Kreider and his Anaheim Ducks teammates — including former Rangers Jacob Trouba, Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome — left the Garden with a solid 4-1 victory. Kreider didn’t hit the score sheet, but Trouba, who was traded to the Ducks last December, started the play that led to the game’s first goal, a shorthanded tally by Jackson Lacombe at 7:18 of the second period.

That came after Kreider was honored for his 13 seasons on Broadway with a video tribute during the first media timeout in the opening period, as well as a standing ovation not only from the sellout crowd of 18,006 but also from his former teammates.

Kreider said playing against the Rangers was “a little weird. It took me a couple of shifts to remember the guys in blue weren’t my teammates.”

Though Kreider said he didn’t see most of the video tribute because coach Joel Quenneville was talking strategy, he caught the end before taking a lap in front of the Ducks bench, waving his stick and patting his heart to the crowd while trying to control his emotions.

“What I did see was awesome,” he said. “Just really grateful for the experience. It was certainly a warm welcome back. That was incredible. Really, really, really cool moment.

“It’s hard to put into words what the experience was like for 13 years, what that experience was like tonight. I don’t know. It kind of leaves you speechless.”

A few minutes later, it was Trouba’s turn.

Unlike Kreider, the Rangers’ former captain faced his former teammates on March 28 in Anaheim after being dealt to the Ducks just over a year ago. He received his own video tribute and a warm ovation.

“Means a lot to me,” he said of The Garden and the fans who cheered him there, “and this place will always be special.”

After the game, Kreider and Trouba shared the “Bombay Jacket,” Anaheim’s version of The Broadway Hat.

For the first time ever, the Bombay Jacket is being shared!!#FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/KKOq2m5wKJ

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) December 16, 2025

Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba get huge welcome, and win, in MSG return

Those teammates were very aware that this was no ordinary game – something that was apparent when all four ex-Rangers took the ice for the opening face-off.

“That was a cool move by coach,” Kreider said. “It’s a fun building to play in, even as an opponent.”

The Ducks were very conscious of wanting to win one for Kreider and Trouba.

“We said before the game that we’ve got to play for these guys,” said Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal, who made 26 saves and was sharp all night.

Kreider and the Ducks left MSG with the win after Cutter Gauthier broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal 5:51 into the third period, then hit the empty net with 22 seconds left to ice the win. The 34-year-old slapped gloves with his teammates and received the game puck as a souvenir of his first MSG victory as a visiting player after 13 seasons with the Rangers.

“Maybe next time it’ll feel a little more normal,” Kreider shared. “I had a little adrenaline dump in the first period, a little bit of tunnel vision and nerves like my first game here in New York.”

One ex-teammate Kreider didn’t face on the ice was his best friend, center Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers scratched Zibanejad safter he missed a team meeting. Zibanejad was on hand for the game and caught up with his old teammate in the hallway after the game.

The fans in New York welcome back Chris Kreider, who played 13 seasons with the @NYRangers, in his return to the world's most famous arena. 👏 pic.twitter.com/hWHVHi4AnK

— NHL (@NHL) December 16, 2025

Kreider’s 326 goals are third in Rangers history; his 48 playoff goals are first and he’s tied for the franchise record with 116 power-play goals. But the Rangers traded him after he dropped to 22 goals and 30 points last season, when he battled injuries and illness.

However, Kreider is healthy this season and his scoring touch returned. Kreider has 13 goals and 20 points in 29 games for Anaheim, which is second in the Pacific Division and trying to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.

Chris Kreider gets his tribute video and takes a lap to salute the MSG faithful 👏 pic.twitter.com/tDR0ukGFIA

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 16, 2025

“It’s great to be truly healthy,” he said after the morning skate.

Rangers forward Matt Rempe, who returned to the lineup after missing 24 games with a broken thumb, was happy that his comeback coincided with the return of two former teammates.

“It was real cool,” he said. “Both of those guys were really good mentors to me and awesome teammates. It was great seeing them.”

The final score doesn’t do justice to how tight this game was. The Ducks scored three times in the third period to snap a 1-1 tie, including two goals in the final minute of play — one into an empty net and another after Igor Shesterkin returned to the ice.

Shesterkin was furious after the game, smashing his stick in the tunnel heading to the Rangers dressing room after he exited the ice. The Rangers goalie made 22 saves, but was bested by Anaheim’s Lukas Dostal, who stopped 26 of 27 shots and was the Second Star of the Game.

Igor Shesterkin just DESTROYED his stick while heading off the ice after the Rangers 14th home loss of the season 😳 pic.twitter.com/nOnoatQhrf

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 16, 2025

The first star wasn’t Kreider nor Trouba, but instead their 21-year-old teammate Cutter Gauthier, who scored his 17th and 18th goals of the season, including the game-winner early in the third period.

Jackson Lacombe and Pavel Mintyukov also scored for Anaheim, which ended a two-game skid. Matthew Robertson scored his second goal of the season for the Rangers (16-14-4), who couldn’t build off a rousing 5-4 overtime win Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. New York is 1-2-2 in its past five games.

