MSG analyst Dave Maloney’s four-word analysis of Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson’s highway robbery on a third-period Grade A+ scoring opportunity by New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad said it all on Monday night.

The Rangers needed less than a minute of play to end their home scoring drought at 180:57 – the problem was that Artemi Panarin’s goal was the only one the Rangers scored in a disheartening 3-1 loss at Madison Square Garden.

The Wild, who had lost the first three games (0-2-1) of a five-game trip, tied the score less than five minutes later on a goal by defenseman Jonas Brodin and dominated play for the rest of the period. They earned three of the game’s four power plays. Though Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves and was superb again in goal, he was on his back and defenseless when rookie Danila Yurov scored his first NHL goal at 8:16 of the third period to give the Wild a 2-1 lead. Kirill Kaprizov’s empty-netter added insult to injury.

Meanwhile, the Rangers fired blanks for the remaining 59-plus minutes after Panarin’s goal and dropped to 0-4-0 at the Garden and 3-4-1 overall.

To say that coach Mike Sullivan was disappointed by his team’s play was an understatement.

“We scored early, which was great,” Sullivan said afterward. “But I thought we got outplayed. We got outplayed all night.

“We knew we were going to play a team that was going to come in with urgency based on circumstance, and we didn’t match the urgency. That was the challenge. We got outplayed tonight.”

Mika with the feed + Bread buries it. pic.twitter.com/rVIH63MrnN

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 20, 2025

‘Narrative’ different in most recent Rangers’ loss

The Rangers were coming off a 4-3 road win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday that followed three games in which they dominated play but were 0-2-1 because they were foiled by outstanding goaltending.

Gustavsson, who lost his previous three games after an opening-night shutout, was excellent, especially with the glove save on Zibanejad’s point-blank net-front redirection off a pass from Panarin midway through the third period.

“I have to score on that one,” Zibanejad said.

But the Rangers were outshot 16-6 in the first period, and the Wild had a 12-4 advantage in high-danger scoring chances through the first 40 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Scoring one goal against a team that allowed 22 in its previous five games left Sullivan disappointed, to say the least. It was the Rangers’ poorest showing since their dreadful 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Garden on opening night two weeks ago.

“From that point (opening night) on, up until this game, I’ve felt like the team has played extremely well and generated a significant amount of offense,” Sullivan explained. “We didn’t get rewarded for it on some nights, but it wasn’t a case of disconnect or not getting looks.

“I didn’t think we got as many looks tonight, but we didn’t play as well. That’s different. So the narrative is very (different) tonight than it’s been in the last couple of weeks.”

Captain J.T. Miller, who couldn’t convert on a couple of Grade-A chances, wasn’t happy with his team’s overall play but said the game was winnable.

“We’ve got to find a way to bear down in those tight 2-1 games when, let’s be honest, we didn’t deserve to win, but that was a game we could have stolen,” he said. “It’s happened to us so far, just not good enough. We know that. We’re gonna turn the page and move on to the next one.”

Losing “the next one” to the San Jose Sharks at home on Thursday would send alarms blaring at the Garden. The Sharks were last in the overall standings in 2024-25 and are 0-3-2 as they begin an eastern trip against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. The Sharks have some nice young talent, but they’re allowing five goals a game.

It’s early in the season to call any Rangers game a “must-win,” but this is as close as you’ll find in October — especially with a four-game western swing beginning Sunday in Calgary.

It was a fun watch and certainly a happy plane ride to Columbus, where the Rangers will close out their three-game road trip with a hugely important one Saturday night against the Blue Jackets. Those teams are now tied at 70 points in the battle for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers (32-28-6) ended a four-game skid (0-2-2) with this 3-2 win, only their second in eight games decided in the five-minute overtime this season. They never trailed in this one, but never led by more than one. It was tight all the way through, with the teams trading chances and receiving solid goaltending from Igor Shesterkin and Filip Gustavsson at both ends.

Vincent Trocheck ended an 11-game goal-scoring schneid for the Rangers, and Artemi Panarin extended his point streak to seven games with an assist on the game-winner. Their other two goal scorers were unheralded forward Jonny Brodzinski and Schneider, a light-scoring defenseman. So, yes, contributions came from up and down the lineup Thursday.

They’ve played two pretty solid games to start this road trip, beginning with a 2-1 loss to the NHL-best Winnipeg Jets. Remember these past two games came after a brutal 7-3 home-ice loss to the Blues Jackets this past Sunday, one they’ll try to avenge Saturday at Nationwide Arena.

Related: Winners, losers from thrilling OT win for Rangers against Wild

Three takeaways from Rangers OT win against Wild

Here are three takeaways from the Rangers massive road win Thursday.

1. Thing of beauty

There was so much to like from the Rangers point of view about the 1:51 worth of overtime hockey they played Thursday. It started with solid defensive structure 3-on-3 that gave the Wild nothing as their patient opponents weaved in and out of the offensive zone trying to find an opening to generate a scoring chance. The Rangers gave them none. So, despite the Wild owning the puck much of the extra session, they never came close to sniffing a scoring opportunity, nor did they record a single shot on goal.

