Former Rangers defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is among those who will be on hand.

“The hat I’m wearing right now [is] for one of my good buddies, Jimmy Hayes (a seven-year NHL veteran who died in 2021 with died with fentanyl and cocaine in his system). This is something that hits home for me,” Shattenkirk told NHL Network. “Seeing the message that’s behind it and knowing you can make a difference with such a small act, it goes a long way.”

Some of the NHL's best will be on display at the 2025 Shoulder Check Showcase, taking place on July 24th at 4pm ET! https://t.co/7CNa5ohiD9 pic.twitter.com/aLeAf1OA7b

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) July 20, 2025

From its beginnings just two summers ago, the Showcase has become a marquee summer event, featuring talent like Shattenkirk, former Rangers forward Chris Kreider and current backup goalie Jonathan Quick. Current Rangers Brett Berard and Matt Rempe will be playing, as will former Rangers Kreider, Frank Vatrano and Kevin Hayes (Jimmy’s brother).

CLICK HERE for more information about the Shoulder Check Showcase and movement.

New York Rangers news

Forever Blueshirts: Don Maloney discussed his “magical” rookie season and a lot more with our own Jim Cerny on their recent Rink Rap podcast. The kid brother of newly selected Rangers TV analyst Dave Maloney also reminisces about being GM of the New York Islanders when they were demolished by the Blueshirts in the opening round of the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the thrill of stepping onto the ice as a Ranger at Madison Square Garden.

NHL Rumors, News, & the Sportsnaut Family

Philly Hockey Now: The departure of top-level players from major juniors to college hockey continues. Porter Martone, who was picked sixth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Draft last month, is heading to Michigan State, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Monday. Martone was the captain of the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads last season. He racked up 98 points (37 goals, 61 assists) in 57 regular-season games. He’ll be playing Big Ten games against Gavin McKenna, the likely No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, who left Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League for Penn State earlier this month.

The Athletic: The Detroit Red Wings again came out on top in the online sports daily’s annual fan poll of NHL TV teams, finishing first locally and nationally. The Seattle Kraken were second for the second straight year. The outgoing Rangers tandem of Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti finished ninth. And who was last, you ask? The Boston Bruins, even with Judd Sirott replacing longtime (and polarizing) play-by-play man Jack Edwards.

TSN: If you want to win in the NHL these days, an effective power play is a must. Here’s a look behind the numbers. Long story short: Unless you’re extremely good (think Carolina Hurricanes) or absolutely awful (Chicago Blackhawks, anyone) at even strength, your power-play success will have a major impact on whether you make the playoffs.

NHL.com: Goalie Mikhail Yegorov isn’t a candidate for the New Jersey Devils’ starting job – yet. But after leading Boston University to the NCAA title game last season, there’s every indication he’ll end up as their starter after playing another year or two at BU – especially on a team whose two goalies are already in their mid-30s.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Kyle Dubas is racing to rebuild the Pittsburgh Penguins in time to give Sidney Crosby one more trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Penguins are loaded with young players, but they may not be ready in time. Getting Sid one more shot at the postseason likely would mean refraining from trading veterans like defenseman Erik Karlsson and forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. There have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding the Pens in recent weeks, but it doesn’t look like anything’s cooking right now.

Florida Hockey Now: What’s the best jersey in Florida Panthers history? According to a poll by The Athletic, it’s the current one. It’s hard to argue with the Panthers’ results in the decade they’ve worn it, especially with back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. A lot of fans still like the original jersey, and there are hints it may return for the Winter Classic game against the Rangers on Jan. 2 at LoanDepot Park.

San Jose Hockey Now: Shane Bowers is 25 – and eight years removed from being a first-round pick (No. 28) by the Ottawa Senators in the 2017 draft. He’s played just 13 NHL games since being drafted but hopes that being traded from the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche to the San Jose Sharks, who finished last in the NHL in 2024-25, will provide the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

Yet, here we are just 29 months later and the Avalanche just moved on from Georgiev after things went sideways with his play. They traded him to the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 9, in part, for journeyman goalie Mackenzie Blackwood. That’s a major shift from when Colorado landed Georgiev the summer after winning the Stanley Cup, entrusting him with its run at a repeat.

