Shesterkin was superb at Lenovo Center in Raleigh on Wednesday night, piling up brilliant save after brilliant save and getting enough offensive support from his teammates to carry the Rangers to a 4-2 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The ’Canes played their typical “shoot first and ask questions later” style, outshooting the Rangers 38-18 and out-attempting them 78-46 (60-26 after the first period). Carolina had five power plays to one for New York and controlled play for the majority of the game.

“They play right in your face, on top of you,” said captain J.T. Miller, who returned after missing two games with an upper-body injury. “It’s no surprise, they’ve done it for so long.”

But the ‘Canes didn’t have Shesterkin, who got better as the night went on to help the Rangers snap a five-game losing streak against Carolina.

The Rangers also capitalized on some coverage mistakes by the Hurricanes. Excluding Will Cuylle’s empty-netter, the first three goals all came when New York forwards were left unchecked in good scoring position. The goals by Noah Laba in the first period, Artemi Panarin late in the second and Vincent Trocheck 45 seconds into the third were all scored on wide-open shots that beat Frederik Andersen cleanly.

The Blueshirts improved to 10-4-1 on the road and 12-11-2 overall with their second straight win. They’ll try for three in a row Friday afternoon against the Bruins in Boston in the first of back-to-back matinees..

Shesty saves 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/S4MQCE5CyB

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 27, 2025

The Rangers proved in the first period that stats don’t always tell the full story. Carolina had a 13-4 advantage in the opening 20 minutes, but the Rangers out-attempted them 20-18 and had a 4-0 edge in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. They missed the net 10 times – including a shot by Adam Fox that was tipped off the crossbar by Miller.

Shesterkin was sharp, especially on Jackson Blake’s mid-period wrister from the slot that was Carolina’s best chance in the first 20 minutes. The Hurricanes hurt themselves with 11 giveaways and by going 8-13 in the face-off circle

Laba got the Rangers on the board at 16:53. Matthew Robertson flung the puck at the net and missed, but Taylor Raddysh jumped on the loose puck behind the net and found the rookie center, who was unimpeded as he moved into the right circle and beat Andersen with a wrist shot to the top corner on the Rangers’ second shot on goal.

BAR DOWN AND ON THE BOARD pic.twitter.com/vR3p2fNwOm

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 27, 2025

The Blueshirts hurt themselves in the second period by giving up three power plays, the first of which resulted in the game-tying goal.

Laba was called for slashing at 4:57, and Carolina needed just seven seconds to tie the score. Sebastian Aho, playing his 700th NHL game, won the draw, and Shayne Gostisbehere took a feed from Nikolaj Ehlers and beat Shesterkin with a snap shot from the right circle at 5:04 for a 1-1 tie.

The Hurricanes dominated play for the next 12 minutes, forcing Shesterkin to make a handful of terrific saves, including one on an airborne deflection by William Carrier and another on Andrei Svechnikov’s rebound try off the draw after Brett Berard was called for slashing at 11:16.

BREAD SERVED PIPING HOT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/oaluYPvJVZ

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 27, 2025

But the Rangers found their footing late in the period and went back in front on a perfectly run play off an offensive-zone draw. Trocheck won the face-off to Miller, who relayed the puck to Fox at the right point. He quickly fed Panarin in the left circle for a one-timer that beat Andersen cleanly with 1:04 left in the period for a 2-1 lead.

Panarin set up Trocheck for a rocket from the high slot 45 seconds into the third period to give the Rangers a two-goal lead. They needed it when Seth Jarvis beat Shesterkin with a perfect shot from the lower left circle at 10:53. Carolina continued to push the play and pulled Andersen with just over 2:00 to play, only to have Cuylle hit the empty net from his own blue line with 1:43 remaining – much to the delight of the sizeable Rangers contingent in the sellout crowd of 18,299.

Key takeaways after Rangers knock off Hurricanes 4-2

Shesterkin is sensational again

This was vintage Shesterkin. He was on his game from the opening face-off to the final horn. The Rangers don’t end their losing streak against Carolina without him being at the top of his game.

Not surprisingly, Shesterkin was the First Star after giving the Rangers the kind of goaltending they’ll need to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Hurricanes had 38 scoring chances in all situations to just 18 for the Rangers, according to Natural Stat Trick, including 13-9 on high-danger chances. The high-danger chances were 5-1 in the third period, when the Hurricanes carried the play and kept firing away.

With backup Jonathan Quick on IR, Shesterkin could play back-to-back games on Friday against Boston and Saturday at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning if coach Mike Sullivan opts not to have rookie Dylan Garand make his NHL debut.