When the Rangers finally got the puck back, they made quick work of things. J.T. Miller changed the entire pace of overtime to that point by speeding through the neutral zone and over the blue line to back off the Wild defenders. He got the puck to Panarin along the right-wing wall, and the Breadman dropped the puck to Schneider with a slick behind-the-back-pass.

The 23-year-old did the rest. Schneider skated to his left with Miller creating havoc in front of the net, made a slick toe-drag move, then wired a backhand shot up and over Gustavsson’s glove to set off a playoff-like celebration.

WHAT A SHOT. pic.twitter.com/g5q1J6Mvnr

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 14, 2025

2. Hometown boys do good

Jonny Brodzinski and K’Andre Miller were well represented at Xcel Energy Center, with Brodzinski saying that he had around 60 friends and family in attendance. It was a homecoming for the Minnesota boys and neither disappointed in the Rangers big win.

Brodzinski scored a beauty that gave New York a 2-1 lead at 6:38 of the third period. Taking a drop pass from Zac Jones over the blue line on the rush, Brodzinski snapped his seventh goal over the glove of Gustavsson for his first goal in this building since high school.

Miller, a native of St. Paul, the city where this arena sits, logged a team-high 22:33 TOI and led the Rangers with three blocked shots. He also had the secondary assist on Trocheck’s game-opening goal in the second period, zipping a crisp pass from the point to Will Cuylle down low. Cuylle’s touch pass into the slot set up Trocheck’s 18th goal.

3. All cool in new spot

Cuylle shifted to right wing and played on a line with Trocheck and Panarin, replacing the struggling Alexis Lafreniere, who moved on to a line with J.T. Miller and Mike Zibanejad. Cuylle was a force all night, starting with a pair of good scoring chances off the rush in the opening six minutes of the game.

The 23-year-old forward finished with a game-high seven hits and tied for the Rangers lead with four shots on goal. Then there was the nice touch pass on Trocheck’s goal. Safe to say, Cuylle fit right in on that line.

Meanwhile, Lafreniere shifted to left wing for the first time since the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. His goalless streak ran to 14 games and he finished with one shot on goal in another fairly quiet performance.

The Rangers (32-28-6) had been 0-2-2 in their previous four games, and let a pair of leads slip away in the third period before Schneider’s heroics. The second point earned in overtime gives the Rangers 70 on the season, tying them with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, though Columbus has a game in hand. Those teams will meet in the Rangers next game, Saturday night in Columbus.

Schneider accepted a pass from Artemi Panarin in the offensive zone and the 23-year-old defensemen skated from right wing into the middle of the ice, made a neat toe-drag move, then whistled a backhand shot past Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson for the game-winner. Schneider’s fifth goal of the season, second in three games, was his most important by far.

BRADEN SCHNEIDER SHOWS OFF HIS HANDS TO WIN IT FOR THE RANGERS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GMqAeFlxvP

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 14, 2025

“It was a beauty,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said about Schneider’s goal. “That was something. He’s probably still smiling.”

Vincent Trocheck and Jonny Brodzinski also scored for the Rangers, who began their three-game road trip Tuesday with a 2-1 loss in Winnipeg to the Jets. Panarin extended his point streak to seven games with the assist on Schneider’s goal. Nine different Rangers recorded at least one point.

Igor Shesterkin didn’t face a shot in overtime and finished with 26 saves. His counterpart, Gustavsson, made 29 saves.

Marcus Johansson and Frederick Gaudreau scored for the Wild, who’ve lost six of their past nine games (3-5-1).

Related: Rangers injury update – Adam Fox ‘progressing,’ Arthur Kaliyev returns to New York

New York Rangers 3 – Minnesota Wild 2 (OT)

After a fast-paced scoreless first period that featured plenty of scoring chances for each side, the Rangers tilted the ice in their favor in the second period and scored the only goal in the opening 40 minutes.

Trocheck scored that goal at 6:45 of the second, when he first misfired on a shot after a nice touch pass from Will Cuylle in front. Trocheck, though, collected the loose puck and roofed it over Gustavsson’s glove to make it 1-0 Rangers. It was Trocheck’s first goal in 12 games since Feb. 7, and 18th of the season.

STUCK WITH IT.

Troch buries the rebound. pic.twitter.com/vM5C7pAFoO

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 14, 2025

The primary assist was part of a tour-de-force outing for Cuylle who took Alexis Lafreniere’s spot on the line with Trocheck and Artemi Panarin in a bit of a shakeup among the top-six forwards. Lafreniere moved to the left side of J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad amid a 13-game goal-scoring drought.

In the opening six minutes of the game, Cuylle had two excellent scoring chances off the rush. First, it was a quick snap shot through traffic that forced Gustavsson to make a sharp pad save. Then a few minutes later, Cuylle ripped a right-wing shot off a 3-on-2 rush that was gobbled up by the Wild goalie.

Cuylle finished tied with a team-high four shots on goal and led all skaters with seven hits.