The Rangers faced significant salary-cap challenges in the summer of 2022, when Georgiev became a restricted free agent. He would have required a qualifying offer of $2.65 million — way too much for him to play understudy to Igor Shesterkin. The Avalanche pounced, but he lasted only two full seasons in Colorado.

Related: 10 most expensive goalie contracts in NHL history after Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin signs massive deal

Being traded by Rangers appeared inevitable for Alexandar Georgiev

Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Rangers in July 2017 after an eye-opening development camp, Georgiev grew into a strong prospect that got him a look on Broadway as Henrik Lundqvist’s career began to wind down. Impressed with his competitiveness and abundance of confidence, the Rangers called him up from Hartford of the American Hockey League in February 2018, and he went on to a mostly impressive four-plus season run with them — 58-48-11 with a .908 save percentage.

Georgiev had eight shutouts with the Rangers and authored performances such as a 44-save performance in a 2-1 road win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 3, 2019, and another 44-save effort in a 2-0 road victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on March 20, 2022 — hinting at the possibility of an elite goaltender in the making.

Yet for all of his apparent talent, Georgiev’s timing with the Rangers proved not to be good, even with future Hall of Famer Lundqvist on the way out. The Blueshirts saw greatness in another young goalie of theirs, and that proved well-founded when Shesterkin arrived in January 2020. He quickly surpassed Georgiev on the depth chart.

Shesterkin went on to win the Vezina Trophy with a spectacular performance in 2021-22, his third season, and with the writing on the wall concerning Georgiev’s role in the Rangers organization, he made no secret of his desire to go elsewhere and establish himself as a No. 1 goalie. Georgiev felt that he had been wronged by what he viewed as the team’s pivot to Shesterkin, whose debut came nearly two years after Georgiev’s.

The relationship never became acrimonious, but it came to an organic end. The Avalanche were eager to take advantage, seeing a potential star who only needed the right opportunity — and, at least early on, would come relatively cheap. Colorado happily surrendered a pair of third-round draft picks and a fifth-rounder, then inked Georgiev to a three-year, $10.2 million contract.

His first season in Denver seemed to validate Colorado’s belief. With one of the League’s most star-studded teams in front of him, Georgiev was 40-16-6 with five shutouts, tying for the NHL lead in wins and finishing ninth with a .918 save percentage.

Problems, however, began to rear their head in 2023-24. Georgiev’s save percentage fell to .897 and he led the League in goals allowed with 183, while posting a goals saved above average mark of minus-11.9 — 90th in the NHL. That he again topped the League in victories with 38 was more a function of him leading all goalies in minutes played and benefiting from Colorado’s NHL-best goal total of 304, rather than his own proficiency. He also struggled in Colorado’s six-game second-round playoff loss to the Dallas Stars.

The slide accelerated this season, and Georgiev left the Avalanche with no other option as poor goaltending paralyzed a Colorado club built to compete for the Stanley Cup. Georgiev’s final game with the Avalanche was a 29-save victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 7, but that result served as little more than a trade value multiplier for a goalie who was 8-7-0 with an .874 save percentage and 3.38 goals-against average this season. He gave up at least four goals six times in his 18 games.

The inevitable trade occurred two days after the win against the Red Wings, with Colorado receiving Blackwood, depth forward Givani Smith and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The speed of Georgiev’s decline left the front office that had such high hopes for him in a state of disbelief.

“I think it shook us to the core with (Georgiev’s) start (to the season),” said Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland.

Trade to Sharks represents critical opportunity for Alexandar Georgiev

So it’s another fresh start for the former Rangers goalie, who also needed one back in 2022, a chance to establish himself in a situation that would give him a fair chance to seize the No. 1 job. The problem, of course, is that it would have been difficult to dream up a much better destination for Georgiev back then, when he joined the defending Stanley Cup champions who had a vacancy in net.

Will considerably less pressure for a rebuilding Sharks team allow Georgiev to reset and rediscover his game? It’s possible, but having a much less talented group in front of him will almost certainly mean more shots faced than he dealt with in Denver. San Jose is allowing 32.5 shots per game, highest in the NHL.

Georgiev’s first start with San Jose went well enough, when he made 17 saves in a 4-3 road win over the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 12.