Through two periods, the Rangers were the superior team by any way you judge it. They were quicker to pucks, spent more time in the offensive zone then defending, and had an expected goal share of 63.24 percent, per Natural Stat Trick. They out-attempted the Ducks 50-37, out-shot them 22-18, and won 66 percent (21 of 32) of the face-offs.

But the score was even, 1-1, heading into the third period.

Dostal was outstanding for the Ducks, the main reason why the Rangers had just one goal. And that goal was a fluky one. Robertson’s awkward shot from inside the blue line hit the stick of Ducks forward Frank Vatrano in the slot and deflected high into the air. Vincent Trocheck chopped at the puck above Dostal’s shoulder, but missed. Instead the Ducks goalie knocked the puck back into his own net at 16:18 of the second period, with Robertson credited for the game-tying goal.

They don't ask how 😌 pic.twitter.com/HAiFcQn16a

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 16, 2025

Anaheim opened the scoring 7:18 into the second period, when Lacombe scored their sixth short-handed goal of the season, tying the Los Angeles Kings for most in the NHL.

Trouba sprung Ducks teammate Ryan Poehling on a short-handed rush with a long bank pass off the boards. Poehling cut to the net and his shot was denied by Shesterkin, who also scrambled to save Lacombe’s rebound try. But the puck went off the skate of the back-checking Will Cuylle and slipped between Shesterkin’s pads to make it 1-0 Ducks.

Anaheim nearly carried a 2-1 lead into the second intermission but Mikael Granlund’s rising power-play shot hit the cross-bar at 17:33.

However, Gauthier scored off the rush 5:51 into the third period to put the Ducks back on top. His goal off a pretty cross-ice feed from rookie Bennett Senecke came just as Will Borgen exited the penalty box following a hooking minor.

Blink and you’ll miss this Cutter Gauthier snipe 🎯 pic.twitter.com/cjNFcmgza6

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 16, 2025

The teams traded near misses shortly after Gauthier’s goal. Urho Vaakanainen, who was acquired by the Rangers from the Ducks in the Trouba trade a year ago, rang a shot off the post at 6:22. And then Vatrano, a former Rangers forward, kissed iron with a left-wing blast for the Ducks at 9:09.

The Ducks held the Rangers to five shots on goal in the third period and then pulled away in the final minute of regulation to earn their 20th victory of the season. With Shesterkin on the bench for a sixth attacker and 21.6 seconds on the clock, Gauthier scored into the empty net to make it 3-1. Then after Shesterkin returned to the ice, Mintyukov wired a shot over the left shoulder of the Rangers goalie at 19:57 to close out the scoring.

Key takeaways after Rangers lose 4-1 to Ducks

Welcome back

Kreider and Trouba shared a long hug before exiting the ice after the final buzzer. It’s a win each will remember and cherish. This was Kreider’s first-ever game against the Rangers, who selected him in then first round of the 2009 NHL Draft and traded him to the Ducks this past offseason. He’s third in Rangers history with 326 goals scored in the regular season, and their all-time leader with 48 playoff goals.

As expected, Kreider received an extended standing ovation from the Garden Faithful after a tribute displayed on the Garden videoboard during the first television timeout at 8:57 of the first period. He saluted the crowd, patted his heart several times, and then went back to work for his new team. Kreider didn’t land on the score sheet nor record a shot on goal in 18:24 TOI.

Chris Kreider gets his tribute video and takes a lap to salute the MSG faithful 👏 pic.twitter.com/tDR0ukGFIA

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 16, 2025

Trouba, the former Rangers captain, also received a video tribute and a less rousing ovation from the crowd. The rugged defenseman played a bigger role in the game than Kreider, logging 23:21 TOI, assisting on Lacombe’s goal, recording three shots on goal, three blocked shots, and two hits, and taking the game’s first penalty, tripping Alexis Lafreniere 5:14 into the first period.

Jacob Trouba gets a tribute video in his return to MSG and he salutes the crowd 🫡 pic.twitter.com/AOCtka5dUJ

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) December 16, 2025

Missing Mika

Mika Zibanejad didn’t get the chance to play against his former teammates, including his BFF Kreider. That’s because coach Mike Sullivan scratched Zibanejad after the alternate captain missed a team meeting.

There’s no doubt the Rangers missed Zibanejad, who’s tied for the team lead with 11 goals and sits third with 25 points. Without him, Sullivan moved Trocheck in between Artemi Panarin and Lafreniere, a comfortable former fit. And Miller centered Cuylle and Conor Sheary. Jonny Brodzinski drew into the lineup on the third line.

Though each line had a solid expected goal share, no forward scored Monday for the Rangers

“I’m not going to get into specifics on why we make decisions the way we made them,” Sullivan said postgame. “We believe strongly in a process that we’ve put in place here for our team. … Mika and I had a discussion, we made a decision, and we move on. He’s an important player for us. He’s a terrific player and he’s a terrific person.”

Five-forward failure

With or without Zibanejad, the five-forward grouping on the top power-play unit continues to fail miserably. It was 0-for-4 Monday and is now 0-for-15 in six games since deployed by Sullivan after power-play quarterback Adam Fox landed on LTIR.

The Rangers did score a pair of power-play goals against the Canadiens. But the second unit, with four forwards and one defenseman, scored one of those goals. And the other was a 4-on-3 power-play goal in overtime.