Also in the opening minutes of the game, Brett Berard had the Rangers best scoring chance. Chris Kreider tapped the puck toward the slot from the right-wing boards and Berard had a clean look and fired a shot that Gustavsson got a piece off before the puck rolled just wide of the net.

Shesterkin stopped all 13 shots he faced in the first period, but his best save came at 11:28 of the second period. The Wild generated a 3-on-2 opportunity and Shesterkin read the passing sequence perfectly to fly over in time to stone Devin Shore on the doorstep.

The third period began with the Rangers failing on their third power play of the night against the 31st-ranked Wild penalty kill — a power play that began late in the second and carried into the third.

Then Matt Rempe was whistled for a defensive-zone interference penalty at 1:55 and exactly two minutes later with the penalty box door opening, the Wild tied the game. Johansson skated with speed over the blue line, eluded stick checks by Cuylle and Sam Carrick, and wired a shot that beat Shesterkin blocker side to make it 1-1 at 3:55. It was his first goal in 17 games.

The Rangers answered back at 6:37 when Brodzinski took a drop pass by Zac Jones off the rush and quickly snapped it past Gustavsson’s glove for his seventh goal of the season. It was a big-time moment for the Minnesota native, who hosted several of his Rangers teammates for dinner at his home the night before the game.

HOMETOWN JONNY ON THE SPOT. pic.twitter.com/jozP8bqmdg

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 14, 2025

Shortly thereafter, Jones was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking Johansson at 6:58 and the Wild promptly tied the game 2-2 at 8:42. Gaudreau showed a quick pair of hands down low to beat Shesterkin in tight for his 15th goal of the season.

The Rangers killed off the second minor and the teams finally got back to playing 5v5. Though the Wild had the better of the play most of the rest of regulation, neither team scored again in the third period. When the horn sounded, the Rangers were guaranteed at least one point in the standings.

It didn’t take them to get that much-needed second point, scoring on the only shot of overtime. The Rangers had been just 1-6 in games decided in the five-minute overtime this season before Schneider’s game-winner.

Now, the Rangers head to Columbus, where they seek payback after losing to the Blues Jackets at home last Sunday 7-3. More importantly a win would move them past the Blue Jackets in the standings and cap a successful road trip.

It’s an important game for each side. The Rangers (31-28-6) have lost four straight (0-2-2), including 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets to begin this current three-game road trip Tuesday. New York is tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference with two teams, though just two points out of the second wild card.

The Wild (37-24-4) are the first wild card in the Western Conference and are in a good spot, seven points clear of the ninth-place Vancouver Canucks. They’ve lost five of eight (3-5-0) since Feb. 25, though, and remain without injured forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek.

Minnesota is not great on home ice (15-14-1) and not a powerhouse team offensively without their main weapon, Kaprizov. They are 24th in the NHL averaging 2.74 goals per game and 21st on the power play (20.0 percent).

Perhaps an area where the Rangers can attack the Wild is on their own power play. Though struggling badly of late, the Rangers did manage to score a power-play goal against the Jets on Tuesday and will face the 31st-ranked PK in the League on Thursday against the Wild.

Grabbing a lead is key again for the Rangers, this time because the Wild are 25-0-0 when leading after two periods this season.

Related: What’s next for Rangers after re-signing Jonathan Quick, further fortifying roster next season

3 things to watch for when Rangers visit Wild

1. Switching it up

Based on the line rushes at the morning skate, the Rangers will flip a pair of young forwards to give them fresh looks with new linemates.

Alexis Lafreniere was removed from his longtime spot next to Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin, and instead skated with J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad. Will Cuylle shifted off that line and skated with Panarin and Trocheck.

Lafreniere is without a goal in 13 games and sits on 14 this season, half the amount he scored (28) in his breakout year last season. Cuylle has one assist in four games, though he scored four goals in seven games before that.

2. Zuuuuc!

Hard to believe former Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello is 37 years old now and in his 15th NHL season, sixth with the Wild. The popular 5-foot-8 forward still brings plenty of energy and production, currently fourth on the Wild with 15 goals and 41 points in 52 games. He’s scored 63 points or more each of the past three seasons, including 79 in 2021-22.

Zuccarello has 322 points in 376 games with the Wild, and had 352 points in 509 games with the Rangers. Including a brief stont with the Dallas Stars, Zuccarello is the all-time scoring leader from Norway (677 points) and is 13 games shy of 900 in the NHL.

3. Zac attack

Results are mixed with Zac Jones in the lineup, filling in for the injured Adam Fox, who’s missing his eighth straight game Thursday with an upper-body issue. However, Fox is on the road trip and took part again in the morning skate Thursday, though wearing a no-contact jersey. But it’s clear that Fox is getting closer to returning.

