As training camps get set to open, three of the the game’s most well known defensemen have called it a career on Tuesday morning.

It started with Keith Yandle, followed by Zdeno Chara, and then capped by the stunning announcement from P.K. Subban.

Zdeno Chara retires

In an Instagram post, Chara announced his retirement but will do so first by signing a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins.

“After 25 seasons of professional hockey 1,680 NHL regular season games, 200 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and hundreds of international games I am proud to announce my decision to retire from the National Hockey League,” he said. “In doing so, I am honored to return to TD Garden today to sign a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins and officially finish my career with the team that has meant so much to me and my family. There are so many people that have helped contribute to my success, including all of you, and I look forward to properly thanking everyone this afternoon.”

Chara, 45, started his career with the New York Islanders, who drafted him in the third round in 1996 but emerged as a star after a trade to the Ottawa Senators in 2001. The seven-time NHL All-Star won the 2008-09 Norris Trophy and the 2011 Stanley Cup during his 14-year run as a captain of the Boston Bruins from 2006-2020.

For his career, he’s registered 680 points and 2,085 penalty minutes in 1,680 games with the Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Bruins and Capitals.

P.K. Subban makes stunning announcement

P.K Subban is calling it quits after just 13 NHL seasons. The star defenseman made his announcement on Instagram this Tuesday morning.

“I remember my dreams of playing in the NHL and winning a Stanley Cup, similar to the guys on the Don Cherry Rock’em Sock’em tapes at the end of every volume, with the black eyes, broken bones, and tears of joy. To this day, I still dream about it,” Subban wrote. “However, the end of this chapter is closing and after 13 years in the NHL, I have made the decision to retire.”

Subban, 33, registered 22 points in 77 games for the New Jersey Devils last season. A place he’s called home for the last three years.

The Montreal Canadiens selected P.K. in the second round of the 2007 Draft where he played the first 7 years of his career winning the Norris Trophy in 2013. He was then dealt to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber and played there for three seasons.

For his incredible career, Subban has amassed 467 points in 837 regular-season games.

Keith Yandle calls it career

Yandle, 36, set the iron man record when he played in his 965th straight game on January 25, 2022 against the New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y. Doug Jarvis previously held the mark of 964, set from 1975-87 with three different teams. His NHL-record streak came to an end on April 2, 2022 at 989 consecutive games played.

He announced his retirement after 16 NHL seasons on the Spittin Chiclets podcast.

“I’m coming on to let you guys know… I wanted to tell you that I am shutting it down from the game of hockey,” Yandle said. “I’m really at ease with it and looking forward to the next chapter.”

For Yandle’s great career, he competed in 1,109 regular season games after being drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round of the 2005 Draft.

Last season, he registered 19 points in 77 games for the Philadelphia Flyers. He ends his NHL run after 16 seasons with additional stops on the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers. The former all-star defenseman amassed 619 points during that span.

If the New York Rangers were considering bringing in a veteran left defenseman on a Professional Tryout (PTO), they’re running out of options. Two prime candidates are now off the board with Calvin de Haan signing a PTO in Carolina and Danny DeKeyser inking one in Vancouver.

Honestly, the Rangers don’t have much cap space left heading into next season. According to CapFriendly, it’s just around a million at the moment ($1,008,531).

Larry Brooks of the NY Post recently suggested that GM Chris Drury may be in the market for a veteran left defenseman in the $800,000 range. With five of their six defensemen locked into the lineup, the only opening is on the third-pair left side to play with sophomore Braden Schneider.

New York Rangers left defense opening

Zac Jones has the inside track for the job with Libor Hajek likely to earn the role as the 7th defenseman. Now that highly-touted prospect Nils Lundkvist has asked for a trade, that only leaves Matthew Robertson as another option.