Ducks finally break through, and in spectacular fashion. Lukáš Dostál comes up huge late in a 5-on-3 Rangers advantage, and the Ducks go the other way, where Jackson LaCombe cashes in the rebound.

1-0 Ducks in MSG. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/2PePyXeKuF

— Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) December 16, 2025

Against the Ducks, the Rangers had 22 seconds of a 5-on-3 in the second period shortly before Lacombe scored short-handed during a 4-on-5 kill. The Rangers had one great scoring chance, but Dostal made an outstanding glove save to rob Trocheck, and then the Ducks went the other way to score. That’s the second shorty allowed by the five-forward unit in the past three games.

If this were baseball, scratched defenseman Scott Morrow might be warming up in the bullpen for a crack at quarterbacking that top unit. That opportunity could come as soon as Tuesday, when the Rangers host the Vancouver Canucks.

Rempe returns

After missing 24 games and nearly two months with an upper-body injury, Matt Rempe returned to the Rangers lineup. The popular 6-foot-9 forward led the Rangers with five hits over 12 shifts and 9:01 TOI. Back on the fourth line, he, Sam Carrick, and Taylor Raddysh were very effective with an 81.50 expected goal share. However, they were on ice for Anaheim’s final goal in the dying seconds of regulation.

Rempe appeared to beg off a possible fight with Ross Johnston during the game. He explained afterward that he broke his thumb multiple times during a fight with Ryan Reaves of the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23, and it’s not completely healed.

“I got to the penalty box … and I looked down at my thumb and I was like, ‘God, this thing is not right,'” Rempe shared postgame about his injury.

“No,” he told the assembled media when asked if he’d ever been in the visitors’ locker room, then nodded when asked if he needed to be shown the door the visitors use to take the ice at the Garden.

Kreider’s 912th NHL game will be the first at MSG as a member of the visiting team. The Rangers traded him to Anaheim in June for forward prospect Carey Terrance and a swap of draft picks.

Chris Kreider, ladies and gentlemen. Wearing orange. pic.twitter.com/B2KFaoPiJs

— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) December 15, 2025

He’s not sure how emotional it will be to step on the Garden ice wearing another team’s sweater for the first time.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Trying to go on with no expectations and just get ready to play a hockey game. But it’s a passionate fan base. It’s a place that I’ve spent the majority of my life, so I’m sure it’ll be emotional for me. To what extent, I don’t know. I’m just trying to worry about the here and the now.”

One thing that has helped him adapt to his new surroundings is the presence of three former teammates – forwards Frank Vatrano, center Ryan Strome and defenseman Jacob Trouba. The Rangers traded Trouba to Anaheim last December; he’s also making his first visit to the Garden since the deal.

 “It’s made the transition easier,” he said. “Having Jacob there, having Frank, Stromer – that familiarity certainly helps. The entire group’s been great.”

Ex-Rangers Kreider, Trouba ready for return to ‘amazing building’

Kreider’s 326 goals are third in Rangers history; his 48 playoff goals are first and he’s tied for the franchise record with 116 power-play goals. But the Rangers let him go after he dropped to 22 goals and 30 goals last season while battling injuries and illness.

But Kreider is healthy this year, and his scoring touch has returned. The 34-year-old has 13 goals and 20 points in 28 games for Anaheim, which is second in the Pacific Division and trying to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.

“It’s great to be truly healthy,” he said.

He also paid tribute to the fans who supported him during his 13 seasons in New York.

“I think it’s hard to express my appreciation for all the support we had over all those years, over all those runs,” he said. “It’s an amazing building; it’s the most famous building in the world, right? But it’s a building. The fans are what makes it a special place. Just being out there this morning, pregame skating on that ice, it’s cool.

“But it’s an empty building; at the end of the day, it’s the fans that make it what it is. It’s hard to put into words my gratitude and appreciation for the support and the passion over all those years.”

The Rangers undoubtedly will give Kreider a video tribute, and he can expect an ovation from the fans who cheered him on in New York.

So, will he watch the video?

“I don’t know how the angle is from that (visitors) bench; probably. What am I going to do – stare at my shoes,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know. I’ll let you know after it happens.”

The Rangers kept Kreider in the loop after deciding to trade him. Trouba’s departure wasn’t as amicable, but he said Monday that he preferred to think of the good times with the Blueshirts rather than his departure.

“I didn’t enjoy it in the moment, but it’s just a small piece of what was a very, very memorable and impactful 5 1/2 years for me,” he said. “That’s not the moment I focus on.”

Trouba faced his former team in Anaheim on March 28, when the Ducks rallied for a 5-4 win. But this is his first visit to the arena he called home for five-plus seasons.

“You don’t know exactly how you’re going to feel,” he said of coming back to the Garden. “It was pretty good for me. I went downtown, back by my apartment, last night and walked around. That one got me a little bit. It’ll be fun being back here tonight.”

The Rangers schedule is packed this week, with five games in the next seven days, beginning with a visit by Kreider and his new team Monday night. They traded the third-leading goal-scorer in their history (326 goals) to the Ducks in June for minor-league forward Carey Terrance and an exchange of draft picks.