Panarin, Trocheck step up

The Rangers haven’t been getting the offense they need from some of their big guns. But that wasn’t the case Wednesday, when the combination of Panarin and Trocheck came through.

Trocheck didn’t get an assist on Panarin’s go-ahead goal, but he started the play by winning an offensive-zone draw. The puck went to Miller, then Fox and then Panarin so fast that Andersen couldn’t track it. This looked a lot like the kind of goal Panarin scored a lot of in 2023-24, when he had a career-high 49.

Artemi Panarin ➡️ Vincent Trocheck to double the lead! pic.twitter.com/PjFTBLqI3p

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 27, 2025

“The Breadman” repaid the favor with a pass that put Trocheck alone at the top of the slot for a rip that beat Andersen cleanly. It was his fifth goal in nine games since returning from an upper-body injury.

It’s Miller time

Having their captain back was a big boost for the Rangers. Miller played 18:00, had the secondary assist on Panarin’s goal, won three of five face-offs and finished plus-1.

“Pretty good,” Miller said when asked how he felt after his first game back. “Definitely tried to keep myself out of certain situations, but I think, for the most part, I felt pretty good. Felt like I could contribute without being taken too much away from my game.”

The Rangers’ current Miller fared better than their former one.

Defenseman K’Andre Miller faced his old team for the first time since being traded to Carolina on July 1. He missed six games because of injury, including Carolina’s 3-0 win at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 4. Miller was minus-1 with two shots on goal, two hits and three takeaways in a team-high 24:08 of ice time. He was on the ice for Trocheck’s game-winning goal.

Another power outage

One area that continues to plague the Rangers is their inability to draw power plays. They had just one against Carolina while giving the Hurricanes five opportunities; the first of three second-period advantages for the ‘Canes resulted in a goal.

It was the seventh straight game when the Rangers had two or fewer power plays, and they’ve had as many as four just twice this season — both in October.

The Rangers are tied for 30th in the NHL with just 56 power plays in 25 games, and their average of 2.4 per game is 31st. In contrast, their 74 power plays allowed is the 12th-most in the NHL. This kind of special-teams disparity is one area where the Rangers have to improve — soon.

Miller was placed on injured reserve Friday, retroactive to Oct. 20, with a lower-body injury. He has missed the Hurricanes’ past four games, including their 6-2 home win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.

Though Miller began skating with the team on Monday and was on the ice at practice Friday, coach Rod Brind’Amour said he will not travel with the Hurricanes for their two-game road trip — the ’Canes visit the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon before coming to New York. The coach said he “hopes it’s not too much longer” that the defenseman will be sidelined.

Pretty much good news all around for the #Canes today on the health front.

• A major bullet was dodged with Seth Jarvis, who left last night's game after blocking a shot. He may be able to play tomorrow in Boston.

• William Carrier and K'Andre Miller (LBIs) both skated today… pic.twitter.com/WKs3Pjp4UG

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) October 31, 2025

The Hurricanes are 7-3-0, third in the division, entering their game against the Bruins despite battling a host of injuries.

They are already without two top-four defensemen, Jaccob Slavin (lower body) and Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body). Gostisbehere returned Tuesday after missing three games but left after one period with another injury, this one to his midsection. Miller took the pregame warmup on Oct. 23 against the Colorado Avalanche but didn’t dress that night and hasn’t played since.

No. 2 goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov was activated off IR on Friday but has yet to play this season because of a lower-body issue. He was assigned to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL for a conditioning stint.

Two regular forwards, William Carrier and Eric Robinson, left the game against the Avalanche with injuries, and Brind’Amour said after that game each could be sidelined for an “extended period.” Carrier skated Friday.

The #Canes have activated goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov from injured reserve.

Defenseman K’Andre Miller has been placed on injured reserve.

Details » https://t.co/zP4LvI330c pic.twitter.com/ZaC3Jj9k1M

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 31, 2025

Ex-Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller set to miss return to MSG

Miller had surgery in May for an upper-body injury sustained late in the 2024-25 season and didn’t play at all in the preseason with his new team. But he was healthy enough to score two goals in Carolina’s season-opening 6-3 win against the New Jersey Devils. In six games before the injury, he had four points (two goals, two assists) while averaging 23:32 TOI.

The Hurricanes paid a big price for Miller, who was a restricted free agent, both in talent and money. They sent the Rangers a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 draft, and their top prospect, 22-year-old defenseman Scott Morrow – who quickly made an impression during the preseason before being assigned to AHL Hartford.

As part of the sign and trade, Carolina inked Miller to an eight-year, $60 million contract ($7.5 million AAV). The trade came on the same day the Rangers signed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract ($7 million average annual value).