Jones, 21, is in the final year of his entry-level deal that comes with a low cap hit of $925,000. He’s shown he has the ability to play in the NHL using his high hockey IQ to compensate for his size at 5-11, 185lbs. (NHL Experience: 22 games)

Hajek, 24, played in only 17 games last season with the team and registered just 1 assist with a -10 rating. In his 94 game career, all with the Rangers, he’s picked up 3 goals and 11 points while averaging 15:10 per night. (NHL Experience: 94 games)

Robertson is a 21 year-old left handed defenseman that the New York Rangers selected in the second round of the 2019 Draft. At 6-4 and 201 lbs, he already has the size to play in the NHL but has taken a little more time to develop than some of the other prospects on the blue-line. (NHL Experience: 0 games)

At the end of the day, if the Rangers really feel the need for a veteran LD, they may want to bring in a veteran on a PTO (Professional Tryout). Should one of the youngsters not seize the role, New York would have a failsafe already in place.

Of course, giving any PTO defenseman a contract means that one of the players mentioned above will be in Hartford or elsewhere.

Is there anyone left?

The most prominent name out there is veteran Keith Yandle. While his best years are behind him, he can still move the puck and is a great team guy that could help mentor Schneider. The 35 year-old notched 19 points in 77 games for the hapless Flyers last season.

Nathan Beaulieu is another name being floated out there. The 29 year-old played 24 games for the Winnipeg Jets in 2021-22 and recorded 4 assists in those contests. He’s got size at 6-2′, 201 lbs which he couples with 419 career games in the big leagues.

If the Rangers really want to add a veteran, Kris Russell could fit the bill. The 35 year-old has 912 career games under his belt but is a shadow of the defender he once was. He played 31 games for the Edmonton Oilers last season, registering 9 points. Russell also suited up for 6 playoff games.

New York Rangers will be opening training camp on September 21.

NHL News and Rumors

• Ryan Miller heading to US Hockey Hall of Fame
• Did Carey Price unofficially announce retirement?
• NHL Rumors: Habs making moves
• Will Patrick Kane end up with the Buffalo Sabres?

The New York Rangers don’t have much cap space left heading into next season. According to CapFriendly, it’s just around a million at the moment ($1,008,531).

In a recent article by Larry Brooks of the NY Post, he suggests that GM Chris Drury may be in the market for a veteran left defenseman in the $800,000 range.

Gallant likes size, we all know that, and he doubly likes size on the back end, we all sure know that. Which is why the club’s options for the third-pair left defenseman assignment that appears to be between Zac Jones and Libor Hajek — a healthy scratch 60 times, for goodness sakes — are so intriguing. Will there be a push to add an $800,000-type veteran during camp if the coach is not enamored with what he sees?

NY Post

Should the New York Rangers sign a veteran defenseman?

Looking at the lineup for next season, it appears five of their six defenseman are locked into the lineup. There is a big opening on the third-pair left side to play with sophomore Braden Schneider.

So should the Rangers look at a veteran left defenseman for next season?

First, let’s look at the current landscape.

Zac Jones has the inside track for the job with Libor Hajek likely to earn the role as the 7th defenseman. A wild card to the mix is highly-touted prospect Nils Lundkvist, but he has to make the switch from the right side to earn the job.

Jones, 21, is in the final year of his entry-level deal that comes with a low cap hit of $925,000. He’s shown he has the ability to play in the NHL using his high hockey IQ to compensate for his size at 5-11, 185lbs.

It would be wise for the Rangers to give this talented defender a long look before possibly trading him at the deadline.

However, if the Rangers really feel the need for a veteran LD, they should wait until the preseason and sign one to a PTO (Professional Tryout). Should one of the youngsters not seize the role, New York would have a failsafe already in place.

What is a PTO? It’s basically a contract that teams can offer unsigned free agents in order to invite them to training camp. This will give the club a closer look at a potential free agent they may want to sign.

Potential PTO candidates

One potential PTO candidate is Calvin de Haan. Last season, he recorded 8 points in 69 games for the Blackhawks with a cap hit of $4.55M AAV. Even if he were to come to camp on a tryout, would he sign for one-year at around league minimum?