Last season, the 34-year-old forward had his worst full-season offensive numbers (22 goals, 30 points) since 2016-17. With the Rangers wanting to get younger and shave money off their salary cap, they felt Kreider, with two seasons remaining on his $6.5 million AAV contract, was expendable. That’s despite the fact he’s also first in franchise history with 48 playoff goals and tied for first with 116 regular-season power-play goals.

Kreider rediscovered his scoring touch with the Ducks. In 28 games, he has 13 goals and 20 points, keeping the Ducks near the top of the Pacific Division as they try to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017-18. They haven’t finished higher than sixth in the division since then.

The Rangers are coming off arguably their biggest win of the season, a 5-4 overtime victory against the Montreal Canadiens at The Garden on Saturday night that saw them overcome a 3-0 deficit before J.T. Miller’s power-play goal at 2:56 of OT gave them the win. The key now is that the Rangers must build on the emotion of that win. New York begins the week two points behind the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins, who hold the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference.

There’s opportunity here — three of their five opponents (the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators) enter the week outside of a playoff position. But the Rangers can’t afford to look past anyone, especially later in the week where they’re liable to feel the strain of so much hockey in so little time.

Who’s hot

Miller also scored the tying goal against Montreal and is up to nine goals in 33 games. He has six points (two goals, four assists) in his past five games and starting to look like the offensive force the Rangers thought they were getting when they acquired him from the Canucks on Jan. 31.

Who’s not

The Rangers don’t count on fourth-line center Sam Carrick for a lot of offense, but 11 games without a point won’t cut it. Coach Mike Sullivan cut Carrick’s ice time – he hasn’t played more than 9:41 in the past six games. Perhaps Matt Rempe’s long-awaited return from a two-month injury absence can spark Carrick, should the 6-foot-9 forward rejoin the lineup this week.

Rangers lookahead this week includes …

One of the busiest seven-day stretches in franchise history. It’s the first time the Rangers play five games in a seven-day span since they did it from March 11-17, 2024 (they were 4-1-0, a result they’d be happy to emulate). Before that, you have to go back to April 2-8, 1996, to find the Rangers playing five games in seven days, though that one was Tuesday-Monday rather than Monday-Sunday.

Anaheim Ducks at Rangers (Dec. 15, 7 p.m.; MSG)

Kreider isn’t the only ex-Rangers player returning to MSG. It’s also Jacob Trouba’s first game back in New York since the Rangers traded the 28th captain in franchise history to the Ducks on Dec. 6, 2024. Trouba did face his former team in Anaheim on March 28, dishing out four hits in the Ducks’ 5-4 win. Trouba is not nearly as beloved as Kreider, but his return should also elicit some powerful memories.

Trouba leads Anaheim defensemen with five goals and a plus-14 rating. He has five assists in 10 career games against the Rangers, nine of those contests early in his career with the Winnipeg Jets.

Igor Shesterkin is 2-0-1 against the Ducks despite a 3.65 goals-against average and .849 save percentage. With games on back-to-back nights, Sullivan might use Jonathan Quick, who is 30-13-9 against Anaheim with a 2.34 GAA and .913 save percentage.

Miller feasts on the Ducks during his career, with 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in 24 games. Artemi Panarin has 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) in 19 games.

Vancouver Canucks at Rangers (Dec. 16, 7 p.m., MSG)

The Rangers face a remodeled Canucks team after the trade that sent 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild on Friday in exchange for three players and a No. 1 draft pick next year. One of the newcomers, defenseman Zev Buium, had a goal and assist for his new team on Sunday in a 2-1 road win against the New Jersey Devils.

New York won 2-0 in Vancouver on Oct. 28 and swept the season series against the Canucks in 2024-25. The Rangers are 6-1-0 in their past seven against the team they beat to win their most recent Stanley Cup in 1994.

Mika Zibanejad continued his career success against the Canucks by scoring the winning goal in the victory at Vancouver. He has 12 goals and 25 points in 23 career games against Vancouver.

Rangers at St. Louis Blues (Dec. 18, 8 p.m., MSGSN)

The Rangers edged the Blues 3-2 at MSG on Nov. 24, but they’ll be trying to end a five-game losing streak at Enterprise Center, where they haven’t won since Dec. 31, 2018. The Blueshirts are 6-6-1 in their past 13 games against the Blues overall and 85-50-3 with 17 ties since St. Louis entered the NHL in 1967.

Vincent Trocheck scored one of the Rangers goals in the win against the Blues last month, giving him 10 in 17 career games. Will Cuylle has three goals and four points in his four games against St. Louis.

Both could be in line to add to those totals – the Blues (12-14-7) enter the week last in the NHL in goals allowed (118) and goal differential (minus-34).

Philadelphia Flyers at Rangers (Dec. 19, 12:30 p.m., MSG)

The Rangers and Flyers meet for the first of four times this season after Philadelphia won three of four games in 2024-25. That includes an embarrassing 8-5 loss at the Garden on April 9.

The Flyers are off to a surprising start, though they enter the week after losing back-to-back shootouts to the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend. Before that, Philadelphia was 5-0 in tiebreakers this season.