That means Jones is closer to finding a seat in the press box again soon, a spot he loathes and been more often than not this season. This was his big opportunity to show the Rangers — and other teams — what he’s made of. He has two assists in seven games and the power play is 2-for-23 with him running point. Jones had handled the increased TOI, but his defensive zone play has been spotty. He may be running out of opportunities to leave his mark.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Panarin – Trocheck – Cuylle

Lafreniere – J.T. Miller- Zibanejad

Kreider – Carrick – Berard

Othmann – Brodzinski – Rempe

K. Miller – Borgen

Vaakanaien – Schneider

Soucy – Jones

Shesterkin

Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Minnesota Wild

When: Thursday, March 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET

Where: Xcel Energy Center

How to watch: MSG

After tinkering around the edges before the deadline on Friday by trading forward Reilly Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights and adding defenseman Carson Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks, the Rangers missed their chance to take over a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with back-to-back losses against the two teams directly ahead of them in the standings.

They had to settle for one point when a 3-1 third-period lead turned into a 4-3 OT road loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, then got blown out 7-3 at home on Sunday by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The results left the Rangers heading into the first of back-to-back four-game weeks in ninth place, one point behind the Senators and two in back of the Blue Jackets, holders of the two wild cards. The Blue Jackets have a game in hand on the Rangers; the Senators have two.

After winning just twice during a stretch that saw them play five of six games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers face a nasty three-game trip that begins against the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday and continues with a visit to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. But the key game comes Saturday, when the Rangers head to Columbus for a rematch against the Blue Jackets.

Even tougher is the fact that the Rangers have to fly back to New York for a Sunday night date with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers, who demolished New York 6-2 on Nov. 23.

We should have a much better idea of the Rangers’ playoff hopes a week from today. This is a week the Rangers can’t afford to be at anything but their best.

Who’s hot

Artemi Panarin has rediscovered his scoring touch. The Rangers’ top scorer (67 points in 62 games) has goals in each of New York’s five games in March, giving him 28 for the season. He’s two away from his fifth season (third with the Rangers) with at least 30 goals and his his five-game goal streak ties his NHL career high.

Who’s not

Igor Shesterkin was in goal for two overtime losses last week that saw the Rangers cough up third-period leads each time – a 2-1 edge against the Washington Capitals at the Garden on Wednesday turned into a 3-2 OT loss, and the Senators came from two goals down in the final 10 minutes of regulation before Shesterkin was beaten by Brady Tkachuk 33 seconds into overtime. His 21 regulation losses and 25 defeats (including four in overtime) are already career worsts.

Rangers lookahead this week includes …

Games 3, 4, 5 and 6 in a 15-day stretch that will see the Rangers play nine times.

Rangers at Winnipeg Jets (March 10, 8 p.m. ET; MSG)

There are easier ways to start a road trip than facing the top team in the Western Conference, albeit one that’s coming off a split of its four-game swing through the East, which ended with a 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.

The Jets have been first or second in the overall standings all season, riding the combination of Connor Hellebuyck’s goaltending (37-8-3, 1.99 goals-against average, .927 save percentage, six shutouts), a deep, balanced offense (five players with at least 50 points) and the League’s best power play (31.6 percent).

Winnipeg won 6-3 at the Garden on Nov. 12, setting an NHL record by winning 15 of its first 16 games. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, the Jets’ two 30-goal scorers, each had two against Shesterkin, who is 4-3-0 in his career against Winnipeg but with a 2.32 GAA and .932 save percentage.

Rangers at Minnesota Wild (March 12, 8 p.m.; MSG)

Minnesota is the only team that the Rangers haven’t seen yet; the Wild don’t come to the Garden until April 2. Minnesota is two different teams – a lousy 14-14-1 at home after a 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday in the opener of a seven-game homestand, but a fabulous 22-10-3 away from Xcel Energy Center.

The Rangers are catching the Wild when they’re beat up. Star left wing Kirill Kaprizov and center Joel Eriksson Ek are both out with injuries, a big reason Minnesota has dropped behind the Colorado Avalanche for third place in the Central Division. Minnesota trails Colorado by two points but still holds the first wild card in the Western Conference.

New York is 19-14-1 in its all-time series against the Wild, with each team winning five times in the past 10 games. Interestingly, neither team has ever shut out the other since Minnesota entered the NHL for the 2000-01 season.

Shesterkin has played just three times against the Wild in his career, and is 2-1-0 with a 2.95 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. If Marc-Andre Fleury is in goal for the Wild, he’ll be going for his 35th career win against the Rangers.

Rangers at Columbus Blue Jackets (March 15, 7 p.m. MSG)

Every game is a big game for the Rangers now, but this one might be the biggest. The Rangers will be looking to avenge their embarrassing loss to the Blue Jackets and win for the third time in four games against Columbus this season.

Even with the loss, the Rangers have won seven of their past 10 games against the Blue Jackets, including a 4-3 victory in their first visit to Nationwide Arena on Feb. 8.

Panarin, who played two seasons with the Blue Jackets early in his career, scored his 14th goal in 21 career games against Columbus in the loss Sunday.

Edmonton Oilers at Rangers (March 16, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)

Connor McDavid & Co. wrap up a four-game swing through the East – the last three in the New York area — with their lone visit to MSG this season.

McDavid has 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 14 career games against the Rangers — including two goals and assist in the win in Edmonton that began New York’s year-ending 4-15-0 slide that knocked the Rangers out of a playoff berth.