Miller had 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 74 games for the Rangers last season. He was selected by New York in the first round (No. 22 overall) in the 2018 draft and has 132 points (36 goals, 96 assists) in 368 regular-season games, as well as 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 43 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

But it was no secret that the Rangers were seeking to trade the talented-but-inconsistent defenseman. However, the haul they received and their willingness to deal him within the division were surprises to many — the word around the NHL had been that the Rangers were frustrated in their efforts to consummate a deal and that no one was willing to meet their asking price.

K’Andre Miller posted a farewell message to the #NYR, their fans and the people who make MSG come alive on Instagram 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/SDH8i5S4nD

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) July 17, 2025

After the trade, Miller said the Hurricanes would be a great fit for his game.

“I think we’ve always had great battles in New York, at least when I was on the other side playing against Carolina,” he said. “They have such a fast team. They get up and down the ice in a fast motion and do everything as a team.

“It’s a fun group to watch, and they’ve had a lot of success recently, so I’m excited to join that style of game, and they have a great team over there, so I’m excited.”

After taking warmups on Thursday, Miller was a late scratch for the Hurricanes’ 5-4 shootout win against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. Miller reportedly has a lower-body injury.

When asked about Miller’s status, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said postgame, “I don’t know what’s going on there; that could be a while. It’s tough on the injury front right now.”

So, this guy is fitting in nicely pic.twitter.com/aDmiwsHeA6

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 10, 2025

The Hurricanes are 6-1-0 entering their game against the Stars in Dallas on Saturday, and they’ve done it despite battling a host of injuries.

They were already without two top-four defensemen, Jaccob Slavin (lower body) and Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body), before Miller couldn’t go against Colorado. No. 2 goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has yet to play this season because of a lower-body issue.

Two regular forwards, William Carrier and Eric Robinson, left the game against the Avalanche with injuries, and Brind’Amour said each could be sidelined for an “extended period.”

Ex-Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller injured, could miss return to MSG

Miller had surgery in May for an upper-body injury sustained late in the 2024-25 season and didn’t play at all in the preseason with his new team. But he was healthy enough to score two goals in Carolina’s season-opening 6-3 win against the New Jersey Devils, and has four points (two goals, two assists) in six games, averaging 23:32 TOI.

The Hurricanes paid a big price for Miller, who was a restricted free agent, both in talent and money. They sent the Rangers a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 draft, and Carolina’s top prospect, 22-year-old defenseman Scott Morrow – who quickly made an impression during the preseason before being assigned to Hartford of the American Hockey League.

As part of the sign and trade, Carolina inked Miller to an eight-year, $60 million contract ($7.5 million AAV).

The trade came on the same day the Rangers signed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract ($7 million average annual value).

Miller had 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 74 games for the Rangers last season. He was selected by New York in the first round (No. 22 overall) in the 2018 draft and has 132 points (36 goals, 96 assists) in 368 regular-season games, as well as 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 43 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

But it was no secret that the Rangers were seeking to trade the talented-but-inconsistent defenseman. However, the haul they received and their willingness to deal him within the division were surprises to many — word had been that the Rangers were frustrated in their efforts to consummate a deal and that no one was willing to meet their asking price.

K’Andre Miller posted a farewell message to the #NYR, their fans and the people who make MSG come alive on Instagram 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/SDH8i5S4nD

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) July 17, 2025

Miller said after the trade that the Hurricanes would be a great fit for his game.

“I think we’ve always had great battles in New York, at least when I was on the other side playing against Carolina,” he said at the time. “They have such a fast team. They get up and down the ice in a fast motion and do everything as a team.

“It’s a fun group to watch, and they’ve had a lot of success recently, so I’m excited to join that style of game, and they have a great team over there, so I’m excited.”

Roslovic, who helped the Rangers get within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Oilers late on Wednesday night. He won’t be in the lineup Saturday when the Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks after missing all of training camp, but he’s looking forward to being teammates with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of the NHL’s biggest stars.

“It’s fun seeing those guys go to work,” Roslovic said Friday after his first practice with his new team. “You kind of have two guys like that on every team that drive and lead the way. Obviously, these two are a little bit different caliber, but it’ll be fun. Going back to opportunity, it’s going to be great to see how these guys perform not just on the ice but see them off the ice and in practice.”

"An opportunity to win, an opportunity to play with great players."

Jack Roslovic speaks with the media after signing a one-year deal with the #Oilers & taking part in his first practice with the team.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/9CtZaHOFpB

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 10, 2025

The signing ends Roslovic’s wait to join a new team after he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1; he was arguably the best UFA remaining on the market. The 28-year-old switched agents after going unsigned for multiple months and was skating in Columbus, waiting to join a new team. He signed late Wednesday and was not in the lineup for the Oilers’ season-opening 4-3 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.