Panarin has 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists) and is plus-14 in 36 games against the Flyers. Zibanejad, who had four assists in the 8-5 loss, has 19 goals and 42 points in 48 games. Flyers captain Sean Couturier faces the Rangers for the 51st time in the regular season; he has 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists).

Rangers at Nashville Predators (Dec. 20, 7 p.m., MSG2)

The Rangers hop on a plane ASAP after the game against the Flyers and fly to Music City for the final game of their marathon week. They’ll be trying to complete a season sweep of the Predators after winning 6-3 at the Garden on Nov. 10 — despite a hat trick by Nashville rookie Matthew Wood.

Don’t be surprised if the game ends in a shutout. Four of the previous eight games between the teams had that finish – including each of the two meetings last season, when Nashville won 2-0 at home on Dec. 17, 2024. and New York returned the favor at MSG with a 4-0 win on March 2.

Alexis Lafreniere had his best game this season in the win against Nashville; he scored one goal, set up two others and finished plus-3.

Steven Stamkos was scoreless in the loss to the Rangers last month. But he had a four-goal performance last week and owns good career offensive numbers against the Rangers – 19 goals and 43 points in 45 games, all but three with the Tampa Bay Lightning. But much of that has come on the power play; he’s minus-22 all-time against New York.

That’s because Chris Kreider, one of the most popular players of this current Rangers era, returns to MSG for the first time since being traded to the Ducks this past offseason. There’s sure to be an outpouring of love for Kreider, who’s third in Rangers history with 326 goals, first with 48 goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and tied for first with 116 power-play goals.

As for a bit of revenge or extra motivation on Kreider’s part, don’t expect him to admit to anything, based on his comments to The Athletic last week.

“I don’t think that’s something that you can use consistently,” the 34-year-old forward explained. “I think that ends up being more of an energy sap. I’m intrinsically motivated. I don’t need anyone else to push me. That daily process, that daily mission — I know what I want to work on, what I want to accomplish. I think all the other stuff is just noise.”

Perhaps that’s so. But Kreider played 883 regular-season games over 13 seasons with the Rangers, and there’s a good chance his No. 20 gets raised to the MSG rafters one day after his career is over. He helped the Rangers reach the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, win the Presidents’ Trophy twice, and play in the Eastern Conference Final five times.

That video tribute Monday will bring cheers and a standing ovation from the Rangers Faithful. And more than a few tears from fans, and perhaps Kreider, too.

If all that’s not enough, it’s also Jacob Trouba’s first return to The Garden since the Rangers traded the 28th captain in franchise history to the Ducks on Dec. 6, 2024. He’s not nearly as beloved as Kreider, but the Trouba Train running through MSG again should elicit powerful memories, as well.

So, you’ve got the makings of a must-see event.

Plus, this should be a real good hockey game. The Rangers (16-13-4) come off a thrilling gut-check victory over the Montreal Canadiens, winning 5-4 in overtime Saturday after rallying from down 3-0 and 4-2. The Rangers earned points in eight of their past 10 games (6-2-2), including each of their past four home contests (2-0-2).

The Ducks (19-12-1) are second in the Pacific Division, and among the biggest surprises in the NHL this season. However, they lost two straight, including 4-1 at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, and are 8-9-0 since Nov. 11.

In their past 12 games against the Ducks, the Rangers have a 9-1-2 record. The Rangers are on a 10-game home-winning streak against the Ducks at MSG.

3 storylines when Rangers host Ducks

1. Setting friendship aside

UPDATE: Mika Zibanejad won’t play Monday. The 32-year-old is a healthy scratch after he missed a team meeting.

An intriguing subplot to this one is how Kreider and his best friend on the Rangers, Mika Zibanejad, fare going head-to-head against one another. The longtime linemates are very close, with Zibanejad serving as Kreider’s best man in his wedding in 2023. Each is a proud athlete and competitor, as well, so this should be a doozy if each pushes the other on the ice Monday.

After struggles on and off the ice for each last season, Kreider and Zibanejad are back in top form in 2025-26. Kreider is third on the Ducks with 13 goals, and his six power-play tallies not only lead them, but are tied with Zibanejad for 10th most in the NHL.

Zibanejad leads the Rangers with 11 goals, and is third with 25 points. The 32-year-old set up J.T. Miller’s overtime winner against the Canadiens and has points in eight of his past nine games (three goals, six points). He also owns the Ducks, with points in 10 of his past 11 games against them (nine goals, eight assists).

2. It’s not just Kreider

The Ducks are second in the NHL, averaging 3.44 goals per game. Kreider’s a big part of the explosive Ducks core, one that features some of the best young talent in the NHL.

Forward Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 32 games, tied for 10th in the NHL scoring race. Teammates Cutter Gauthier (16 goals, 18 assists) and Troy Terry (10 goals, 24 assists) each have 34 points, giving the Ducks three players with more points than the Rangers leading scorer, Artemi Panarin (33 points; 11 goals, 12 assists).

Scoring goals isn’t an issue for the Ducks, but keeping the puck out of their own net is. Anaheim is 25th in the League with a team 3.34 goals-against average.

