Bruins.

Sullivan has emphasized that he wants the Rangers to be tougher to play against. They’ll need to improve after the 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. Another area needing improvement: Through five preseason games they’ve been outscored 10-0 in the third period.

NHL news and rumors

NHL.com: Sidney Crosby looks like he’s ready for the Rangers. Crosby prepared for the start of his 21st NHL season by scoring the tying goal late in the third period and the winner nine seconds into overtime to give the Penguins a 5-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Penguins finished the preseason 5-1-1, including five straight wins.

9 SECONDS OF OT IS ALL SID NEEDS 🚨

8️⃣7️⃣ IS READY FOR THE REGULAR SEASON! pic.twitter.com/9a4Tn8X5WG

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 4, 2025

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers locked up coach Kris Knoblauch through 2028-29 with a three-year contract extension. The former Hartford Wolf Pack bench boss has gotten the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past two seasons, though they lost to the Florida Panthers each time. Knoblauch joked that the Oil has “much more important” contracts to negotiate other than his own heading into the season – referring to star center Connor McDavid, who can become a free agent on July 1.

NJ Hockey Now: The Devils saved about $375,000 on the salary cap by swapping enforcers with the Ottawa Senators, dealing Kurtis MacDermid – known best to Rangers fans for his fight with Matt Rempe — for Zach MacEwen. New Jersey is still about $3.5 million over the cap after signing defenseman Luke Hughes to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million, but is likely to get under by putting another defenseman, Johnathan Kovacevic ($4 million AAV) on LTIR after knee surgery.

NHL.com: Scott Laughton is week to week for the Toronto Maple Leafs with a lower-body injury. The veteran forward was injured in a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday and will miss Toronto’s regular-season opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 8. Despite the apparent opening created by Laughton’s injury, the Leafs also placed center David Kampf on waivers.

Boston Hockey Now: The Rangers won’t see forward Fabian Lysell, the Boston Bruins’ top pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, when they play Saturday. The 22-year-old failed to break camp with the B’s for the fourth straight year and was sent down to Providence of the AHL on Friday. He played 12 games with Boston last season but did little at camp or in their preseason games to earn an NHL job.

Colorado Hockey Now: Jack Johnson, a defenseman who played briefly (13 games) for the Rangers in 2020-21, was released from his PTO by the Minnesota Wild. That could spell the end of the line for the 38-year-old, selected by the Carolina Hurricanes with the third pick in the 2005 draft (two picks after the Penguins took some kid named Crosby). Johnson never played for the ’Canes but did play with six clubs during a 19-year NHL career that included winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.  

The Hockey News: Defenseman Andrej Sustr, released from his PTO with the Rangers earlier this week, signed an AHL PTO with the Bridgeport Islanders.

The 16,149 fans who welcomed the Rangers to the Garden for their first gome preseason game couldn’t be blamed thinking this one was in the bag after 40 minutes. Two days after a three-goal second period helped them defeat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 in their preseason opener, the Rangers got second-period goals by Gabe Perreault, Sam Carrick and Vladislav Gavrikov to grab a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.

But the Bruins, who were nearly as disappointing as the Rangers last season, took total command in the third period. Michael Eyssimont made it 4-2 by scoring a short-handed goal at 7:05 after stripping the puck from Adam Fox, then cut the margin to one goal at 11:11. Marat Khusnutdinov converted a pass from Eyssimont at 18:55 for a sixth-attacker goal that sent the game to overtime tied 4-4.

The Rangers killed off a power play in overtime before Khusnutdinov sent defenseman Nikita Zadorov into the Rangers zone, where he spun off of defenseman Matthew Robertson before beating Talyn Boyko, who didn’t help his case for avoiding a return to the ECHL by allowing four goals on 24 shots.

“Of course it does,” coach Mike Sullivan said when asked whether the result of a meaningless preseason game bothered him. “I told that to the players after the game. It’s not about the loss; it’s about how we lost. That’s the most important thing.”

The good news for the Rangers, aside from most of the first 40 minutes, was that Igor Shesterkin was sharp in his first appearance. Shesterkin made 10 saves on 11 shots in 29:53; he had no chance on Matej Blumel’s game-opening goal at 8:30 of the first period.