The Rangers acquired Roslovic on March 8, 2024, sending a fourth-round pick in 2026 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“We think he’s a real good player,” general manager Chris Drury said after making the deal.

Jack Roslovic makes it 3-2! pic.twitter.com/RQjI4Vp7fh

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 2, 2024

In 19 regular-season games with New York after the trade, the 2015 first-round pick (No. 25 overall) by the Winnipeg Jets, had eight points (three goals, five assists). He also played in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games, finishing with eight points (two goals, six assists).

The best-known of the playoff assists came on Alexander Wennberg’s overtime winner in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers. That goal gave the Rangers a 5-4 win and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series, but they lost the next three games.

Alex Wennberg’s first goal of the playoffs was a BIG ONE!@NYRangers | #NYR | #StanleyCup
pic.twitter.com/IU66heOk7X

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) May 26, 2024

However, Roslovic averaged just 13:27 of ice time during his brief time on Broadway, and the Rangers didn’t re-sign him. He started out on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider but finished his tenure on Broadway on the fourth line.

Roslovic inked a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes for 2024-25. He played 81 games with Carolina, matched his career high with 22 goals (largely because of a career-best 15.8 shooting percentage) and finished with 39 points. He was first on the ‘Canes with 34 points at 5-on-5 despite averaging just 13:49 of ice time.

But he played in just nine playoff games for Carolina, finishing with one goal and four points. The Hurricanes didn’t re-sign him — likely because he’s something of a liability defensively. Though his xGF was 50.28 percent last season, per Natural Stat Trick, the Hurricanes were outscored 55-46 with him on the ice at 5-on-5 and out-chanced 205-173 in high-danger opportunities.

Jack Roslovic excited to have new opportunity with Oilers

Roslovic has 260 points (102 goals, 158 assists) and is minus-37 in 526 regular-season NHL games. He has 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 45 Stanley Cup Playoff games. But he has struggled at times with consistency during his career, a big reason that he’s spent most of his time as a bottom-six forward.

“Speed, scoring,” Roslovic said when asked what he brings to the Oilers. “Try to be a buzzsaw out there, make plays – kind of the thing that everyone already knows me for – and then be a good guy in the locker room, come in and fit well, don’t disrupt and gel.”

The Oilers, who need depth scoring, see him playing a bottom-six role, likely on the wing, when he’s ready for action — he could face his old team when the Oilers come to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. That’s OK with Roslovic, who’s eager to get a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup. Joining the Oilers, who’ve lost to the Florida Panthers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, is a good bet to get that opportunity.

“That’s going to be the theme here, is opportunity: an opportunity to win, an opportunity to play with great players,” Roslovic said. “They have been to the [Western] Conference Final the last two years, and obviously, they want to go all the way, and the fire is in me, too. I want to win. I know how hard it is, and it’s a great opportunity.”

Officially signed ✍️ #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/PZklk9oWiv

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 9, 2025

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said after the loss to the Flames that Edmonton had been in touch with Roslovic dating back to the summer, and that talks picked up in September.

“(I told his agent) ‘We love the player, but we don’t have a whole lot of money to spend right now. So, if he wants to come here and kind of bet on himself and get a bit of a chance to play, we’d love to have him.’” Bowman said. “I think he was weighing his options and came to the decision that this is the place he wanted to be.”

Each is a gifted puck mover who starred in college and eventually was traded to the Rangers by the Carolina Hurricanes. Their paths to Broadway were a bit different, but the many similarities make for an intriguing comparison.

Fox, who was a Rangers fan while growing up on Long Island, was selected by the Calgary Flames in the third round (No. 66 overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. He had zero intention of playing for the Flames, so they traded him to the Hurricanes on June 23, 2018. Less than a year later, the ‘Canes traded him to the Rangers.

All of this took place while Fox was still attending Harvard.

Don Waddell, Carolina’s general manager at the time, was told by the defenseman’s camp that he’d sign with the Hurricanes if they traded for him. Waddell pulled the trigger, sending Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm to the Flames in a deal that included Dougie Hamilton and Fox’s rights. But things changed quickly.

“About two week later, the agent called and said, ‘We changed our mind. We want to move to the Rangers,'” Waddell, now GM and president of hockey operations with the Columbus Blue Jackets, said on the Cam & Strick Podcast. “So obviously, we traded for him thinking he was coming — and he didn’t.”

Fox returned to Harvard for the 2018-19 season, then was flipped to New York on April 30, 2019 — before he could become an unrestricted free agent as an unsigned college player.

And as Waddell revealed, history nearly repeated itself with Scott Morrow.