3. Power Ranger

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan simply gushed about Miller following the big win Saturday. Miller scored the tying and winning goals, including his second OT goal this season. And Sullivan loved how each was scored.

“The two goals he scored are prototypical J.T. Miller hockey. One’s at the blue paint, he plays his power game. And the overtime winner is, that one-timer is a missile. That’s a goal scorer’s goal, and that’s what he’s capable of,” Sullivan said postgame.

Miller arrived back on Broadway last season in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks, nearly eight weeks after the Rangers dealt Trouba to the Ducks. So, they weren’t Blueshirt teammates. But they’re forever linked since Miller became the 29th captain in Rangers history at the start of this season, replacing Trouba.

Miller now has nine goals and 20 points in 32 games this season. Trouba’s excelled with the Ducks as a top-pair defenseman, and has 14 points (five goals, nine assists), averaging 22:02 TOI in 32 games.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Artemi Panarin — Jonny Brodzinski — Alexis Lafreniere

J.T. Miller — Vincent Trocheck — Conor Sheary

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Brett Berard

Taylor Raddysh — Sam Carrick — Matt Rempe

Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen — Matthew Robertson

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Anaheim Ducks

When: Monday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

“It’s a lot that day, when you’re heading back into the building, even just walking to the other side. It’s just a heavy day,” Stepan explained last week on the Morning Cuppa Hockey podcast. “Everyone around you wants to give you advice, like ‘Hey, after your first shift you’ll get into it.’ And then the video [tribute] comes and you’re sitting there watching it.

“So for Chris, there’s just no good advice and there’s no easy way to do it. He’ll do it like the rest of the guys have done it, and he’ll get through it, and the next time it gets easier.”

The Rangers traded Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks last summer, and Monday marks his first return to MSG. The popular 34-year-old forward played 883 regular-season games, and another 123 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, over 13 seasons with the Rangers. He’s third in franchise history with 326 goals, and tied for first with 116 power-play goals.

Kreider’s off to a great start with the Ducks. He has 13 goals and 21 points in 26 games, helping the Ducks (19-10-1) to the top of the Pacific Division standings.

Outside of his famous roars when he scores a goal, Kreider is not known to share his emotions publicly. It’ll be interesting to see how Kreider reacts to the expected rousing ovation when he hits the ice at The Garden, and again when the tribute video is played on the MSG videoboard.

“It’s goofy. Again, it’s just heavy,” Stepan explained. “You go into the building, and whatever the emotions were at the time you got traded, whether you were angry or sad or excited to be going out of there, whatever your scenario was, when you come into that building, all you wan to do is win. You’re like, ‘I don’t care what it takes, we’ve got to get two points, and then I want to get out of this building.’

“You get out on the ice and then they show you the tribute and you’re like, ‘Oh man, it was a great time when I was here.’ It just downshifts you so hard. It’s mixed emotions. … It’s just one goofy night.”

Derek Stepan recalls his first game back at MSG after Rangers traded him

Stepan was a very popular homegrown Rangers player, but didn’t have quite the distinguished career on Broadway that Kreider did. Nor did he play as long with the Rangers. The former top-6 center, who’s now retired and working for the Minnesota Wild, is 29th in Rangers history with 360 points (128 goals, 232 assists) in 515 regular-season games.

As teammates, Stepan and Kreider helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy in 2014-15, reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, and play in the Eastern Conference Final three times. The Rangers traded Stepan at the 2017 NHL Draft, sending him to the Arizona Coyotes. Not unlike Kreider, Stepan was moved primarily to create more room under the salary cap.

Stepan’s return to Madison Square Garden didn’t go so well. The Coyotes lost their 10th straight game that night, falling 5-2 to the Rangers on Oct. 26, 2017. Stepan was held without a point and finished minus-3.

The Rangers would sign up for a similar result Monday. The Ducks and Kreider? Not so much.

Buoyed by the play of four ex-Rangers on their roster, the Anaheim Ducks (10-3-1) own the best record in the Pacific Division. They extended their winning streak to six Saturday, when former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba scored with 32 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Ducks to an exciting 4-3 road victory against the second-place Vegas Golden Knights.

The goal was a beauty. Trouba accepted a pass from Leo Carlsson, blew past the Vegas defender, and had a sweet finish to beat goalie Akira Schmid for the OT game-winner.

🚨 TROUBA IN OT 🚨

SIX WINS IN A ROW! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/8csyoMEKyd

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) November 9, 2025

It capped a rousing night for Trouba, who also assisted on a goal by former Rangers forward Frank Vatrano in the first period, blocked four shots, was credited with three hits, and led all skaters with 26:36 TOI.

“He’s adding some offense to the back end. … He’s doing a lot of things out there for us. He’s been really good for us,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville told The Athletic earlier in the week.

Trouba’s in the midst of a rebirth with the Ducks. The 31-year-old has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his past nine games, after he was held off the score sheet in each of the first five this season. He leads all NHL players with a plus-16 rating.

Never an analytics darling, Trouba’s xGF is 53.91 percent, per Natural Stat Trick, He’s been on ice for a team-high 10 high-danger goals for, and only five against 5v5, and Anaheim’s outscored opponents 18-6 with Trouba out there at even strength.