Brett with the feed and Fix-Wolansky buries it. pic.twitter.com/ql8meWzApv

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 23, 2025

But Trey Fix-Wolansky tied the game 44 seconds later, and the Rangers dominated the second period, outshooting Boston 18-7 and scoring three times. Perreault put them ahead 2-1 at 3:25 off a superb feed by Will Cuylle, Carrick capitalized on a Boston turnover and scored an unassisted goal at 9:53, and Gavrikov finished off a 3-on-2 short-handed rush with a wrist shot past Joonas Korpisalo at 11:08 for a 4-1 lead.

Rookie center Noah Laba had two assists, continuing his impressive play.

Let’s break down the key Rangers takeaways from their 5-4 preseason overtime loss to the Bruins on Tuesday.

Related: Why Rangers will play ‘hybrid game’ style under coach Mike Sullivan

Gabe Perreault helps his case for roster spot

Perreault is the Rangers’ top prospect, and continued to show why by making it two goals in as many games this far in the preseason.

His snipe from the left circle was a thing of beauty.

“It was a great play by [Cuylle] in the neutral zone there. I saw some space, tried to rip one in the net and I was lucky enough that it went in. … The forecheck of our line (also with Juuso Parssinen) has been really good, but obviously in the third period we didn’t get enough from myself and the team in general. But we did a lot of good things in the first two periods.”

Right on target. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/IVzxK4pInq

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 24, 2025

Sullivan’s impressed with what he’s seen so far.

“He seems to get better with each game he plays,” the coach said. “We really liked his game in New Jersey the other day. We liked his follow-up game tonight.”

It wasn’t allperfect. Perreault was on ice for three goals, including s shortie, and the Rangers had an xGF of 38.67 percent with him out there, per Natural Stat Trick.

The biggest disappointment for Perreault was the final score.

“It’s pretty simple: You can’t stop playing,” he said postgame. “We were definitely the better team in the first two periods, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to win the game. Myself and everyone else need to be better in the third. A lot of things to learn from.”

Vladislav Gavrikov shows why Rangers wanted him

The score sheet says Gavrikov had a goal, two blocked shots and was plus-2 in a team-leading 23:51 of ice time in his first game playing the left side of the top defense pairing with Fox, earning the game’s Third Star.

What it doesn’t show is that the Rangers biggest free-agent signing this summer started the play that led to Perreault’s goal by creating a turnover at the Boston blue line, freeing the puck for Cuylle to set up the go-ahead goal. It also doesn’t show the smarts that led to his goal; Gavrikov came late to give the Rangers a 3-on-2 short-handed rush, gave Laba a target and beat Korpisalo cleanly with a wrist shot.

Gavrikov buries the shorty. 👏 pic.twitter.com/73dABnhida

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 24, 2025

If his first game with the Rangers is any indication, Gavrikov is going to be just what the Rangers need to complement Fox – the same role that Dale Rolfe played for Brad Park in the 1970s and Jeff Beukeboom did for Brian Leetch in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Noah Laba could be NHL-ready sooner than expected

Laba is the team scoring leader through two preseason games with three points, all assists, including two against the Bruins.

He started the play that ended up as the Rangers’ first goal by picking off a pass just inside the Boston blue line and finding Brett Berard, who slipped a pass to Fix-Wolansky. He had the only assist on Gavrikov’s goal, again intercepting a pass and leading the rush. He drew the defense to him, saw Gavrikov coming and fed him for the goal.

“He’s been grinding every single practice,” Gavrikov said of Laba. “I’m happy to see him performing that good.”

So what does the 22-year-old think he’s shown the coaching staff so far?

“A 200-foot game, playing both sides of the puck, trying to create time and space for my teammates and help the team win,” he said. “They demand a lot, as they should. They want you to play hard in the defensive zone as well as forecheck hard, create O-zone chances and at the end of the day, shoot the puck, shoot to score.”

Laba also said he’s getting more comfortable as he gets more ice time.

“I feel good,” he said. “It’s an adjustment, for sure, after getting the last game under my belt I’m feeling a little more comfortable this game than I did last game.”

Mike Sullivan not pleased with third-period collapse

Preseason game or not, no coach likes to see his team blow a three-goal lead in the third period. Sullivan is no exception.

“At the end of the day, I get it – it’s an exhibition game,” he said. “We haven’t worked on a lot of things; we’re a work in progress. But I think the takeaway is that we need to expect more from one another.