WATCH: Jonny Brodzinski preps for Rangers season with summer league hat trick in Da Beauty League

Morrow’s situation was a familiar one for Hurricanes

Just like Fox, Morrow was a top college defenseman with leverage. And just like Fox, the Hurricanes risked losing him for nothing.

“Last year with Morrow … he was going to graduate earlier, unbeknownst to anybody,” Waddell said. “If we didn’t get him signed before Aug. 15 (2024), he would’ve been free.”

Carolina narrowly avoided a repeat. The Hurricanes signed Morrow and he turned in a solid first season as a pro in 2024-25, largely in the American Hockey League — where Fox never played a single game — before playing 14 NHL games.

But the Hurricanes moved Morrow to the Rangers on July 1 as part of the K’Andre Miller sign-and-trade. It wasn’t because Morrow demanded a trade, but rather because Carolina wanted Miller — they quickly signed the 25-year-old defenseman to an eight-year, $60 million contract that carries an average annual value of $7.5 million.

Scott Morrow following in Adam Fox’s footsteps with Rangers

The Rangers have already seen what an elite college defenseman can become in the NHL. Fox had 116 points (21 goals, 95 assists) in 97 games during three seasons at Harvard. He was widely considered one of the smartest puck-moving players — regardless of position — in college hockey.

Morrow’s path hasn’t been identical to Fox’s, but the production is on the same level. Over three years at UMass, he posted 94 points (28 goals, 66 assists) in 109 games. He’s second all-time in points by a defenseman in Minutemen history.

Each made an immediate impact as a freshman. Fox finished with 40 points in his first season, while Morrow broke out with 33 and became the first freshman in UMass history to earn First-Team All-America honors.

Fox slid seamlessly into the NHL and quickly became a fixture on the Rangers’ top defense pair. He won the Norris Trophy as the League’s top defenseman in 2020-21 and has 361 points (63 goals, 306 assists) in 431 games.

Morrow didn’t jump straight to the NHL, and he’s not guaranteed a roster spot out of training camp with the Rangers this fall. But there’s a good chance he will land a spot on the third pair and give the Blueshirts a second solid puck-mover on the blue line.

Right behind Fox, that is.

After scoring 20 goals the past two seasons combined (!), Roslovic netted his 20th this season for the Carolina Hurricanes in their 4-1 win Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s the second time in eight NHL seasons that the underachieving winger scored at least 20, having potted 22 with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022-23.

But that’s not all. That goal Tuesday was the 100th of his NHL career, ending a long wait to reach the milestone. Nine games and more than a month since scoring No. 99 on Feb. 8 against Utah, Roslovic wired a shot past the glove of Lightning goalie Andre Vasilevskiy to score a pretty rush goal after a slick feed from Taylor Hall.

What a way to score your 100th NHL goal as Jack Roslovic scored his 20th of the season! What a pass from Taylor Hall as it’s now 3-0 Hurricanes! #RaiseUp pic.twitter.com/sTFExOk70C

— Zachary Martin (@OneTrueZach) March 12, 2025

“It took a while,” Roslovic deadpanned after scoring his 20th goal of the season and 100th of his career on the same shot.

“Yeah, yeah. I mean, you know, as long as the opportunities come — and I feel like they’ve been coming — you don’t get too upset. You just try to keep on shooting.”

Roslovic is third on the Hurricanes behind Seth Jarvis (26) and Sebastian Aho (24) in goal scoring and tied for seventh with 31 points. Nineteen of his 20 goals are at even strength.

Sounds like something the Rangers could use, 5v5 goal scoring. But the Rangers have been there, done that with Roslovic and let him walk as a free agent after his brief tour on Broadway last season.

Acquired ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline to play on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, Roslovic made very little impact, and even was a healthy scratch late in the regular season. He finished with eight points (three goals, fiver assists) in 19 games.

Roclovic scored his first Stanley Cup playoff goal in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Washington Capitals after 21 postseason games without a goal. He scored again two games later when the Rangers finished their sweep of the Capitals. And then a goose egg the final 12 postseason games.

When the Rangers were eliminated in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, Roslovic was buried on the fourth line, logging just 9:09 TOI. He closed out the playoffs with eight points (two goals, six assists) in 16 games.

Related: Ryan Strome chirps Henrik Lundqvist in playful TNT moment

Former Rangers forward lands Rolex watch, gets number back after Mikko Rantanen trade

Roslovic signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Hurricanes last July 4. He can be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Flying out of the gate with his new team, Roslovic scored nine goals by Nov. 7, 12 games into the season. He had a three-game goal streak later in November and a two-goal game against the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 28, but has largely slowed his pace the past few months.