NHL goal-scoring leader Leon Draisaitl is better than a point-a-game player against the Rangers (20 points; eight goals, 12 assists in 19 games). He had a goal and an assist in the early-season win.

Shesterkin has split two career decisions against the Oilers, allowing eight goals. Jonathan Quick, who could get the start in the second of back-to-back games, took the loss in Edmonton in November but is 25-13-6 against the Oilers with a 2.27 GAA and .918 save percentage.

During his time with the Rangers, Zuccarello won the prestigious Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award (as chosen by the fans) three times. The cries of “Zucc” from the Garden rafters were among the most common sounds at MSG during those years.

“He’s a great teammate, you know, guys like to play with him, he loves to have fun. To me he was kind of that annoying little brother,” Rangers goalie legend and former teammate Henrik Lundqvist said on a recent TNT broadcast. “He’s a great guy, great player.” 

However, the Rangers faded during the late 2010s and traded him to the Dallas Stars in February 2019 as part of their rebuild. Zuccarello played two games before an injury cost him the rest of the season, then signed with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent that summer. He’s had the three best offensive totals of his career during the past three seasons, but at age 37, he’s on pace for his most prolific season yet — and he’s a big reason the Wild are off to a 5-1-2 start that included a sweep of the two Florida teams this past week.

The line of Zuccarello on the right side with Marco Rossi at center and Kirill Kaprizov on left wing carries the offense for the Wild. Zuccarello had the primary assist on the tie-breaking goal Thursday in a 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a perfect cross-seam pass to Matt Boldy, who one-timed it past Andrei Vasilevskiy for a power-play goal that put the Wild ahead to stay. He also had an assist in a 7-5 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, giving him at least one point in seven of Minnesota’s eight games.

Zuccarello also had a goal and an assist in a 5-1 win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday; the assist made him the fastest player in Wild history to reach 200 – he did it in 330 games; the previous team mark belonged to Mikko Koivu, who had 200 assists in 400 games.

The goal in Florida was Zuccarello’s fourth of the season, a number he didn’t reach until Nov. 12 last season.

“Usually, I have four goals until Christmas, so it’s better now,” Zuccarello joked after scoring against the Panthers.

Related: Alexis Lafreniere ‘fired’ up to stay with Rangers with 7-year extension

Mats Zuccarello helps lead Wild to fast start

Kaprizov, usually a shooter, has often assumed the role of passer for his linemate — as he did in Florida, where he drew goalie Sergei Bobrovsky out of position and slipped the puck to Zuccarello, who put it into a wide-open net.

“He likes to shoot this year more,” said Kaprizov, a three-time 40-goal scorer who has assists on each of Zuccarello’s four goals; three were primary assists.

Zuccarello’s stats took a big jump after he and Kaprizov became linemates when Kaprizov joined the Wild for the 2020-21 season. He’s had two of his three 20-goal seasons and the three highest point totals of his career playing on a line with the Russian star.

They’re buddies as well as linemates. Kaprizov even found a way to play in a charity game organized by Zuccarello in Norway during the summer; the trip took a lot of juggling because Russians have been banned from flying into Norway on airplanes because of the war in Ukraine. But he got there.

Not many players have their best seasons in their 30s, but Zuccarello is one of them. He’s been so good that Wild general manager Bill Guerin signed him to a two-year contract extension last September that will keep him with the Wild through the 2025-26 season.

“It’s the energy, it’s the jam he brings every night,” Guerin said after the extension was announced. “He does everything. He sticks up for his teammates, he brings energy, he’s gritty, he makes plays. He does everything for the team.”

The Rangers know that well, because Zuccarello was all that for them, as well. The Garden Faithful must wait until April 2 to see their former favorite son this season, since the Wild play their lone game at MSG on April, near the end of the season.

So, for now, the love affair continues long distance.

The Wild signed Brock Faber to an eight-year, $68 million contract extension which begins in 2025-26 and runs through the 2032-33 season. It’s average annual value of $8.5 million is in line to be the second most on the Wild in two seasons, behind only forward Kirill Kaprizov, who will be in the final season of his contract in 2025-26 that calls for $9 million annually.

So much about this deal comes right out of the Rangers playbook in how they handled Adam Fox before the 2021-22 season.

Fox was 23 and had completed two NHL seasons when the Rangers signed him to a whopping seven-year, $66.5 million contract extension in November of 2021. He had just won the Norris Trophy in 2020-21 as the top defenseman in the NHL and the Rangers decided it was more cost effective to pay a higher premium up front and likely less than expected down the road, at least through the 2028-29 season when the deal ends. Fox will be 31 when the contract expires, with his first few years of free agency already bought out in this current deal.

Faber is 21 (he’ll turn 22 in August) and just completed his rookie season in the NHL. However, like Fox, the first two seasons of his three-year entry-level contract were burned because Faber played two regular-season games and six in the playoffs in 2022-23. He will be 31 when this current contract expires, with his years of free agency bought out in this deal.