Call it a walk off ✌️ pic.twitter.com/Nqk2pWn80S

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) September 24, 2025

“If we’re going to make mistakes of enthusiasm out there, we’ll live with those. – we’ll work through them, we’ll help the players work through them. But I just thought there were circumstances where we beat ourselves a little bit. I know we’re better than that.”

Sullivan also said one thing he wants to work on during the preseason is setting a standard. Suffice it to say this game wasn’t the kind of standard he had in mind.

“One of the things we talked about on day one was the responsibility we all have to live up to and set a standard here – a standard of excellence we all aspire to have in the environment every day. For me, that’s the most important thing – living up to that standard, and ultimately that standard becomes what we’re willing to accept. “So if we’re willing to accept this, where do we go from here. That’s the conversation we had with the group afterwards.”

The rugged 26-year-old forward has been a bottom-six staple for the Boston Bruins for several seasons now, a nice combination of grit (305 penalty minutes) and skill (109 points, including 40 last season) in 334 NHL games. An unrestricted free agent at season’s end, Frederic is an intriguing rental option at an affordable $2.3 million salary cap hit.

With Adam Edstrom possibly out for the rest of the season with a lower-body injury, Frederic could be a quality replacement in the Rangers lineup. A fourth line of Frederic, Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe? Doubt too many teams would be thrilled facing that threesome down the stretch or in a Stanley Cup Playoff series.

There’s no reason for Frederic to be limited to solely fourth-line duty either. He’s been a middle-six forward for the Bruins, though there’s no obvious fit in that role with the Rangers right now. Frederic can play center or wing, but he’s not great on face-offs and is more suited to being on the wing.

“I think [Frederic] would be a perfect fit for the Rangers and for what they’re trying to do (with the roster). Big (6-foot-3, 221 pounds), physical, gritty and he can play, too. I like him a lot for New York,” one former NHL executive told Forever Blueshirts.

Trent Frederic drops the gloves with Emil Lilleberg. pic.twitter.com/HZTpQ9mfL9

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 15, 2025

The Rangers already added a great combination of grit, skill and will, when they landed J.T. Miller in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks last week. Defenseman Will Borgen also has brought toughness and physicality to the blue line after he was acquired from the Seattle Kraken. Will Cuylle is fourth in the League with 196 hits, and Rempe is a physical force.

So, yes, Frederic would complement that physical group which is already in place quite nicely. With 147 hits, he is 20th in the NHL in that category, and his xGF of 50.56 percent, per Natural Stat Trick, is decent.

But all is not perfect with the former first-round pick (No. 29 overall in 2016). His production is way down from the previous two seasons, despite averaging an NHL career-high 14:00 TOI per game. Frederic has eight goals and 15 points to go along with 42 penalty minutes in 54 games this season. He’s also a career-worst minus-11.

Last season, he had 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) with 69 PIM playing all 82 games. In 2022-23, Frederic finished with 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 79 games.

“Trent Frederic has generated a ton of interest for a good portion of the season,” The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta said earlier this week. “And [Bruins forward Justin] Brazeau recently as well. They had contract talks with, I believe, both in December. It’s been relatively mild since. So they’re going to kind of see where they are at before they make a decision on selling either of those two players.”

A ton of interest means that the price to acquire Frederic could be too high and turn the Rangers away from trying to land him. But there’s another reason why it’s hard to believe the Rangers will acquire Frederic ahead of the trade deadline.

Related: Rangers trade targets to round out bottom 6, including Brandon Tanev, Nick Bjugstad

Reasons why Rangers likely won’t acquire Trent Frederic before trade deadline

According to many around the League, the biggest obstacle here for the Rangers could be the Bruins not wishing to do business with them. Like New York, Boston is fighting for its playoff life in the hotly contested Eastern Conference playoff race.

After a 3-2 comeback win against the Bruins on Wednesday, the Rangers are four points behind them in the Eastern Conference standings, with three games in hand. Neither team is in a playoff spot at present, though each is knocking on the door.

It’s this predicament that makes the Frederic situation so tricky for the Bruins. Trading him for futures won’t help them in the present. Trading him to one of the teams you’re battling with to get into the postseason? Suboptimal at best.

Though not speaking about Frederic specifically, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney explained what a difficult situation he’s in ahead of the trade deadline, choosing between being a buyer or a seller.