Another option could be Ryan Murray, who played 37 games with the Avalanche in 2021-22. The 28 year-old picked up 4 points in those contests.

Red Wings veteran Danny DeKeyser is also interesting. The 32 year-old rearguard just wrapped up a 6-year deal with an AAV of $5 million and there’ve been no takers on the free agent market to date. In 2021-22, he picked up 11 assists in 59 contests.

Keith Yandle is another veteran that might make some Rangers fans smile and others cringe. While his best years are behind him, he can still move the puck and is a great team guy. The 35 year-old notched 19 points in 77 games for the hapless Flyers.

At the end of the day, the Rangers should go with the kids to start the season. That being said, it may not hurt to have an established veteran ready to go.

NHL News and Rumors

• Flames sign Nazem Kadri; trade Sean Monahan to Habs
• Senators close to landing Jakob Chychrun?
• Oilers having talking with Sam Gagner, latest on Subban and Kessel
• NHL Rumors: Avs eyeing Stastny, NYR looking for defense

While the NHL Trade Deadline is now less than two months away, the rumor mill always starts to churn a little faster and louder as it approaches.

J.T. Miller Rumors

Miller, 28, has one more year left on his deal worth $5.25M before becoming a UFA. He’s also been extremely productive with 40 points in 40 games for Vancouver this season.

The Rangers traded Miller back in 2018 in the Ryan McDonagh blockbuster. He was actually added to get back additional pieces, one being Libor Hajek. However, it was also a cap move as the Rangers were predicting Miller’s next contract to be something they didn’t want to commit too.

The connection around Miller to the Rangers has been getting louder. Yesterday, on The Daily Faceoff Show, Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna broke things down. Four teams are in on Miller including the Flames, Wild, Bruins, and yes… the Rangers.

“I think the Rangers stand out as the team that’s sort of been next-level in terms of interest,” Seravalli said. “They have a fit there and he’s comfortable with the organization, having played there in the past.”

“Looking at the Rangers, that’s a team with a lot of firepower. Could he help them 5-on-5? I think so. He’d be a good fit there because he’d give them some more depth,” McKenna explained. “I like that, but I like the Bruins better.”

Of course, the Rangers acquiring Miller would likely mean that they will see him as a replacement for Ryan Strome if they fail to reach an extension with Panarin’s preferred center by the deadline.

Rangers send Yandle congrats

Keith Yandle provided one of the season’s few highlights for the Flyers by breaking the NHL’s ironman record — previously held by Doug Jarvis — when he appeared in his 965th consecutive game. Yandle started for Philadelphia and a cheer rose immediately after the faceoff by the UBS Arena crowd in Elmont, NY.

“I’m real happy for you,” Doug Jarvis said in a video message. “This streak is a real tribute to your character, to you commitment, and your love of the game.”

965 consecutive NHL games played, 103 of them as a #NYR.

Congratulations, Keith, on breaking the NHL's Ironman record. pic.twitter.com/FyGHZiLCaZ

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 26, 2022

“It’s one of those things that I don’t think it’s really sunk in too much yet,” Yandle said via NHL.com. “It’s obviously something I’m super grateful for. I’m grateful to play one game in this league, the best league in the world. To be surrounded by the best people, people that always have your back, people that are rooting for you, to be a part of the NHL and the NHL family and for me being [a part of it] the last 16 years, it’s more than a dream come true.”

NHL Rumors

The Washington Capitals are starting to churn the rumor mill, this time looking at Marc-Andre Fleury. Plus top destinations for Chychrun, and Giroux with the Avs? Read more.

But this time, it will take him only one second to make history.

Yandle will look to break the NHL’s record for most consecutive games played when the Philadelphia Flyers oppose the New York Islanders in a battle of Metropolitan Division rivals at Elmont, N.Y.

Keith Yandle ready to make NHL History

Yandle tied Doug Jarvis’ record Monday night, when the Flyers defenseman played in his 964th consecutive game and was on the ice for 13:39 as host Philadelphia fell 3-1 to the Dallas Stars.