“Very excited for it,” Georgiev said. “I don’t think too many guys want to be traded exactly, but it’s part of the business, and I feel it’s a great opportunity for me. … You know, nothing you can do. It’s the decision (the Avalanche) made. Felt like my game was trending in the right direction during the season. So that’s all you can control, your game and I’m excited for a chance here.

” … I don’t want to go too much into detail, of course, it’s a lot of factors (for the trade). I know I’m happy where my game was at the last 10 games or so.”

Georgiev will be an unrestricted free agent July 1, and rebuilding his value won’t be easy on a rebuilding team. Time will tell whether the affable Bulgaria-born goalie can do so. At the very least, he should get plenty of runway to try.

The Rangers, who often have trouble developing young skaters but bring goaltenders along better than anyone, should probably get some credit for identifying that Shesterkin, not Georgiev, was the future in net — even when the former was still competing in the Kontinental Hockey League as a 2014 fourth-round draft pick. That said, Georgiev’s up-and-down play was also easy to spot, and Shesterkin’s immediate brilliance and higher ceiling was readily identifiable to even the most casual fan.

It’s far too early to pass judgment on what the Rangers received for Georgiev. They took center Bryce McConnell-Barker with the 2022 third-round selection and left wing Maxim Barbashev in the fifth round that year. They moved up one spot from Colorado’s spot in the third round in 2023 to draft promising defenseman Drew Fortescue.

Almost nothing has gone right on Broadway this season, but Shesterkin’s recently-signed eight year, $92 million extension reflects his status as perhaps the top goalie in the game. He’s the Rangers best player, having emerged from an admittedly weighted competition in his favor three years ago to become a franchise cornerstone.

It’s highly unlikely that Georgiev will ever approach those heights. There’s still time, however, for him to fulfill at least some of the high-end promise he showed in flashes on Broadway.

Colorado packaged Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a 2026 second-round pick in 2026 draft to the Sharks. In return, they received Blackwood, forward Givani Smith and a fifth-round draft pick in the 2027 draft.

Each goaltender can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2025. Georgiev is in the final season of a three-year contract he signed after being traded to the Avalanche by the Rangers in July 2022; it has an average annual value of $3.4 million; Blackwood, who turned 28 on Monday, is finishing a two-year deal with an AAV of $2.35 million that he signed after being acquired from the Devils on June 27, 2023.

As part of the deal, Colorado will retain 14 percent of Georgiev’s contract, per the Sharks.

The Rangers traded Georgiev to Colorado after Igor Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the NHL in 2021-22. The native of Belarus led all NHL goalies in wins from 2022-24 with 78, tying Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins for the League lead with 40 victories in 2022-23 and leading the League by himself with 38 last season — two more than Shesterkin.

Georgiev piled up all those wins with a lot of help from his friends. The Avalanche have been one of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL for several years, and his 38 wins last season came despite finishing with a save percentage of .897, which was 41st in the NHL among goaltenders who played at least 25 games. He matched that .897 figure in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Colorado defeated the Winnipeg Jets in a high-scoring first round but were eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the second.

Shesterkin’s 73 wins during the previous two seasons were five fewer than Georgiev; however, the Rangers goalie had a better goals-against average (2.53 to 2.77) and save percentage (.915 to .908) than his former partner in that span.

Related: Igor Shesterkin ‘ so happy’ with new baby, massive contract extension

Ex-Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev traded away by Avalanche

But Georgiev has regressed this season. He started 1-5-0 before winning six consecutive starts from Nov. 9-27, posting a .901 save percentage and 2.57 GAA during that span. But overall, he was 8-7-0 in 18 appearances (17 starts) with a 3.38 GAA and a save percentage of .874. Among the 50 goaltenders who’ve played in at least 10 games this season, his goals-against average is 44th and his save percentage is 47th. He allowed four or more goals in seven of his 18 games, including Dec. 3 in Buffalo against the Sabres, when he was torched for four in less than 12 minutes before being lifted; Colorado rallied for a 5-4 win.

Over the course of his NHL career, Georgiev has a 144-89-22 record in 272 games with a 2.89 GAA, .907 save percentage and 15 shutouts. He appeared in the NHL All-Star Game in 2024.

The 28-year-olkd played his first five NHL seasons with the Rangers. He initially teamed with Henrik Lundqvist and then was partners with Shesterkin, who just signed a record-breaking eight-year, $92 million contract.