“It’s been a little unique for us this year, getting out of the gate not as fast as we would like. We’re in the middle of things. It’s a tough exercise to sort of play both sides of the street,” Sweeney explained.

“You know, if we have more injuries or we don’t do the job between now and the deadline, we may have to take a different path.”

There hasn’t been word recently on a possible contract extension for Frederic, which leaves him in play to be traded ahead of the deadline. Although the Rangers are a good fit, they may wait until the offseason to take a run at him.

“Why wouldn’t the Rangers look into him over the summer?” that former executive said.

After scoring three times in the third period Sunday en route to a 4-2 win at MSG against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Rangers got goals from Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider over the final 20 minutes to slip past the Boston Bruins 3-2 at home on Wednesday.

These types of comebacks were commonplace for the Rangers last season, when they led the NHL with 28 comeback victories in their Presidents’ Trophy-winning campaign. They tied the Detroit Red Wings for the League lead with 14 comeback wins in the third period.

This season? Not so much.

Vincent Trocheck ties it up! pic.twitter.com/XUjapfUHiL

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) February 6, 2025

That is until the past two games, which, coincidentally or not, were the second and third since J.T. Miller arrived in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. Overall, the Rangers are 3-20-1 when trailing after two periods this season.

The latest win, coupled with the Montreal Canadiens’ 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, lifted the Rangers back into 12th in the conference. New York is now four points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second wild card and five in arrears of the Red Wings for the top wild card in the East.

The Rangers also gained valuable ground on the Bruins. They’re now four back of the Bruins, and have three games in hand after winning the season series 2-1-0.

Related: Rangers trade targets to round out bottom 6, including Brandon Tanev, Nick Bjugstad

3 Rangers takeaways from 3-2 win against Bruins

Here are three takeaways from the latest comeback win Wednesday:

Dominant defense

Despite allowing those quick-strike goals 16 seconds apart in the second period, the Rangers really shut down the Bruins. They kept the Bruins to the outside most of the game, got bodies and sticks in passing and shooting lanes consistently, and remained structured in their own end. As a result, the Rangers allowed only 17 shots on goal total and just 12 at 5v5. Natural Stat Trick says Boston had 13 scoring chances, including seven high danger, but it sure didn’t appear to be that many to the naked eye.

K’Andre Miller was a horse on D, playing 25 minutes, blocking four shots and adding the primary assist on Trocheck’s tying goal. But really it was all 18 Rangers skaters who deserve credit here for maintaining defensive zone structure at one end, and sustaining excellent forecheck pressure at the other end to limit the Bruins at every turn.

“We’re getting better and better as the year goes on defensively,” Trocheck said postgame.

Appreciating Chris Kreider, his effort, and his game-winning goal

It hasn’t been the season Kreider envisioned, for sure. His production is down. The 33-year-old has battled back issues and missed some games. His name was brought up by his own general manager in trade talks.

But Kreider cares deeply about the Rangers. And his first goal in seven games was as timely as it was breathtaking in a way. Starting from deep in his own end on the penalty kill, Kreider was “shot out of a cannon” — in the words of Rangers coach Peter Laviolette — to catch up to Mika Zibanejad on a short-handed rush in the the third period. Kreider blew past a slew of players along the way, received Zibanejad’s pass in his skates, got the puck to his stick and fired the game-winner past Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo at 11:54 of the third period to make it 3-2.

Kreider got himself a shorty 👀 pic.twitter.com/LDfQ2CmpLH

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 6, 2025

“You can hear him. Not screaming, the way he skates,” Zibanejad said with a touch of awe.

It was Kreider’s third shorty of the season, League-leading 12th since the 2021-22 season. It was also his 16th goal this season, tied for second on the Rangers. And did you know he now has six game-winning goals, double the amount of Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere, who are second on the team with three apiece? So, here’s a bit of appreciation for the old pro.

Making most of their chances

Neither Matt Rempe nor Zac Jones had a lot of ice time against he Bruins, but each made the most of their opportunities out there to contribute to this latest Rangers win.

Rempe had just 11 shifts totaling 8:18 TOI on Wednesday, but tied Artemi Panarin with a team-high four shots on goal and led all skaters with five hits. In the first period, when the two teams seemingly sleepwalked to a combined 12 shots on goal, Rempe had three of them, including a pair in tight that were denied by Korpisalo. Rempe also had a clean breakaway in the second, made a good move to his backhand but was stoned by Korpisalo’s right pad. Yes, that was a bad holding penalty with the score tied 2-2 midway through the third period; but even that worked out when Kreider scored the short-handed game winner.