So, there’s no question the Fox contract was a template for Faber, whose deal is a bit more team-friendly since it averages $1 million less annually than what the Rangers are paying their stud defenseman.

Related: 5 things that could go wrong for Rangers in 2024-25

Rangers’ Adam Fox shares many similarities with Wild defenseman Brock Faber

There’s a lot of symmetry between Fox and Faber. Each is a local kid who’s getting the chance to play for his hometown team after being traded to that club before he began his NHL career.

Fox, who is from Jericho, New York, was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2016, traded to the Carolina Hurricanes and then again to the Rangers because he let it be known he would not sign his entry-level deal with either of the first two teams.

Faber, who’s a Minnesota native and attended the University of Minnesota for three years, was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2020 draft before he was traded to the Wild.

“Wild jerseys, posters, fat heads, all over … I might’ve had Wild sheets at one point when I was growing up,” Faber said Monday after signing the extension. “I’m a Minnesota kid born and raised. It’s always been a dream of mine to wear the sweater and play for this team.”

Each right-shot defenseman played twice for the United States in the World Junior Championship, and they both helped the U.S. win a gold medal in that tournament — Fox in 2017 and Faber in 2021.

They had almost identical stats their rookie seasons in the NHL. Fox had 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 70 games in 2019-20, and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Second Team. Faber was a first-team All-Rookie member last season and finished second in voting for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year when he scored 47 points (eight goals, 39 assists) in 82 games.

One major difference was that, because of injuries on the Wild blue line, Faber averaged 24:58 in ice time last season, six minutes more than Fox as a rookie (18:54).

Of course, Fox has been a force since entering the NHL, and has a string of three straight 70+ point seasons he brings into 2024-25. After winning the Norris Trophy, he’s finished top-5 in voting the next three seasons.

Faber doesn’t have Fox’s resume yet, but could soon be his teammate when the 4 Nations Tournament is played next February. Fox was one of the first players named to the United States roster back in June, and there’s a good chance that Faber will be added before the tournament — which also includes Canada, Finland and Sweden — commences.

If so, they could dazzle together in the U.S. top four and spend time comparing notes on their similar deals and career arcs.

Maybe. But not Thursday.

Alexis Lafreniere’s third period goal lifted the Rangers to a 4-1 victory over Minnesota in what was an up-and-down contest for both teams at Madison Square Garden.

The trio of Vincent Trochek, Panarin and Lafreniere, together due to an upper-body injury to Filip Chytil, has become the de facto top line. Lafreniere had his first career three-point game, while Trochek and Panarin had three and two, respectively. Panarin, meanwhile, extended his point streak to 13 games to begin the season.

“I think Alexis has a lot of skill,” head coach Peter Laviolette said after his team improved to 8-0-1 in its last nine games. “I think [Lafreniere and Panarin] think alike and I think they have a lot of skill that matches up and connects on the ice.

“Alexis thinks the game about making plays and how to create space and how to find areas to generate offense,” he added. “When you get two guys who can read off each other and feed off each other, that can become dangerous.”

Related: Early grades for the Rangers offseason acquisitions

New York Rangers 4 vs Minnesota Wild 1

After arguably their worst period of the season in getting outshot 15-3 in the second, the Rangers needed just 1:41 to regain their lead when Panarin fed Lafreniere for a one-timer off a 2-on-1 to break the tie.

“He’s an unbelievable player,” Lafreniere said of Panarin after scoring his fifth of the season. “For me, just trying to make plays for him. When he has the puck, try and get open because he usually finds you. Just try and stay ready.”

OUI LAFFY ✔️
🍞 13-GAME POINT STREAK ✔️ pic.twitter.com/7vVifNK6q2

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 10, 2023

As if injuries to Adam Fox, Igor Shesterkin and Chytil weren’t enough for a team to deal with, backup goaltender Jonathan Quick missed the game due to injury, opening the door for Louis Domingue.

Domingue’s only blemish came in the second off a deflection through traffic that tied the game. He finished with 26 saves and picked up his first NHL win since beating the Rangers in Game 4 in 2022 in his first NHL game since Game 6 of the same series.

“I just tried to get by the first five minutes is one of my keys,” Domingue said. “From my experience, when you haven’t played in the NHL for a while, you need to get going. You need to adapt to the pace of play, the traffic. How heavy the guys are in front of the net. It was a matter of me getting by the first little bit and build on it.”

Saves were met with chants of ‘Lou’ from the crowd at The Garden, which meant a lot to the journeyman netminder.

“It felt amazing,” said Domingue, who added he wished his kids were there for it. “To get that support from the crowd like that was great. It’s nice to be on their side.”

Trochek, who scored twice Tuesday against Detroit, opened the scoring 3:56 into the game. Erik Gustaffson kept a puck in on the blueline before feeding Lafreniere, who found Trochek in the slot. His wrist shot beat Marc-Andre Fleury for his fourth of the season.

“He’s been really good for us,” Lafreniere said of Trochek. “Two-way player and really good faceoffs. It gives us a lot of options, especially in the O zone when he can win that many faceoffs. He’s been really good for us.”