Georgiev won’t have the same kind of firepower in front of him that he had in Colorado. The Avalanche are 16-13-0 and scored 95 goals (but allowed 103) in 29 games; San Jose is 10-15-5 with 82 goals scored (and 108 allowed) in 30 games after finishing last in the overall standings in 2023-24.

Blackwood, who’s been plagued with injuries throughout his career, has played better than his 6-9-3 record and 3.00 GAA would suggest. He saw more than 33 shots per 60 minutes with the Sharks, and his .911 save percentage is 12th among goaltenders who’ve played in 10 or more games. He has one shutout, a 1-0 victory at New Jersey on Nov. 10 in which he made 44 saves. He will be the sixth goaltender used by Colorado this season.

It was another slow start, but this time the Rangers (10-4-1) came away victorious for the first time this season (1-4-1) after surrendering the game’s first goal. To be fair, the Sharks had more jump at the beginning, but that first goal was a fluke — a point shot that deflected off Jimmy Vesey’s stick and rainbowed over everyone, including a startled Igor Shesterkin, and into the net.

So, yes, the Sharks were working in the offensive zone; but, no, there wasn’t any egregious turnover or misplay by the Rangers, where they deserved to be in an early 1-0 hole. This wasn’t like recent gams against the Winnipeg Jets or Buffalo Sabres.

They did seem to lack zip in their game, though. Perhaps that’s because The Garden was morgue-like, almost waiting for the next bad thing to happen. But Mika Zibanejad’s putback of an Adam Fox shot tied the game in the second period, and life was restored to the famed building and home team.

And good for Zibanejad. His first goal in nine games, coming after a brutal personal showing against the Jets, was the type response Peter Laviolette and Co. hoped for.

Three quick goals — four, if you count a disallowed one from Fox — and it felt like the Rangers’ 3-1 lead was more like 6-1. Yes, the Sharks scored a power-play goal in the final seconds and never quit on this one, but it never felt like the Rangers were going to let this one slip away.

The Rangers are 5-4-0 in their past nine games, and showed some positive glimmers against the Jets, despite the 6-3 loss on Tuesday, and were in control against the Sharks for much of the game Thursday. That’s something to build on.

Related: Rangers injury update: Filip Chytil exits win against Sharks after scary collision with teammate

3 takeaways from Rangers 3-2 win against Sharks

Here are three takeaways from the game Thursday.

1. Concern for Filip Chytil

Despite the victory, there was a somber feel when this one was over. That’s because Filip Chytil was knocked out of the game in the second period with an “upper-body injury” following a collision with teammate K’Andre Miller.

Looks like Miller elbow got him. #NYR https://t.co/xOAqP3kfZT pic.twitter.com/7lSTD7JnPZ

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) November 15, 2024

It was sickening to see Chytil wobbly after being struck accidentally by Miller’s elbow. And the all-too-familiar site of seeing him head to the dressing room to meet with medical personnel was unsettling. His history of head injuries, including last season when he was limited to 10 games in the regular season and six in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is well documented. And raises major concern every time he takes a big hit, or worse, looks as he did Thursday night.

The 25-year-old did return for one 61-second shift later in the period and then was ruled out for the third. Now, we all sit and wait to hear the extent of the injury. The Rangers don’t practice Friday, so likely the next update on his condition is Saturday. Fingers remain crossed until then.

This isn’t just about an important player. It’s about a young man and his quality of life, now and in the future.

2. Analytics darlings

The Rangers have never been a favorite of the analytics crowd. Their Corsi numbers and xGF numbers and puck possession numbers simply are not great season after season. Of course, the Blueshirts still find ways to win, often and a lot. Two trips to the conference final in the past three seasons and the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24 attest to that.

But these advanced stats do provide a good look into specific games or trends, and do hold much value. To that end, the analytics from the Rangers win on Thursday clearly show that it was a very good night for the home team. They should’ve scored more than they did, but it was still good to see them largely dominate play.

They had a sizeable 32-12 advantage in scoring chances 5v5, including 10-4 with high-danger opportunities, per Natural Stat Trick. New York’s xGF was a whopping 74.71 percent. When they turned the game in their favor, scoring three times in the second period, the Rangers out-shot the Sharks 16-6 and out-chanced them 14-4, with an xGF of better than 80 percent.