Several weeks ago, Roslovic handed over his No. 96 to Mikko Rantanen after the star forward was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Colorado Avalanche. For his troubles, Roslovic received a Rolex watch from Rantanen.

Roslovic became a two-time winner, when Rantanen was flipped ahead of the trade deadline to the Dallas Stars. That allowed Roslovic to reclaim No. 96 and keep the Rolex!

Days later came the milestone goal. Roslovic is no doubt living large.

As for the Hurricanes, they’re second in the Metropolitan Division, 12 points behind the first-place Washington Capitals and six ahead of the third-place Devils. The Rangers? They’re tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference, two points out of the second wild card.

Well, that was interesting, to say the least.

The Hurricanes made a huge splash by acquiring Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche just six weeks ago. In the deal, they traded away Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and a 2025 second-round pick. Carolina was labeled as a true Stanley Cup contender after that deal, but things quickly went south after it became clear Rantanen was hesitant to sign a long-term contract and forego unrestricted free agency at season’s end.

So, the Hurricanes were faced with the question of keeping Rantanen with the risk of letting him walk for nothing in the summer, or trading him ahead of the deadline and salvaging some sort of return. They opted for the latter in this deal, but salvaging is just about the best they could do.

All in all, the Hurricanes trade Necas, Drury, and a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick for Stankoven, Taylor Hall, two first round-picks, and two third-round picks, with 13 games of Rantanen in the middle. To call it a disaster in Carolina is an understatement. Necas had become one of their better players and leading goal scorers, and Drury was becoming a young mainstay in the lineup.

Related: Rangers archrival finally gets it, throws in towel with Brock Nelson trade

Rangers chasing wild card spot, Devils and Hurricanes trending downward

While the primary focus for the Rangers is on securing a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference for the time being, keep an eye on both the Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.

Where the Hurricanes were once a huge threat to the Rangers, should they meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again, now many are counting them out as contenders after a severe mishandling of assets. As for the Devils, they’ve looked vulnerable since the New Year and now lost stud center Jack Hughes for the season following shoulder surgery. Then on Friday, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald announced that top defenseman Dougie Hamilton is out for an extended period with an unspecified injury and Jonas Siegenthaler is done for the season.

That the Devils failed to make a big move ahead of the deadline doesn’t quell concerns that they’re in trouble with a quarter of the season remaining.

The Devils are third in the Metro with 72 points; the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Rangers are chomping at the bit with 68 and 67 points, respectively. Depending on how these last 20 games go, the Rangers sights may not be on just a wild-card spot, but a spot in the top-three of the division, just as former Rangers goalie Marty Biron told Forever Blueshirts earlier this week.

The Hurricanes currently hold second place in Metropolitan Division with 78 points, 11 points ahead of the Rangers, who have points in five of their past six games (4-1-1). Carolina seems more sturdy than New Jersey and should remain in the division’s top three.

The operative word is should. How shaken — if at all — are Carolina’s players that Rantanen wanted no part of being a part of its present nor future. Stankoven is a nice player in his first full NHL season, but not a difference maker right now like Rantanen nor not even in the same league as Necas, who has 21 goals and 70 points this season.

Maybe the Rangers can’t catch the Hurricanes, but they’d sure love to face them — instead of the any of the Atlantic Division powerhouses — in the first round of the playoffs. So, gunning for the Devils is that more important for the Rangers.

They ended the month with two straight losses, their first set of consecutive regulation defeats since losing four in a row Dec. 22-30. Nonetheless, the Rangers still posted an 8-3-3 record in January, a major turnaround after their dismal 4-15-0 stretch in November and December.

After the deflating loss Tuesday against a division rival, the message from Vincent Trocheck was simple:

“Head up, keep the confidence, keep the positivity, and just keep playing the way we have been and we’re going to have a good chance every night,” Trocheck said.

The veteran center, who’s emerged as one of the frontrunners to become the next captain of the Rangers, put his leadership skills on display after the loss, preaching positivity and confidence, rather than dwelling on one of New York’s worst performances since the calendar flipped to 2025.

Related: 3 Rangers takeaways after losing again to Hurricanes

Rangers ready to move on after shutout loss at home

It’s tough to remain positive after failing to score a goal in front of the home crowd. Even more so when Trocheck played a large roll in Carolina’s backbreaking second goal. He made a risky drop pass on a short-handed breakaway which was turned over, leading to a goal against at the other end of the ice in the closing minute of the second period.

Vincent Trocheck goes full Blake Comeau and seconds later, Andrei Svechnikov capitalizes on the power play!#RaiseUp pic.twitter.com/5wHwTFouRX

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 29, 2025

A bad look to say the least, but even so, he and the Rangers are looking already looking ahead to the month of February.