“When I saw the guys cheering for me, standing up, and all the fans, it definitely meant a lot,” Yandle said via NHL.com. “Your teammates, the guys that you play with, guys that you play against, when they congratulate you and tell you they’re proud of you, it hits home. It means a lot. It’s definitely a nice thing.

Yandle hasn’t missed a game since he was scratched by the Phoenix Coyotes, his original team, on March 22, 2009. His pursuit of the longest-lasting ironman mark in the four major North American pro sports leagues has provided one of the rare bright spots for the Flyers, whose 12-game losing streak (0-9-3) is their second skid of at least 10 games this season.

Jarvis has been the NHL’s ironman since he broke Garry Unger’s record of 914 games on Dec. 26, 1986. Cal Ripken Jr. has been baseball’s ironman since Sept. 6, 1995, ending with his mark at 2,632 games. A.C. Green (1,192 games) has held the NBA record since Nov. 20, 1997, and Jeff Feagles (352 games) has possessed the NFL record since Nov. 27, 2005.

“It’s an incredible accomplishment,” Flyers interim coach Mike Yeo said following the loss Monday. “You have to love the game and you have to be able to battle through sickness, injuries. A level of professionalism to come to the rink every day and be ready to go. And he’s a phenomenal teammate.”

Yandle on the upcoming milestone

Yandle’s ironman streak began on March 26, 2009. The 35 year-old rearguard has not lost sight of the journey or the significance of his pending accomplishment.

“It’s how hockey players are built,” Yandle said Sunday about the streak. “You play through as much pain as you can. There have obviously been some times when I have not felt great, when it was tough sledding. But you try to battle through it and help out your team.”

Three other current players had active streaks that rank in the top 11 in NHL history going into Monday’s games. The Arizona Coyotes’ Phil Kessel is closest behind Yandle at 940 consecutive games, though the San Jose Sharks’ Patrick Marleau (910) and Brent Burns (639) also maintained streaks coming into the night.

Yandle is in his first season with the Flyers, playing in 42 straight contests and recording 13 points on 13 assists.

For his career, Yandle has participated in 1,074 games overall with 102 goals and 511 assists (613 points) in stints with Phoenix/Arizona, the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Flyers.

“I think this is awesome,” Jarvis said. “It’s a credit to him and I’m happy he’s able to put a career together like this.”

NHL Rumors

The Washington Capitals are starting to churn the rumor mill, this time looking at Marc-Andre Fleury. Plus top destinations for Chychrun, and Giroux with the Avs? Read more.

–Field Level Media contributed to this article

–This article first appeared at The Daily Goal Horn

Subban made the comments late Sunday night in the aftermath of Saturday’s incident involving Jordan Subban in an East Coast Hockey League game. The ECHL suspended Jacksonville Icemen defenseman Jacob Panetta for lobbing a racist taunt toward the younger Subban. The Icemen subsequently released Panetta.

PK Subban’s powerful message

“I didn’t sleep much,” PK Subban said. “Obviously I had a conversation with my family … sheer disappointment. It’s distasteful. There’s no room for it in our game. I’m embarrassed because our game is better than this. What I think about is all the great people and the great things about our game that I love.

“The unfortunate thing isn’t just the incident; the unfortunate thing is how many kids deal with this every day and it doesn’t come to light,” Subban added. “A lot of people talk about me on social media and what I do in my time, but I’ve done a lot of work in the community. … And in this case, without that following, without that platform, am I standing here right now? Is ESPN talking about it? Is everyone outside of the hockey world talking about it? Probably not, so that’s the unfortunate thing.”

“I’m just sick and tired of it. It’s 2022. Like, come on. We’re better than this. On the bright side, I think we’re moving in the right direction,” he said. “People have to start with their friends and family. That’s where it comes from.”

Canucks hire Émilie Castonguay

The Vancouver Canucks named former player agent Émilie Castonguay as an assistant general manager on Monday. New York Rangers, first overall pick in 2020 Alexis Lafrenière was one of her clients.