The keep.
The setup.
The shot.

🤌 pic.twitter.com/99M4KIAYJ5

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 10, 2023

Blake Wheeler cashed in on New York’s only power play of the night for his first goal as a Ranger before Panarin’s empty-net goal capped the scoring.

WHEELS WITH HIS FIRST AS A #NYR AT THE PERFECT TIME. pic.twitter.com/eHXUHeaich

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 10, 2023

To his credit, Laviolette didn’t shuffle the deck going into the third and stuck with the Trochek line to carry the load with the other lines struggling to generate consistent offense at even strength.

Both Laviolette and Lafreniere spoke about Trochek’s addition to that line, with Laf

His patience paid off and his team walked away with another two points.

“I don’t think anyone was real happy with the second period,” Laviolette said. “We played bad. We sat back too much. They kind of dictated what went on in the second. I really liked the response of our guys in the third period.”

Rangers Notes

• Louis Domingue won his Rangers debut stopping 25 of 26 shots
• Alexis Lafreniere notched his first career 3-point game
• Artemi Panarin season-opening point streak is at 13 games (8 goals, 14 assists)
• Blake Wheeler scored his first goal with the Rangers
• NYR PP and PK were perfect at 1-1 each

The Rangers will be off on Friday but will return to practice this Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

New York will host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night with a 7:00 p.m. ET puck drop.

With an intervening 5-3 win at home Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, the Rangers hold a record of 9-2-1. They remain first in the Metropolitan Division, with the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils closest on their tail. The Wild currently stand fifth in their division at 5-5-2.

New York will aim to remain consistent tonight while still missing several critical players. Adam Fox (LTIR) and Filip Chytil (IR) remain out, while Igor Shesterkin, who took a brief practice on Wednesday, is still day-to-day. In yet another wrinkle, it was announced last night that Jonathan Quick has an upper-body issue that puts his status for tonight’s game in jeopardy. Hence, the Rangers recalled both goalies from the Hartford Wolf Pack in Louis Domingue and Dylan Garand, along with defenseman Connor Mackey.

Here’s tonight’s game and broadcast info:

New York Rangers (9-2-1) vs Minnesota Wild (5-5-2)
Date/Time: November 9, 2023 @ 7:00 PM ET
Arena: Madison Square Garden
TV: MSG
Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM

Note: Subject to change, updated for each game

Additional Note: Tonight, the Rangers will honor and support those who serve and have served with Military Appreciation Night, presented by Northwell. The night will feature in-arena promotions such as the recognition of military members and a national anthem featuring members of the United States Air Force.

New York Rangers Projected Lineup

Prior to Tuesday night’s victory over the Red Wings, head coach Peter Laviolette made some changes to the lineup he’d used previously, but only in part due to the injuries to both Fox and Chytil. The other reason given by the coach for the adjustments was that he just wanted to switch things up and give a couple of alternative lines a look.

It’s expected the lineup will remain the same as on Tuesday for tonight’s game, with the possibility of Louis Domingue in net instead of Jonathan Quick.

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

Miller – Trouba
Lindgren – Gustafsson
Jones – Schneider

Domingue
Garand

Note: The Rangers will have a pre-game skate scheduled for 10:30 AM ET at the MSG Training Center. Check back in for updates.

UPDATE: Louis Domingue will start

Rangers look to emulate Tuesday’s win

Though the Rangers took their foot off the gas by the second period in their last game facing the Wild, they maintained offensive zone pressure for almost the entire 60 minutes Tuesday night against the Red Wings. A strong first and second period allowed them to emerge victorious from the competition, although they didn’t quite demonstrate the “lock it down, close it out” focus you would hope to see by the end of the third period.

Jonathan Quick, following up on his previous four performances for the Rangers, was just about everything you could ask for in net; and most especially for a backup goaltender. Other high points in the game for New York were two goals scored by a surging Vincent Trocheck; two goals scored by Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin, respectively; and the third goal of the season for rookie Will Cuylle — who continues to prove the Rangers correct in their decision to add him to the NHL roster this season.

As is common for the Blueshirts, special teams were a large part of the story of the game. New York went a perfect six-for-six on the penalty kill, and scored two of their five goals on the power play. The Rangers scored all five of their goals in the first two periods, but halfway through the third period, they appeared to lose discipline in the defensive zone and allowed Detroit three goals in quick succession.

Said Laviolette after the game, “Really good win. It was a little frustrating in the third period where they [the Red Wings] were able to capitalize on a few things…The last two goals, some line rush issues — and we can fix that. But overall, I thought we came out with the right attitude and the right pace, and really put the game where we wanted to put it right from the start; so I was happy with that.”

As of Wednesday, as per the Rangers, this season New York has points in eight straight games (7-0-1) and are 3-1-0 at home. In the NHL, New York has the third most wins (8) and points (19). It’s the fifth time in team history the Blueshirts have won at least nine of their first 12 games of a season (2023-24, 2016-17, 2008-09, 1990-91, 1983-84).