Those numbers reflect how an elite team like the Rangers should handle a lower-echelon club like the Sharks. For one night anyway, the Rangers were analytics darlings.

3. Broadway Jimmy

The Rangers fourth line has been a good two-way line all season. But it’s even better now since Jimmy Vesey returned from a 10-game injury absence. A smart veteran, Vesey brings an offensive boost to the fourth line and strengthens its overall hockey IQ and defensive awareness.

Happy Friday. 👍 pic.twitter.com/A2W8fpZlBu

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 15, 2024

He earned the Broadway Hat against the Sharks with another strong workmanlike performance. His backhand goal from the slot in the second period put the Rangers up 2-1 and he finished with three shots on goal and three hits. Vesey and his linemates — Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom — were a handful getting in on the forecheck and limiting Sharks chances against all night.

In 8:11 worth of 5v5 TOI, the fourth line had a team-best 73.33 Corsi and an astounding 91.04 xGF percentage. And that’s even with being on for San Jose’s fluky first goal.

Vesey is a difference maker on the fourth line now that he’s healthy again.

Chytill who has a history of head injuries, including from last season when he was limited to 10 regular-season games after sustaining an upper-body injury in November, appeared wobbly after Miller’s elbow accidentally caught him on the side of the helmet or possibly the jaw. He got up from the ice and skated to the bench at 12:26 of the second period and then headed to the dressing room for medical attention.

Looks like Miller elbow got him. #NYR https://t.co/xOAqP3kfZT pic.twitter.com/7lSTD7JnPZ

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) November 15, 2024

The 25-year-old returned to play later in the second and took one shift that lasted 61 seconds. That shift ended at 17:22, and he didn’t play again. Chytil was ruled out for the third period with an upper-body injury.

“Day to day. Getting evaluated right now,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said postgame about Chytil.

Related: Rangers ‘really happy’ with Victor Mancini despite assigning rookie to AHL Hartford

Filip Chytil off to excellent start with Rangers after injury issues last season

Chytil is off to an excellent start this season, after missing nearly all of 2023-24 with what’s believed to be a frightening head injury. He has nine points (four goals, five assists) and is plus-11 in 15 games, and centered New York’s most consistent two-way line with Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko.

That line has outscored opponents 11-0 at 5v5 this season. They entered the game Thursday with an excellent xGF of 65.29 percent, per Natural Stat Trick, which is in the top-10 of the entire League.

A healthy Chytil also makes the Rangers extremely powerful down the middle in their top nine, with Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. Few teams match up favorably with those three.

Should Chytil be sidelined, Jonny Brodzinski is likely next man up to play center. The 31-year-old was scratched for the fifth straight game Thursday, and for the sixth time in the past seven games. He has one goal and one assist in seven games played.

Last season, Brodzinski appeared in an NHL career-high 57 games, largely filling in for Chytil, before Alex Wennberg was acquired before the trade deadline to play center. Wennberg signed with the Sharks in the offseason.

The Rangers are off Friday, so the next update on Chytil may not come until Saturday. New York opens a four-game road trip Sunday at the Seattle Kraken.

Zibanejad’s score sparked a three-goal second period for the Rangers (10-4-1), who won for the first time this season after allowing the game’s first goal (1-4-1). Jimmy Vesey and Vincent Trocheck also scored for the Rangers and Igor Shesterkin made it stand up by stopping 25 of 27 shots Thursday.

“It was good to help the team, good to score,” Zibanejad said simply postgame.

It wasn’t all good news for the Rangers, though. Filip Chytil was shaken up after a second-period collision with teammate K’Andre Miller, appeared wobbly getting up and headed to the dressing room for medical attention. Chytil returned to take one 61-second shift later in the period, but didn’t play in the third, ruled out with an upper-body injury. With his history of head injuries, there’s plenty of concern for Chytil.

“Day to day. Getting evaluated right now,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said postgame.

Timothy Liljegren scored his first goal of the season for the Sharks (5-10-3), who are 1-1-1 three games into a four-game road trip. Fabian Zetterlund added a power-play goal at 19:33 of the third period to make things interesting.

Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, was held off the score sheet in his Madison Square Garden debut, finishing minus-two with three shots on goal. Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves in the loss.