Castonguay, 35, is the second woman in NHL history to hold the title of assistant GM of a team. Angela Gorgone was promoted to assistant general manager of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 1996.

“It is an honor to join the Vancouver Canucks and I am grateful to Jim and the Aquilini family for the opportunity,” Castonguay said. “The Canucks have a passionate fan base and an exciting young team with a bright future. I can’t wait to help build a winning organization that continues to grow and challenges for championships.”

Keith Yandle ties ironman streak

Yandle tied Doug Jarvis’ record Monday night, when the Flyers defenseman played in his 964th consecutive game and was on the ice for 13:39 as host Philadelphia fell 3-1 to the Dallas Stars.

If all goes according to plan Tuesday — as it has for him every game day and night since March 26, 2009 — Keith Yandle will contribute plenty of minutes to his team on the blue line Tuesday.

But this time, it will take him only one second to make history.

Yandle will look to break the NHL’s record for most consecutive games played when the Philadelphia Flyers oppose the New York Islanders in a battle of Metropolitan Division rivals at Elmont, N.Y.

“It’s an incredible accomplishment,” Flyers interim coach Mike Yeo said following the loss Monday. “You have to love the game and you have to be able to battle through sickness, injuries. A level of professionalism to come to the rink every day and be ready to go. And he’s a phenomenal teammate.”

NHL Rumors

Is Martin Jones a fit in goal for the Oilers? How will Vegas approach the trade deadline, and Rangers called on Bruins’ DeBrusk. Read more.

Graves, 26, has two years left on his current contract with an average annual value of $3,166,667. He was originally a draft pick of the New York Rangers.

Devils acquire Ryan Graves from Avalanche

Colorado had a glut of left-shot defensemen, so amid a flat salary cap situation across the NHL and just ahead of next week’s Seattle Kraken expansion draft, the team moved Graves for a less expensive player. The Avalanche also recouped a pick after dealing their original second-rounder to the New York Islanders for Devon Toews last October.

“Ryan brings physicality, size, an ability to defend in tough situations and a fearless compete level that makes him tough to play against,” said New Jersey Devils Executive Vice President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald. “His assertive style of play and ability to play with young defensemen are characteristics that fit into what we are building with our group.”

NHL

Panthers buyout Keith Yandle

There seemed to be a growing divided between the Florida Panthers and Keith Yandle last season. Today, that divide has led to a buyout of the veteran defenseman.

Yandle turns 35 in September and had two seasons remaining on a seven-year, $44.45 million deal he signed in June 2016. That contract also had a no-movement clause. That meant Florida would have been forced to protect him in the upcoming expansion draft, and forced to expose a younger asset on defense.

The Panthers in turn used the savings on Yandle’s contract to sign Gustav Forsling and Anthony Duclair to three-year deals. Some early rumored landing spots are the Bruins, Flyers, Canadiens, and Kraken.

Latest Transactions and Rumors

Here’s the remaining transactions from yesterday:

• Devils signed Michael McLeod to a 2-year deal
• Flames signed Brett Ritchie to a 1-year deal
• Sharks signed Dylan Gambrell to a 1-year deal
• Predators signed Cole Smith to a 1-year deal
• Canadiens signed Alex Belzile to 1-year deal
• Blue Jackets signed Cameron Johnson to a 1-year deal

Here are the top rumors from yesterday:

• Zach Hyman has permission to talk with other teams
• Gabriel Landeskog upset with Avs, offers revealed
• Philip Danault likely heading to free agency
• Ben Bishop waives NMC

Read all the latest Rumors at The Daily Goal Horn.

OK, folks, I need your help! I attended my first live NHL hockey game in February of 1990. Since that seminal, frigid evening almost 29 years ago, I have seen hundreds and hundreds of live hockey games in ten different arenas, in two different countries. I’ve watched thousands of more contests on television. I put my hockey wisdom and intelligence up against anyone. No, I never played the game in any sort of an organized fashion. However, it does not take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to figure out the nuances and idiosyncrasies of NHL hockey.