With Urho Vaakanainen sidelined due to an illness, Jones played his first game since Dec, 23, logging 13:32 TOI. He received major praise from Laviolette postgame for his compete level in the defensive zone. The Rangers allowed only three shots on goal and two scoring chances with Jones on the ice 5v5, with an xGF of 56.15 per Natural Stat Trick. Not bad for a guy who sat out 18 consecutive games in the press box.

Their latest uplifting victory followed a similar rally for a 4-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights at MSG on Sunday. The Rangers (26-23-4) are now 3-20-1 when trailing after two periods this season.

“It’s kind of been our identity for a bit,” defenseman Adam Fox said. “We’ve been trying to find that a little more now and we’re fighting for every point. We have the mentality down a goal, down two goals to come back”

The win moved the Rangers within four points of the idle Tampa Bay Lightning, who hold the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. It also drew the Rangers to four points back of the Bruins, with three games in hand, making this an even more crucial victory. New York won the season series against the Bruins 2-1-0, avenging a 6-3 loss at TD Garden on Saturday.

Artemi Panarin also scored for the Rangers and Mika Zibanejad had two assists to give him six points (one goal, five assists) in the past three games.

Igor Shesterkin was rarely tested in this one and finished with 15 saves behind a strong defensive showing by New York.

“We’re getting better and better as the year goes on defensively,” Trocheck said.

David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm scored for the Bruins (27-23-6), who were on a back to back after shutting out the Minnesota Wild 3-0 on Tuesday. Joonas Korpisalo made 19 saves.

Related: Rangers trade targets to round out bottom 6, including Brandon Tanev and Nick Bjugstad

New York Rangers 3 – Boston Bruins 2

The scoreless first period was tight checking, low event and uneventful. To be honest, it was boring.

There were 10 combined shots on goal, eight by the Rangers. But there were more icings than shots in the opening 20 minutes. And the Bruins didn’t even manage a shot for the first 12:39 of the game.

Matt Rempe led all skaters with three shots on goal in the first period, two on on consecutive jam shots in front which were denied by Korpisalo at 17:55 after Fox sent a shot towards the Bruins net.

The Rangers opened the second period with a good rush chance a minute in, but J.T. Miller tipped Zibanejad’s centering pass wide of the cage. The Bruins responded with consistent zone time at the other end of the ice, but few if any real scoring chances.

Finally, the MSG crowd arose from its slumber when Panarin wired his 23rd goal past Korpisalo on a bang-bang play at 6:07. Miller got in quickly and aggressively on the forecheck leading to a Bruins turnover behind their own goal line. Zibanejad sent a quick pass to Panarin the right circle, and the Rangers star forward wasted no time zipping a one-timer into the net.

Artemi Panarin opens the scoring! pic.twitter.com/RyPY4OONBY

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) February 6, 2025

The Rangers had multiple opportunities to increase their lead but were unable to. They failed on a pair of power plays at 7:36 and 11:01 and then Rempe had a clean breakaway at 13:30, but Korpisalo stuffed his backhand attempt with a sharp right-pad save.

Then like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere, the Bruins scored twice in 16 seconds to take a 2-1 lead. Pastrnak scored first at 15:03. His initial right-wing shot was blocked by K’Andre Miller, but Pastrnak collected the puck and fired a second shot past Shesterkin, his 28th goal extending his point streak to 12 straight games. Charlie McAvoy picked up an assist on the goal for his 300th point in the NHL.

On the next shift, the Bruins won a puck battle in the offensive zone and Lindholm capitalized when his right-wing shot deflected off Fox and past Shesterkin for his 10th goal at 15:19.

So, the Bruins headed into the second intermission with 10 total shots on goal, but a 2-1 lead.

A roughing penalty by Bruins captain Brad Marchand at 3:25 of the third period was a turning point, though. Despite failing on their third power play of the game, the Rangers did tie the score two seconds after Marchand’s penalty expired. Trocheck tipped in a perfect K’Andre Miller pass for his 16th goal of the season at 5:27.

With the score tied 2-2, Rempe was assessed a holding penalty at 10:02. The Rangers not only killed off the penalty, but they emerged with a 3-2 lead. Kreider scored his third short-handed goal of the season, converting a feed off the rush from Zibanejad at 11:54 to make it 3-2.