Related: Rangers ‘really happy’ with Victor Mancini despite assigning rookie to AHL Hartford

New York Rangers 3 – San Jose Sharks 2

It wasn’t the best of starts for the Rangers, who allowed four of the game’s first five shots and surrendered the only goal scored in the first period, albeit a fluky one. Liljegren’s left-point shot deflected off the stick of Vesey up and over four players crowded in the slot and landed behind a stunned Shesterkin 2:51 into the game.

Talk about a weird bounce 🫨

Timothy Liljegren fires one from the point and it ramps over EVERYBODY in front to give the Sharks an early lead— Shesterkin had no idea where it was pic.twitter.com/P1vIqUUosC

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 15, 2024

New York regrouped and played well defensively the rest of the period, though they also didn’t generate much in the offensive end. There were a pair of 3-on-2 rushes up ice late in the period for the Rangers that required quality saves by Blackwood. The first denied Reilly Smith, the second Ryan Lindgren.

Out-shot 9-7, the Rangers reached the first intermission trailing by one, in part because Sharks forward Carl Grundstrom rang a shot off the crossbar that beat Shesterkin cleanly at 17:50.

The Rangers and Sharks exchanged shots off the post to begin the second period. Zac Jones caught iron with a left-wing shot at 2:16 and William Eklund’s shot from the right circle hit the far post to Shesterkin’s blocker side four minutes later.

The turning point in this one came at 11:41 when Zibanejad buried the rebound of Adam Fox’s right-wing shot to tie the score 1-1. It was his first goal in nine games and third of the season. And it came two days after his miserable minus-four outing against the Winnipeg Jets, when three of his turnovers led directly to goals.

Mika Zibanejad breaks his eight game scoreless streak with a goal to tie the game! 🔥
pic.twitter.com/v5y6cbgaa9

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 15, 2024

Zibanejad’s goal woke up the Rangers and the Garden crowd. Chytil had a great scoring chance less than a minute later on a spinning backhand shot, and Fox made a terrific diving play at the other end to break up San Jose’s 3-on-1 rush.

Vesey then made it 2-1 by collecting the puck between the circles after his own failed pass and sailed a backhand shot past Blackwood at 13:15. It was Vesey’s second goal in three games.

After an apparent goal by Fox was overturned on video review because Trocheck interfered with Blackwood, the Rangers center made up for his mistake minutes later. Trocheck got behind the defense to redirect a stunning feed from Artemi Panarin high into the net for his fourth goal at 16:21 to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead.

Vincent Trocheck scores his fourth goal of the season and the Rangers are up 3-1! pic.twitter.com/T1SpubMZbG

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 15, 2024

The Rangers missed an opportunity to add to their lead when they failed on a power play to begin the third period. And that lead was nearly cut back to one, but former Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow missed the net on a short-handed breakaway.

The Rangers didn’t allow much in the third period, keeping the pressure off Shesterkin, who had a rare quiet night. Shesterkin did rob Goodrow late with a slick glove save, and added a few more after the Sharks pulled Blackwood for an extra attacker in the final minutes. Zetterlund scored a 6-on-4 power-play goal from the doorstep with 26.2 seconds left to play.

All in all it was a good night for the Rangers, and a solid bounce-back performance after the 6-3 loss to the Jets. But concern about Chytil’s health put a damper on the victory, ahead of their four-game road trip which begins Sunday night against the Seattle Kraken.

Interestingly, the Rangers (9-4-1) haven’t taken full advantage of the home cooking. They enter play Thursday just 4-3-1 on home ice, following a 6-3 loss to the League-leading Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. They’ve been much better on the road, with a 5-1-0 record.

The Rangers have lost two of three overall and are 4-4-0 in their past eight games, though they’ve yet to lose consecutive games this season. Their previous game against the Jets saw many of the same defensive mistakes that have plagued the Rangers recently. But coach Peter Laviolette did like how the Blueshirts attacked more on offense and dictated larger parts of the game.

They’ll look to carry that over when they host the 27th overall Sharks, who play the third of a four-game road trip Thursday. Mackenzie Blackwood and the Sharks shut out the New Jersey Devils 1-0 on Sunday and then San Jose dropped a 4-3 shootout to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday after erasing a 3-0 deficit.