One thing I simply cannot answer or figure out, comprehend or decipher is why the power play of our beloved hockey team continues to, year after year, make all Rangers fans cringe and do one, big, collective facepalm. Regardless of the coaching staff. Regardless of the savior du jour brought in by management. Regardless of virtually anything, the Rangers power play remains tantamount to a drunken, discombobulated dance company unable to nail their routine because of their high levels of inebriation.

I was sitting in my perch in section 227 at The Garden last Sunday night watching the numerous and striking differences between the power plays of the Rangers and the Winnipeg Jets. The team from The Great White North entered the offensive zone with ease and moved the puck around with confidence and precision. Then, when a shooting lane opened up, they fired that round piece of vulcanized rubber towards the Rangers goal forcing Henrik Lundqvist to make a myriad of difficult saves before finally breaking through on their fourth opportunity with the man advantage. If not for the aforementioned Ranger goalie, the Jets easily could have scored on each of their four power-play chances.

All I could think to myself during the relentless Winnipeg barrage on Lundqvist was, “Why can’t we do this?” Dating back to Tom Renney, through John Tortorella, to Alain Vigneault and now to David Quinn, each NY Rangers coach, and their various assistants seemed helpless in trying to solve the Rangers power-play puzzle. From Wade Redden to Brad Richards, to Dan Boyle, to Keith Yandle to now, Kevin Shattenkirk, one power play specialist after another was acquired by the Rangers brain trust to be the first true anchor of a power play unit since Jaromir Jagr was re-writing the team’s record books in the 2005-06 season.

Did all of those esteemed coaches forget how to run a power play once they became the Rangers’ bench boss? Did all of those skilled players, who have always had success running other team’s power plays, all of a sudden forget what makes a power play successful once they donned a Ranger sweater? The answer to both of those rhetorical questions is an emphatic, NO! So, why is it that nobody is able to answer that $64 million question? Why is it that with each passing coach and with each passing power play specialist, the Rangers cannot produce power play efficiency with any sort of consistency? As stated earlier, my friends, as strong as my hockey acumen is, the Rangers perpetual ineptitude on the power play is a dilemma that is beyond my comprehension.

No, the Rangers don’t have a Sidney Crosby or an Alex Ovechkin or a Patrick Kane or a Drew Doughty. However, there has been a multitude of NHL teams with successful power plays without having any of the types of talent mentioned in the above sentence. The productivity was the product of that time and tested KISS method and I am not referring to the rock band although I am sure Gene Simmons would take credit for it. KISS is an acronym for “keep it simple and smart,” or “keep it simple, stupid.”

In other words, while on the power play, a team would get to the red line and do the old soft cross-corner dump in. They would outnumber the defenders on the boards and retrieve the puck. They’d quickly get said puck back to the point men who would make a few diagonal passes to open up a shooting line. The forwards would skate right to the goalie’s crease to screen him. Then, as soon as the first shooting lane presented itself, they’d let ‘er rip while the forwards would look for rebounds. Simple, right? Smart, right? The KISS method may not be entertaining, but it most certainly works.

Those types of aesthetic-less goals count just the same as the beautiful passing plays. No “judge” is sitting rink side with the authority to disallow a would-be goal because it was scored with KISS rather than a highlight reel passing play. So, I ask again, why can’t our Rangers do this? Why must they constantly attempt passes through a maze of sticks and skates? Passes that have as little chance of being successful as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton being spotted together in post-coital bliss.

It’s been 13 going on 14 years since the Rangers had an elite power play. At some point, wouldn’t the law of averages kick in? At some point, wouldn’t a coaching staff figure it out? At some point, wouldn’t a previously successful power play quarterback be able to bring his prowess to Broadway? My friends, hopefully, one of you out there in the blog-o-sphere can enlighten me and help to answer some of the questions and hypotheticals that I have entailed. Enough is enough!

The one-time Rangers prospect, who was traded in a blockbuster deal that saw defenseman Keith Yandle come to New York back in 2015, has done a complete 180 in terms of his NHL growth.