A shorty from Chris Kreider for the lead! pic.twitter.com/ta7vlSUuli

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) February 6, 2025

It was a terrific finish as Kreider took a pass in his skates at full speed and deftly got the puck to his stick and buried it past Korpisalo, who had been drawn out of the net.

Shesterkin preserved the one-goal lead with a pair of sharp saves late in the period, one on Nikita Zadorov, the other after a crazy bounce off the back boards against Mason Lohrei.

After a day off Thursday, the Rangers play crucial back-to-back games Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Saturday at the Columbus Blue Jackets before arriving at a break in the schedule for the 4 Nations Face-off.

“Every game is incredibly important. We’re in a battle, a playoff hunt right now,” Kreider said. “We want to have a good push going into the break and then pick up where we left off once we come back from the break”

Simply, the Rangers want to make a serious push this week before taking two weeks off. They’re 13th in the Eastern Conference, six points out of the second wild card and seven behind the Detroit Red Wings for the top wild-card spot. They also trail the Bruins by six points with three games in hand, making this an important head-to-head clash.

After the Bruins game, the Rangers host the mediocre Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, then travel to Columbus on Saturday to visit the surprising — but beat up — Blue Jackets.

But it starts Wednesday with an Original 6 clash. The Rangers lost 6-3 to the Bruins on Saturday in J.T. Miller’s return. Back on Jan. 2, the Rangers edged the Bruins 2-1 at MSG. This is the final meeting this season between the teams, and it’s an important one.

Since acquiring Miller, the Rangers (25-23-4) have split two games, losing to the Bruins and rallying past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Sunday. Overall, they’ve lost three of four (1-3-0) after a season-long 10-game point streak (7-0-3).

The Bruins (27-22-6) have won two straight after a 3-0 home win against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves for his third shutout. So, that likely means the Rangers will face Joonas Korpisalo at The Garden on Wednesday.

Related: Rangers trade targets to round out bottom 6, including Brandon Tanev, Nick Bjugstad

3 things to watch for when Rangers host Bruins

1. Testy Shesty

Igor Shesterkin gets the start for the Rangers after watching Jonathan Quick record his 400th NHL win Sunday. Shesterkin is looking to get back on track; he’s lost three straight starts and allowed 14 goals in those losses to the Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche.

Moreover, Shesterkin has struggled over his career against the Bruins, just 4-8-0 with a 3.00 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 12 games. It was Quick, not Shesterkin, who backstopped that 2-1 win against the Bruins last month. On Saturday, Shesterkin allowed five goals on 24 shots (one empty-net goal) at TD Garden.

2. Bruins filling up on Pasta

David Pastrnak is on a serious heater for the Bruins. The 28-year-old star forward has 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in an 11-game point streak, including a hat trick and an assist against the Rangers on Saturday. He picked up an assist Tuesday to become just the fourth Bruins player in the past 30 years with an 11-game point streak, joining Adam Oates (14 games), Brad Marchand (12 games) and Marc Savard (11 games).

During the streak, Pastrnak’s recorded three points or more five times. He’s now seventh in the League with 27 goals and tied for seventh with 66 points in 55 games.

3. More Mika magic

J.T. Miller has four points (two goals, two assists) since being acquired by the Rangers from the Vancouver Canucks last Friday. He’s sparked the power play and brought energy to the entire lineup and locker room. Perhaps his biggest contribution is helping Mika Zibanejad find his game.

Zibanejad also has four points the past two games, including a massive three-point (one goal, two assists) third period to help lift the Rangers past the Golden Knights. He looks like a different player, skating free, less on his plate by playing wing, especially 5v5 — though he looks better on the power play, too, with Miller joining the PP1 unit.

The 31-year-old is a notoriously streaky player. If he’s about to go off, the timing is pretty darn good for the Rangers, who’ve got work to do to get back into a playoff spot.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Panarin – J.T. Miller – Zibanejad

Smith – Trocheck – Lafreniere

Kreider – Brodzinski – Cuylle

Vesey – Carrick – Rempe

Lindgren – Fox

K. Miller – Borgen

Vaakanainen – Schneider

Shesterkin

Quick

Rangers vs. Bruins: When, where, what time, how to watch

Who: New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins

When: Wednesday Feb. 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: TNT

Their 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday not only made Jonathan Quick the first U.S.-born goalie with 400 victories, it ended a three-game losing streak that was threatening to put them in too big a hole in the race for the two Eastern Conference wild-card playoff berths.