“I try to keep the spirits up,” he explained. “I mean, I think we’ve been playing fantastic hockey here in this month of January. If we continue to play that way, we’re going to have a good chance every night. Trying to keep everybody’s head up.”

That seems to be the message across the board, and rightfully so. The Rangers completely turned their season around after bottoming out the prior two months. Even after the loss to Carolina, they’re still just three points out of a wild-card spot thanks to some key teams also losing Tuesday, like the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, who hold both wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference.

While the loss to the Hurricanes was more than concerning (as was the 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday), the best course of action is to move on and focus on the next opportunity to earn points.

“You can look at it all different angles, however you want, but I think we’ve been playing some good hockey here in January,” center Mika Zibanejad stated. “Think about this one, feel whatever you feel after a game like this, and then we move on.”

The Rangers have some crucial games coming up with heavy playoff implications. Two of their next three games are against the Bruins, who hold the first wild card. Boston has four more points than New York, a gap that the Rangers can easily close if they win both matchups. The Original Six teams will play Feb. 1 in Boston, then again Feb. 5 in New York.

So, the Rangers won’t have much time to look back on their latest loss. Over these next three days without a game, the focus has to be on not letting the losing skid extend this weekend and regaining their footing after an otherwise solid month of January.

On the positive side, the Rangers didn’t lose any ground to teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings. They remain three points out of the first wild card and four out of the top wild-card spot. They also closed out a resurgent month with a solid 8-3-3 record that vaulted the Rangers right back into the playoff mix.

The flip side? Well, the Rangers failed to leapfrog the idle Detroit Red Wings nor the Montreal Canadiens, who lost 4-1 at home to the Winnipeg Jets. They didn’t capitalize on the Boston Bruins losing 7-2 to the Buffalo Sabres — so the Bruins remain four up on the Rangers for the first wild card. And they didn’t close the gap on the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators, each of whom was idle Tuesday.

Oh, and the Rangers failed again to defeat a legit playoff team, just as they did Sunday in a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. It appears the Rangers are good at handling business lately against the mediocre lot they’re battling with for a playoff spot. But when it comes to defeating the better teams in the League? Yeah, not so much.

So, like anything there’s good and bad here. With 32 games remaining, there’s plenty of time for the Rangers to secure a playoff berth. But the wasted opportunities recently — after digging a big hole with that 4-15-0 stretch in November and December — do give pause about their viability as a playoff contender.

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New York Rangers news

Costly defensive breakdowns highlight (lowlight?) our three Rangers takeaways from the shutout loss to the Hurricanes.

Peter Laviolette explained why he believes the Rangers “need (Zac Jones) here” in the NHL, as opposed to sending him to the AHL for conditioning.

Matt Rempe didn’t make a huge impact on the game against Carolina, but he’s recently cemented himself as fixture on New York’s fourth line with Adam Edstrom and Sam Carrick.

Trade rumors continue to swirl around J.T. Miller. NHL insider Darren Dreger issued a warning to the Rangers — or any other team — swinging a deal for Miller.

Before the puck dropped Tuesday, the Rangers were “curious” as to how the Hurricanes look after adding star forward Mikko Rantanen in a trade with the Avalanche.

NHL news

More on Miller: Canucks president Jim Rutherford had plenty to say about the former Rangers forward, the feud with Elias Pettersson and a possible tear down in Vancouver that could include trading captain Quinn Hughes.

Despite a flurry of trade rumors, Pittsburgh Hockey Now was told this by a Penguins official about Sidney Crosby: “Sid’s not going anywhere.”

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Brandon Saad was placed on waivers by the St. Louis Blues.

Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov will be out another four weeks following surgery on his lower-body injury.

Defenseman John Klingberg is expected to make his Edmonton Oilers debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Check out this breakdown of a comic showdown between Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson and Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson.

As for the Capitals, they keep rolling along with a 3-1 win against the Flames.

Don’t look now, but here come the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin is back on top of his game and he led the Islanders to their fifth straight win Tuesday, 5-2 over the Avalanche. Somehow the Islanders are one point behind the Rangers, with a game in hand.

Miro Heiskanen left the Dallas Stars’ overtime win against the Vegas Golden Knights with what appeared to be a left leg injury. There was no update on his condition postgame.

Watch Wyatt Johnston record a natural hat trick for the Stars on Tuesday.

The Montreal Canadiens lost defenseman Kaiden Guhle with a lower-body injury in the third period of their 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each had a hat trick to power the Buffalo Sabres past the Boston Bruins.

In a highly anticipated clash against a top division rival, the Rangers (24-22-4) weren’t terrible. But they most definitely were not good enough over 60 minutes Tuesday. As such, they lost their second straight game overall, following that painful 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, when Artturi Lehkonen scored with 15 seconds left in regulation.