The former third-round pick of the Rangers was seen as one of their most talented prospects just a few years back. Playing in 18 games with the Blueshirts in the 2014-15 season, Duclair registered seven (G, 6A) points. The contending Rangers did what we’re used to at the trade deadline that year, shipping away high picks and prospects (Duclair) for an established NHLer to help them with their cup run.

Since then, Duclair has shown sparks of who we thought he was but often got buried on the bottom-six, not really given a chance to shine. Now is the perfect time for the Rangers to have a reunion with Duclair, as it seems like there is no downside if it doesn’t work out. The now 22-year-old has been on three teams and has been traded twice. If he does get brought back by the rebuilding Rangers, Duclair will certainly be given a shot right away. The winger-needy Rangers could use Duclair’s speed and ability to post some points, as he’s shown his ability to do so at an NHL level.

In his first season in Arizona, Duclair tallied 44 points over 81 games, 20 of those being goals. The signing of Duclair wouldn’t cost much for the Rangers, and if given the right playing time with good linemates, Duclair could flourish.

At the end of the day, Duclair is just 22-years-old. It wouldn’t make much sense for the Rangers to not inquire about him since he would fit right in with the rest of the young guns the Rangers now have. He would be considered a “veteran” among the prospects, due to the fact that he’s been around the NHL for three-or-so seasons. If the Rangers give Duclair a real home, without the worry of being traded, and put him on a line with say Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, the Rangers could have found themselves a diamond in the rough.

The Rangers have won eight straight games at Madison Square Garden, and tonight they will look to make it nine against the Florida Panthers.

The Rangers played the Florida Panthers at the beginning of the month down in Sunrise and came out of the BB&T Center with a 5-4 win in overtime. The Rangers enter this one after Sunday’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Rangers did not play a complete game in any sense, and when asked about his team’s play, he had this to say.

“The third period was our best. It was a little bit of a slow start,” Rick Nash said.”Good teams find ways to win when they don’t play their best. We found a way to do that.”

Although the Rangers won, they know they will have to play a better game against the Panthers.

Keys to Victory

Special Teams – The Panthers have the third worst penalty kill in the NHL at 74.3%, and average roughly ten minutes in penalties per game. The Rangers will take their tenth ranked power play and hope to capitalize on any opportunity that comes their way. The Florida Panthers also have a sub-par power play ranked at 15.6%, which also is third worst in the league. The Rangers penalty kill ranks 12th in the NHL and will need to stay up at that level for the Rangers to have success throughout the season.

Henrik Lundqvist – Henrik Lundqvist has been exceptional of late, and he will be tested against the Panthers. The Panthers shoot an average of 34.5 pucks a game, good for sixth in the NHL. Henrik has had to stop a lot of rubber in the month of November, making 328 saves on 351 shots, good for third-best amongst NHL goaltenders.

Players to Watch

New York Rangers

Chris Kreider – The Rangers power forward has been on fire lately. In his last six games, Kreider has tallied three goals and two assists for five points and has been using his speed in all situations.

Brady Skjei – The sophomore defenseman has been evolving before our eyes this season. He has improved his defensive game, which was solid, to begin with. He is becoming more confident in his skating and has been using that skill to rush the puck up the ice and create chances for his teammates.

Florida Panthers

Vincent Trocheck – The “vertically challenged” Trocheck has been nothing but come up big for the Panthers. He was an all-star last season, and is on a point-per-game pace this

season, with 23 points (10G, 13A) in 23 games. Trocheck has scored six points in the last seven games, so the Blueshirts will definitely need to keep an eye on the Pittsburgh native.

Keith Yandle – A former Rangers defenseman, Yandle was traded to the Panthers in the summer before the 2016-17 season. An offensive-defenseman, Yandle is the perfect defenseman to run a power play. Yandle leads the Florida defense with 11 points on the season, including two points in his last four games.

Puck drops at 7!

LETS GO RANGERS!!