Instead, they’re within five points of the two wild cards (the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets), with three other teams (the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and New York Islanders) also ahead of them. As the Rangers prepared for a two-day break before playing three games in four days, the Islanders and Blue Jackets lost Sunday, and the Lightning 3-2 to the Isles in overtime on Saturday. Boston had Sunday off after defeating the Rangers 6-3 on Saturday.

The Rangers get a chance to avenge the loss to the Bruins on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. They host the Pittsburgh Penguins two nights later, then hop a plane to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets on Saturday.

The big unknown in the playoff race will be the effects of the NHL version of midwinter break.

The League is staging its first 4 Nations Face-off, matching teams of NHL players from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland. Regular-season play stops after two games on Super Bowl Sunday and doesn’t resume until Feb. 22.

The Rangers will have six players taking part in the tournament: Forward Mika Zibanejad will play for Sweden; defenseman Adam Fox, and forwards Vincent Trocheck, Chris Kreider and newcomer J.T. Miller, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, will skate for Team USA, and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen was added to Finland’s roster Sunday as an injury replacement for Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars. For NHL general managers, it’s time to pray that none of their players get hurt. For the players and coaches not taking part in the tournament, it’s a lot of time off that they’re not used to at this time of year.

Related: Breaking down the 15 NHL goalies with 400 wins after Jonathan Quick reaches milestone with Rangers

Who’s hot

Jonathan Quick definitely earned his 400th NHL victory. He was the best Ranger on the ice through the first two periods, keeping the deficit at one goal entering the final 20 minutes before the offense got going against the Golden Knights.

J.T. Miller has two goals, two assists and eight hits in two games since the big trade with the Canucks on Friday. He’s given the Rangers a dose of offense, but perhaps more important has brought the kind of physical presence up front that the team desperately needs.

Who’s not

Igor Shesterkin hasn’t looked like himself during the past week. He allowed 14 goals in the losses to Colorado, Carolina and Boston, dropping him back to 17-18-2 and inflating his goals-against average to 2.89, which would be the worst of his career.

Rangers lookahead this week includes …

Three games against teams in the same playoff pileup before the NHL takes nearly two weeks off for the inaugural 4 Nations Face-off.

Boston Bruins at Rangers (Feb. 5, 7 p.m. ET; TNT/truTV)

The Rangers will be out for revenge in their third and final game against the Bruins this season, after they were soundly defeated at TD Garden on Saturday in front of a national TV audience.

The Bruins enter the week one point out of a wild-card spot in the East. The disadvantage they have is in games played – Boston has played 54 times, more than any of the seven teams jammed within six points of the final two playoff spots.

Shesterkin allowed five goals on 24 shots in that loss, dropping him to 4-8-0 against Boston with a 3.00 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. Don’t be surprised if coach Peter Laviolette uses Quick, who made 32 saves in a 2-1 win against the Bruins at the Garden on Jan. 2.

No matter who’s in goal, the Rangers will have to do a better job shutting down David Pastrnak, who scored three times Saturday for the 18th hat trick of his career – and second against the Rangers. He has 17 goals and 39 points in 36 career games against New York.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Rangers (Feb. 7, 7 p.m.; MSG/NHL Network)

The Penguins make the second of their two trips to the Garden in the Rangers last home game before the break.

New York has won both of its games against Sidney Crosby & Co. this season, 6-0 on opening night in Pittsburgh and 4-2 at the Garden on Dec. 6, hours after trading captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks.

The Penguins would need a big run to get close enough to consider making a playoff push realistic. They lost four of their first six games on their longest road trip of the 21st century before rallying for a 3-2 win at Utah on Wednesday. Then they blsnked the Nashville Predators 3-0 at home on Saturday.

Sidney Crosby has reached triple figures in career points against three teams – and the Rangers are one of them. Crosby has 108 points (40 goals, 68 assists) in 87 regular-season games against New York.

Rangers at Columbus Blue Jackets (Feb. 7, 7 p.m. MSG)

It’s a safe bet that someone will score a goal in this game – something that didn’t happen when the teams played at MSG on Jan. 18. The Rangers and Blue Jackets battled through 65 scoreless minutes before Vincent Trocheck got the only goal in the shootout for a 1-0 win.