The Rangers are 8-0-2 in their past 10 games against the Sharks. They have a .735 points percentage all-time against the Sharks, second best against all active NHL teams.

Related: Barclay Goodrow returns to New York with chip on shoulder, new Sharks role

3 things to watch for when Rangers host Sharks

1. First Garden visit for first overall pick

It’s always a big deal when the top pick in the NHL Draft makes his first appearance in New York at The Garden. It’s special for both the player and the fans. So, that alone makes the game Thursday intriguing because Macklin Celebrini, the 2024 No. 1 pick, makes his Garden debut.

The 18-year-old, who played one year at Boston University, had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 10, but then missed nearly a month because of a hip injury. The talented forward returned Nov. 5 against the Columbus Blue Jackets and scored two goals against the Minnesota Wild two nights later.

His three goals in five games played are tied for third among NHL rookies, just two behind Flyers forward Matvei Michkov, who’s played nine more games.

Celebrini could skate on a line with a former Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow on Thursday. They practiced together with Tyler Toffoli on Wednesday.

2. What’s new is old

Laviolette switched his forward line combinations again at practice Wednesday, reuniting Mika Zibanejad with Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. The experiment to shake up stagnant combinations the past several games, didn’t jumpstart Zibanejad, who had an awful night against the Jets, and may have aversely affected other forwards.

The Will Cuylle – Filip Chytil – Kaapo Kakko line was already back in place and produced two more goals Tuesday. They’ve outscored opponents 11-0 5v5 this season.

Laviolette also moved K’Andre Miller back with Adam Fox on the top defense pair. Miller was not good at all paired with Jacob Trouba after a recent switch. Ryan Lindgren, who’s still searching to find his game nine games after returning from a jaw injury, will slide back with Trouba.

And let’s see if Laviolette follows through with more ice time for the Zac Jone – Braden Schneider pair. The coach praised their play several times this week and said they were “warranting more ice time.”

3. Igor seeks to get back on track

Igor Shesterkin has allowed 10 goals in his past two starts, ballooning his goals-against average to 2.85. He was pulled in the second period against the Buffalo Sabres after surrendering five goals on 12 shots a week ago in a 6-1 loss and then gave up another five on 32 shots against the Jets, with an empty-netter not included against his record.

No doubt, Shesterkin was better against the Jets. He made a string of big-time saves, but in the end was outplayed by Connor Hellebuyck. So, yes, Shesterkin would love to get back on track Thursday.

And he probably has the perfect opponent to bounce back against. The Sharks are 31st in the NHL averaging 2.35 goals per game. They’ve scored only eight power-play goals all season and are 25th in the League with the man advantage. Veteran forward Mikael Granlund is averaging a point per game (18 points; seven goals, 11 assists in 17 games) and the Sharks do have some firepower with Celebrini and Toffoli. But this isn’t the Jets. It’s the Sharks. A perfect opportunity for Shesterkin to bounce back before the road trip.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Kreider – Zibanejad – Smith

Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere

Cuylle – Chytil – Kakko

Edstrom – Carrick – Vesey

Miller – Fox

Lindgren – Trouba

Jones – Schneider

Shesterkin

Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. San Jose Sharks

When: Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to Watch: MSG

Click here for New York Rangers complete 2024-25 schedule and game results

It’s safe to say the 31-year-old was more than a bit pissed off to be cut loose by the Stanley Cup contending Rangers after he played a huge role for them reaching the Eastern Conference Final in two of the past three seasons. What was a cost-cutting business move by the Rangers was something much more personal for Goodrow.

“I didn’t like how things were handled. That’s just how it went down. I didn’t like how it happened, but we’re all past that. It was a while ago. You have to move on,” Goodrow told reporters Wednesday. “It comes with the territory of this job. There’s nothing you can do but put your head down and keep working.”

When asked if that gives him extra motivation for the game Thursday, he replied, “Yeah. For sure.”

BARCLAY GOODROW TIES IT UP!
3-3 #TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/dFnrjRfZ7w

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) November 12, 2024

Goodrow, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, was an alternate captain with the Rangers and a highly-respected teammate. Though he only scored four goals with 12 points in 80 games last season, his big-game pedigree shined in the postseason, when he scored six goals, including two game-winners, in 16 games.