The Rangers would like to continue getting off on the right foot with a 7-1-1 record when scoring first. That’s currently tied for the most wins in the NHL when getting on the board early.

Jonathan Quick got the start in net for New York and put forth another solid effort, making 36 saves on 40 shots. He was opposed by Filip Gustavsson, who was replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury after allowing three goals on four shots. Fleury made 13 saves in relief while picking up the win.

“We were out of sync,” head coach Peter Laviolette explained. “The start of the game was good… it just kind of lost its track for us.”

Related: Rangers 5-on-5 scoring woes

Minnesota Wild 5 vs New York Rangers 4 (SOL)

In the opening period, the Rangers dominated early on, showcasing an aggressive offensive approach. Jimmy Vesey broke the ice with his season’s first goal, assisted by newcomer Tyler Pitlick, marking his first point with the Rangers.

Go to the net + the rest will follow. ☝️ pic.twitter.com/yemrZBPbO5

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 5, 2023

The momentum continued as Artemi Panarin buried his 6th of the year, pushing his point streak to 11 games, a feat second only in length at the start of a season to Rod Gilbert (14 games 1972-73) in Rangers’ history.

11-game point streak: activated. 🍞 pic.twitter.com/G7cK1Rcx9q

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 5, 2023

Just over a minute later, Erik Gustafsson found the net with help from Blake Wheeler, who also recorded his first point as a Ranger, and rookie Will Cuylle, who earned his inaugural NHL assist. This third goal prompted the Wild to pull Gustavsson for the veteran Fleury.

LET IT RIP, GUS. pic.twitter.com/WgfuhsQPuK

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 5, 2023

Three Rangers penalties put Minnesota on the attack and helped them regain some momentum while applying more pressure. Nevertheless, the Wild’s advantage was neutralized by the Rangers’ flawless penalty kill. Quick was outstanding in goal, stopping 13 shots to help the Rangers maintain a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period.

The Wild gained control in the second period, outshooting the Rangers 12–5. New York’s poor puck management contributed to the Wild’s impressive performance by enabling them to put up and sustain offensive pressure. Ryan Hartman scored his seventh goal of the season to put the Wild on the board by taking advantage of the Rangers’ careless play. Joel Eriksson Ek scored another goal for the Wild just 29 seconds later, following a nice pass from Brock Faber, giving them even more momentum.

Despite Minnesota’s surge and control throughout the period, the Rangers managed to hold onto their lead, with the scoreboard reading 3-2 in their favor as the period closed.

The third period began with an immediate shift in energy as the Wild continued to ride the momentum they had built up. Former Ranger Mats Zuccarello made his mark by scoring his 3rd of the season, with a goal off a deflection that evened the score at 3-3.

The game’s pace intensified as Minnesota kept up the pressure, and Marco Rossi capitalized on a lapse in the Rangers’ defensive play, pushing the Wild into the lead for the first time with his 5th goal of the season, making it 4-3.

However, the Rangers were quick to respond. Chris Kreider, in a signature move, redirected a shot from Panarin, tying the game at four. This wasn’t just any goal for Kreider; it was a significant personal achievement, placing him fourth on the Rangers’ all-time goals list with his 273rd career goal, surpassing the legendary Andy Bathgate.

NET 👏 FRONT 👏 PRESENCE 👏 pic.twitter.com/2H9XIs4YtT

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 5, 2023

In the dying minutes of regulation, the Wild applied relentless pressure, managing an offensive zone shift that lasted over three minutes. Quick proved crucial, making several key saves to keep the game tied. His performance under siege prevented the Wild from reclaiming their lead and sent the game to overtime with both teams earning a point.

In a tense and cautious overtime period, the Rangers and Wild played with the understanding that any mistake could end the game. The result of that cautious play led to few shots on goal. The Wild controlled the puck for most of the five-minute 3-on-3 session, but the Rangers’ defense held firm, preventing any shots from finding the back of the net.

The shootout showcased the skill of Zuccarello stepping up for the Wild and Panarin for the Rangers, both successfully finding the twine in their attempts. The goaltenders then took the spotlight, with Quick stopping Kirill Kaprizov and Fleury halting Mika Zibanejad.

The decisive moment came when Matt Boldy took to the ice for Minnesota. With poise and luck, he was able to get one by hitting the post and off Quick’s back, putting the Wild ahead. The pressure was then on Vincent Trocheck of the Rangers to keep his team in the game. Unfortunately for the Rangers, Fleury stood tall, denying Trocheck’s attempt and sealing the victory for the Wild.

“We took our foot off the gas, and they started taking it to us in the second,” Trocheck said after the loss. “You can’t sit back like we did.”

The Rangers will look to get back to their winning ways on Tuesday night, as they return home to Madison Square Garden for an Original Six matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

Rangers Notes

• Jonathan Quick notched 36 saves on 40 shots
• Artemi Panarin extends his season-opening points streak to 11 games (6 goals, 12 assists)
• Chris Kreider notched his 8th goal of the season

The Rangers are off on Sunday and will return to practice on Monday at 11 a.m. ET.