The Rangers traded Trouba to the Ducks last December, with his play slipping and salary onerous for a team up against the cap. Trouba is in the final season of a seven-year contract that pays him $8 million annually.

Jacob Trouba playing major role with Rangers West in Anaheim

The Rangers also traded Chris Kreider to the Ducks, largely for financial reasons, this past offseason. Kreider’s been terrific for the Ducks, with nine goals in 10 games. He’s a big reason why the Ducks lead the NHL with an average of 4.14 goals scored per game.

Vatrano, a key trade-deadline pick up by the Rangers in 2022 who helped fuel their run to the Eastern Conference Final that spring, scored a career-high 37 goals with the Ducks two seasons ago and had 21 in 2024-25. But the goal Saturday was just his second this season.

Frank Vatrano gets in front of the net for his second goal of the season!#FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/Xsrefw5VUD

— Victory+ (@victoryplustv) November 9, 2025

Popular former Rangers center Ryan Strome has yet to play this season due to an upper-body injury. But Quenneville said this week that Strome is “under consideration” to return to Anaheim’s lineup.

Meanwhile, the Rangers lost again, and were shut out again, on home ice Saturday, losing to the Islanders 5-0. They’re 0-6-1 at Madison Square Garden this season, a historically bad start at home. The Rangers scored six goals in seven home games and been shut out five times.

The Rangers do have the best road record (7-1-1) in the NHL, and have won four straight away from MSG. At 7-7-2 with 16 points overall, the Rangers remain right in the mix of the Eastern Conference standings, despite averaging the fewest goals per game (2.19) in the League.

The Rangers traded Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks on June 12 for prospect Carey Terrance and a swap of draft picks. The deal was made after the No. 3 goal-scorer in team history (326) dropped from 39 goals and 75 points in 2023-24 to 22 goals and 30 points last season, when he missed time with a broken hand, a back problem and vertigo. In addition, Kreider’s name was leaked in a trade memo Rangers general manager Chris Drury sent to the other 31 GMs in the League, helping upend his final season on Broadway.

Kreider ultimately waved his no-trade clause to leave the only NHL organization he’d ever played for and join a team that hasn’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2017-18. But one month into the new season, the Rangers might like to have him back.

While the Blueshirts struggle to put the puck in the net (NHL-low 2.21 goals through 14 games, six goals in six home games), Kreider rediscovered his scoring touch in Anaheim, where he joined former teammates Ryan Strome, Jacob Trouba and Frank Vatrano on “Rangers West.” His old team is mired at 6-6-2, last in the Metropolitan Division, entering a road game against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. Meanwhile, his new club leads the Pacific Division with a 9-3-1 record, has won five in a row, and leads the NHL with 4.15 goals per game.

One big reason for the early success is Kreider, who has nine goals in his first nine games with his new team, including a pair on Thursday when the Ducks rallied from an early two-goal deficit for a 7-5 win against the Stars in Dallas. His first goal at 1:16 of the second period started the comeback; his second, 16 seconds into the third, put Anaheim ahead 5-3.

🚨 Kreider 🚨

A snipe on the power play starts our scoring! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/kHe6tWxTbY

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) November 7, 2025

“I think it’s a resilient group. We started getting in behind their D and were able to play in the (offensive) zone,” he said of the turnaround against the Stars. “We stuck with it, didn’t get frustrated. It was a fun game – not a game that coaches enjoy.”

Former Rangers star Chris Kreider healthy, ‘having ton of fun’ with Ducks

So what’s the difference between last season and this one, aside from changing teams?

“Healthy, knock on wood,” Kreider said. “I’m having a ton of fun. Good group. I think missing some time and dealing with some stuff last year makes you appreciate feeling healthy again. There’s a lot of gratitude there, so (I) just show up every day and enjoy it.”

His renewed scoring touch is a big reason the Ducks scored seven times in back-to-back wins against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and the Stars. Anaheim became the sixth team in the past 40 years to score seven or more goals in a game at least four times through their first 13 games of a season, joining the Pittsburgh Penguins (six times in 1995-96; four in 2019-20 and 1992-93), Edmonton Oilers (four times in 1987-88) and Toronto Maple Leafs (four times in 1987-88).

Kreider is two shy of the NHL goal-scoring lead shared by teammate Cutter Gauthier and Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby. Five of his goals are on the power play, one more than the entire total scored by his old team, which at 4 for 36 (11.1 percent) has the League’s 31st-ranked extra-man unit.

The Ducks got Kreider to provide scoring and leadership on one of the youngest teams in the NHL, and he’s done everything GM Pat Verbeek and coach Joel Quenneville could ask. The only thing that’s slowed him down was a bout of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, a viral infection accompanied by a rash and multiple other symptoms that cost him four games in late October.

🚨 Kreider X 2 🚨

His deflection gives us a two-goal lead! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/HbCvgUGaKB

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) November 7, 2025

“It was weird being out that long and really not able to do anything. It’s just a lot of twiddling in my thumbs,” Kreider said before returning to the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 31. “It just had to run its course. Nothing you can do but sit there and feel awful.”