As Mika Zibanejad said postgame Tuesday night at MSG, that Colorado loss “stings” but so does this one against the Hurricanes. It’s the first time since closing December with four straight defeats that the Rangers have lost consecutive games.

Their first two losses this season against the Hurricanes took place during that miserable 4-15-0 stretch of play in November and December. There was a 4-3 loss in Raleigh on Thanksgiving Eve and a 3-1 defeat at MSG on Dec. 22. So, they’ve managed four goals in three games against the Hurricanes, one in the past two.

This latest loss drops the Rangers to 6-8-0 in the Metropolitan Division. so it’s not a major surprise they’re tied for fifth in the division and 12th in the Eastern Conference. Division games matter. Then again, every game matters, especially with the Rangers trying to climb out of the huge hole they created for themselves.

January’s schedule is done. Now there are five games in eight days to play before an extended break for the 4 Nations Face-off. Ten points up for grabs against a mixed-bag of opponents beginning with the struggling Bruins on Saturday afternoon in Boston.

Related: Why Rangers ‘need (Zac Jones) here’ even when not playing

3 takeaways from Rangers’ 4-0 loss to Hurricanes

Here are three takeaways from the loss Tuesday.

1. Struggling to keep up with best teams

The Rangers were a solid 8-3-3 in January, vaulting right back into the thick of the mediocre group of teams battling for a wild-card playoff berth in the East. They did an excellent job knocking off so-so teams in front of them in the playoff race like the Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets, and they pasted the Philadelphia Flyers, who are tied with the Rangers in the standings. They also dispatched the two teams they should have, the Chicago Blackhawks and Utah Hockey Club.

But when it came time for the Rangers to take out legit playoff teams, two things were evident. The Rangers are good enough to by and large keep up with the better teams. But right now, their game is not sound enough to earn two points consistently.

Yes, the Rangers did defeat the New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights in consecutive games Jan. 9-11. But they blew third-period leads to lose four games (0-1-3) including three against quality opponents — twice to the Avalanche and once against the Dallas Stars. They also blew a third-period lead to lose in OT to the Montreal Canadiens, another middle-of-the-pack team.

Then there was the Hurricanes loss. It feels like the Rangers could make the playoffs but be a quick out this spring when faced with top competition.

2. Another deflating meltdown

Each of the four goals allowed by the Rangers came directly off turnovers and poor defensive coverage. It started just 56 seconds in, when Artemi Panarin’s neutral-zone turnover turned into a quick transition goal. No one picked up Andrei Svechnikov skating right down the middle to wire a shot past Igor Shesterkin after taking a pass from Taylor Hall.

Shesterkin cleaned up other mistakes until allowing three goals in a 3:01 Rangers meltdown that bridged periods 2 and 3. Vincent Trocheck’s ill-advised drop pass on a short-handed rush sent the Hurricanes the other way to score a backbreaking goal with 31 seconds left in the second period. Again, no one was there to stop Svechnikov, this time for an easy tap in.

Mikko Rantanen's first point as a Hurricane is an assist to Andrei Svechnikov 🤝 pic.twitter.com/gI3DYgirtj

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 29, 2025

A soft clearing attempt by Chris Kreider early in the third led to a turnover at the blue line and a quick Sebastian Aho goal. Then Zibanejad lost a puck battle behind his own net, leaving his man wide-open in the slot, and Seth Jarvis buried a one-timer with Alexis Lafreniere about two strides too late to cover him.

Sebastian Aho – Carolina Hurricanes (17) pic.twitter.com/PMYaf30ppI

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) January 29, 2025

If you’re wondering, the answer is no. No, the Rangers haven’t completely cleaned up and fixed their defensive zone issues.

3. Andy was dandy

There are two ways to look at the Rangers ending up with a goose egg on the scoreboard. One is that they couldn’t finish some really good looks, primarily in the second period, with Kreider’s flub at the side of the net a major missed opportunity to tie the game. The other is to credit Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen.

As with most situations, it’s never just one thing. Yes, a bounce here or there, more traffic in front, some better finish and the Rangers could’ve had a better result. But Andersen deserves props. He was excellent in his third game back following knee surgery. The Rangers managed just 22 shots on goal, but Andersen did make several Grade-A stops, especially during the large swath of the game when the score was 1-0. He sure looked healthy in the first period when he made back-to-back saves to stone Trocheck point blank and then deny Lafreniere on a rebound in front.

The deflated Rangers cratered offensively after the Hurricanes scored two quick ones in the third. Andersen faced only three shots in the period, though he did stop Zibanejad on a late breakaway to preserve the shutout.