The Blue Jackets won the first two games of a four-game trip last week by defeating Vegas and Utah in overtime. They ran out of gas in the third period Sunday, losing 5-3 to the Dallas Stars and dropping them back to the second wild card. Columbus visits the Buffalo Sabres before home games against Utah on Thursday and the Rangers on Saturday.

Artemi Panarin, who played two seasons with the Blue Jackets before signing with the Rangers on July 1, 2019, has fared well against his former team. Panarin has 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 19 career games against Columbus.

The Bruins got on the board first, scoring a power-play goal just over 10 minutes into the game, but the Rangers battled back with a goal of their own 34 seconds later by J.T. Miller, his first as a Ranger since Feb. 25, 2018.

However, the Bruins came storming back with three goals of their own, including another power-play goal, to take a commanding 4-1 lead after two periods. Miller answered back again with a power-play goal of his own 35 seconds into the third period, but Boston regained its three-goal lead less than a minute later on Pastrnak’s second goal.

The Rangers got within 5-3 when Jonny Brodzinski scored his fourth of the season at 10:27, but they never got any closer. Pastrnak hit the empty net to complete his hat trick and send the Rangers back to New York on a three-game losing streak.

Miller (2) and Brodzinski were the goal scorers for New York, while Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren, and Will Borgen each had an assist. It was another rough game in goal for Igor Shesterkin, who allowed five goals on 24 shots. He’s had a save percentage of .846 or lower in each of his last three games — all losses.

Related: Rangers lose third straight, spoil J.T. Miller’s two-goal return with 6-3 loss to Bruins

3 Rangers takeaways from 6-3 loss to Bruins

Here are three takeaways from the game Saturday:

J.T. Miller scores two in Rangers return, but it’s not enough

There was plenty to love about the return of J.T. Miller. The 2011 first-round pick of the Blueshirts scored two goals less than 24 hours after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks. He was noticeable right away, getting shots on goal early and providing physicality to the first line. Miller finished with two goals, six shots, three hits and a minus-1 rating in 18:48 of ice time.

Back like he never left.

Well done, J.T.! pic.twitter.com/a9CVqEGPnR

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 1, 2025

It would have been nice to get the win for Miller, who was the most impactful Ranger on the ice, but defensive lapses and poor special-teams play ultimately cost them the win. Nonetheless, Miller’s debut was a great sign for the Rangers going forward. He seemed to fit right in and contributed in a big way. No. 8 should end up as a key component as New York continues to push for the playoffs.

Rangers PK loses battle against Bruins’ woeful power play

If there was any battle that the Rangers needed to win against the Bruins, it was shutting down their power play, which has been among the worst in the NHL. Heading into Saturday’s game, the Bruins were 30th in the league with the extra man — and they were going up against the Rangers’ fourth-ranked penalty kill.

But instead of shutting down Boston’s power play, the Rangers’ penalty-killers gave up two goals. Boston scored the game’s first goal two seconds after a 5-on-3 advantage expired, but the real dagger came when the B’s capitalized on another power play to make it 4-1 in the final minutes of the second period. The Rangers ended up 1-for-3 on both the penalty kill and power play, two areas that could have swung the game in their favor with better performances.

Wild-card gap is growing after three straight losses

The Rangers still have 31 games to play, but losing this one really hurts in terms of the wild-card race. The Bruins, who entered the day one point out of the second wild card, extended their lead over the Rangers to six points. New York is stuck at 52 points, 13th in the Eastern Conference, six points out of the second wild card, which is now held by the Tampa Bay Lightning — the B’s and Bolts, who lost 3-2 in overtime to the New York Islanders, each have 58 points; however, Boston has played three more games.

The Rangers did a great job of climbing back into the playoff picture by starting January 8-1-3 after bottoming out in December, but they’ve stalled out over their past three games. Failing to get at least one point against the Colorado Avalanche last Sunday in a 5-4 loss that was decided with 15 seconds left in regulation time is turning out to be a back-breaker, especially since they’ve lost the next two games by a combined score of 10-3.

The Rangers don’t have much time to regroup; they return to Madison Square Garden to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday; to say they need a win would be greatly understating the issue. After that, they’ll get a chance for revenge against the Bruins when Boston comes to the Garden on Wednesday.