The 12-day break between games didn’t cool off Kreider’s hot stick. He scored once each against the Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Panthers before connecting twice in Dallas. Next up is a visit to the division-rival Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

“We need to continue to build our game,” he said. “I think we’ve done a good job learning from the previous game, leaving it behind and attacking the next game. We’ll enjoy this one for a few minutes and get ready for Vegas.”

The 34-year-old, who was traded to the Anaheim Ducks this past offseason, revealed Thursday that he had hand, foot, and mouth disease, and was quarantined in a hotel room for several days.

“Not pleasant at all. No, it was terrible,” Kreider told reporters after returning to practice with Ducks. “And obviously they didn’t want to give anyone on the team that, so I was locked in the hotel room for a few days. It’s awful. I don’t recommend it.”

Per the Mayo Clinic website, this disease is a “mild illness caused by viruses,” typically spread through air-born transmission. Symptoms include rashes on the hands and feet, as well as sores on and in the mouth.

Kreider’s been through the wringer the past year. He also missed games last season with a back injury and a broken hand, though the vertigo illness stood out

“Just a bunch or weird, fluky things this year,” Kreider said at Rangers breakup day in April. “The first half of the year trying to get my back figured out. Then when I got that figured out, I got a weird illness coming out of Christmas break that got into my inner ear, which I don’t recommend. And then finally when I felt like I was getting a little rhythm, getting traction, getting healthy, back felt good, I mess up my hand.

“Yeah, it was challenging.”

On top of that, Kreider’s name was leaked in a trade memo Rangers general manager Chris Drury that was sent to the other 31 GMs in the League. Suboptimal season, for sure.

Former Rangers star Chris Kreider set for return to Ducks lineup after bizarre illness

But it appears even a fresh start in SoCal can’t help Kreider stay out of harm’s way. He played just five games with the Ducks, and had four goals and one assist, before being felled by the hand, foot, and mouth disease.

Kreider’s strong start with his new team came at a time when his former club struggled mightily to do what he does best: put the puck in the net. The Rangers average 2.36 goals scored per game, second-lowest in the NHL.

Even though he dropped off to 22 goals last after scoring 39 in 2023-24, Kreider is one of the best net-front forwards in the League — and a real threat on the power play. He has 330 goals in the NHL, including 326 with the Rangers, third-most in franchise history. His 116 power-play goals with the Rangers are tied for first all-time, six ahead of current Blueshirts forward Mika Zibanejad, Kreider’s best friend on the club.

To their credit, the Ducks were 3-1-0 without Kreider in the lineup, including a 3-2 shootout win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. It’s expected that Kreider will return Friday for a home game against the Detroit Red Wings.

The pair are teammates once again, only now across the country with the Anaheim Ducks. Kreider was traded to the Ducks in June, six months after the Rangers sent Trouba there last season.

It appears that the buddies picked up right where they left off.

Kreider and Trouba represented their new team at Ducks Night, which was held by the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. The evening was highlighted by Kreider throwing out the First Pitch to Trouba.

Ducks 🤝 Halos

Chris Kreider delivered a perfect strike to Jacob Trouba at Ducks Night with the @Angels ⚾️#FlyTogether | #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/T8jF25piv9

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 6, 2025

“Right in the dirt! Right in the dirt!,” the self-deprecating Kreider joked on his way to the mound.

Unlike many celebrities or athletes who throw out the First Pitch, Kreider didn’t toss one in from the front of the mound, 40 feet or so from home plate. Instead, Kreider went atop the hill at Angels Stadium, kicked some dirt by the pitching rubber, and fired a (near) strike to Trouba.

The former Rangers were mic’d up for Ducks social media, and Trouba can be heard laughing throughout. That was especially so when Kreider went into full windup and fired the pitch.

New fits for Trouba and Kreider ⚾️

It’s Ducks Night with our friends @Angels #FlyTogether | #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/AX9eipWCwe

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 6, 2025

“Pretty good! Pretty good!,” exclaimed a laughing Trouba when he met Kreider in front of the plate for a handshake.

As they walked off the field, the former Rangers captain gushed, “That was all-time!”

After posing together for a photo with Wild Wing, the Ducks mascot, Kreider can be heard asking about the speed of his pitch.

“What’d we get on the gun?”

Related: Chris Kreider uses Shoulder Check Showcase to say goodbye to Rangers fans

Former Rangers teammates Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider enjoying summer fun in California

It’s been quite the active athletic week out in SoCal for Kreider and Trouba. Not only did they get in some baseball, Kreider and Trouba took part in the Ducks’ annual golf outing, where, again, Kreider impressed.

Absolute 🚀 from Kreider off the tee 👀 pic.twitter.com/91y2RU74F7

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 5, 2025

Oh, and they were on the ice for some hockey, too, of course, getting ready for Ducks training camp, which opens in two weeks. And there’ll be a real Rangers reunion there, too. Remember, it’s not just Kreider and Trouba on the Ducks roster. Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano are there as well.

The Ducks haven’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past seven seasons. But there are high hopes in Cali this year after the Ducks (35-37-10) finished with 80 points last season, a 21-point improvement over 2023-24. Then this offseason, they added veterans like Kreider and Mikael Granlund to support a very talented young core.