But with three years at $3.64 million per season left on his contract, the Rangers couldn’t justify paying Goodrow that salary to play on the fourth line, even when he was also a key penalty killer.

Goodrow didn’t like being waived, nor that he wasn’t notified about it until right before it happened. And he didn’t like the arrangement with the bottom-feeding Sharks even more so because they were on his no-trade list.

But here is, back in New York, with a Sharks team that’s 5-2-1 after a brutal 0-7-2 start.

Related: Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad determined to work through ‘hardest thing ever’

Barclay Goodrow was Rangers playoff hero before being waived

The Rangers may see a lot of Goodrow on Thursday night. He was elevated to the Sharks top line with No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini and veteran wing Tyler Toffoli when they practiced at Chelsea Piers on Wednesday.

He’s already averaging more than two minutes TOI compared to last season (14:52 to 12:34). That should be elevated even more against his former team at The Garden.

Goodrow earned the promotion, even if it likely is more of a result of playing the Rangers. But in his last game, a 4-3 shootout win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, Goodrow scored his second goal of the season to tie the score 3-3 in the third period, and also dropped the gloves with Nick Seeler for a rousing fight.

Rock Em Sock Em Robots Nick Seeler 🆚 Barclay Goodrow#LetsGoFlyers | #TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/RqidGvFfDl

— Missin Curfew (@MissinCurfew) November 12, 2024

In 241 games with the Rangers, Goodrow had 76 points (28 goals, 48 assists), including an NHL career-high 33 points in 2021-22. His most memorable moment probably came in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final when he scored the overtime winner against the Florida Panthers.

Goodrow, of course, is back where it all started. He began his NHL career with six seasons playing for the Sharks before he was traded to the Lighting, won the Cup twice, and then signed with the Rangers.

The return to New York is one he’s looking forward to.

“I still have a lot of close friends on that team. I have a lot of good memories. [We had] a couple of long playoff runs. I loved my time there,” Goodrow said. “It was kind of just unexpected,  personally, for how it ended. But we’re past that, and I am a Shark and happy to be here.”

Igor Shesterkin figures to play against the League-leading Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. He’s coming off his first “pull” of the season, when he was lifted in the second period after allowing the first five goals on 12 shots in what became the Rangers’ worst performance of the season, a 6-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at MSG this past Thursday. Shesterkin got no help from his teammates, who avoided getting shut out at home when Will Cuylle scored early in the third period.

The Rangers broke even in their two-game week by blanking the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, completing the second straight season series sweep of their Original Six rival thanks to a 37-save performance by Jonathan Quick. New York is 6-0-0 against the Red Wings in the past two seasons and 12-1-2 in their past 15 games.

By points, the Rangers (9-3-1) begin the week fourth in the Metropolitan Division behind the New Jersey Devils,  Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals. But their .731 points percentage is second in the division behind Carolina, and their plus-19 goals differential is one behind the Hurricanes for best in the Eastern Conference. The key to their success is scoring first; the Rangers are 9-0-0 when they get the first goal but 0-3-1 when they don’t.

Who’s hot

Quick is 3-0-0 and has allowed three goals in his three starts. His shutout of the Red Wings was the 61st of his career, tying him with Hockey Hall of Famer Turk Broda for 18th all-time. He is four victories shy of becoming the first U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history to win 400 regular-season games.

Artemi Panarin reached the 800-point mark with an assist in the Buffalo debacle and had a goal and an assist in Detroit. He became the fastest Rangers player to score 10 goals in a season since Rick Nash (12 GP in 2014-15). Panarin has 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 13 games and has at least one point in 12 of the Rangers’ 13 games this season.

Jimmy Vesey became the 17th Rangers skater to score a goal this season — fifth most in the NHL — when he got his first of the season against the Red Wings. It came in his third game since returning from a lower-body injury that cost him the first 10 games of the season.

Who’s not

K’Andre Miller continues to struggle at both ends of the rink. The 24-year-old defenseman was minus-3 and played a season-low 17:54 against Buffalo, and is minus-1 for the season and has gone eight straight games without a point. He has just two points (goal, assist) so far.

Related: Rangers castoff continues to light lamp for division rival

Rangers lookahead this week includes …

A meeting with the League’s best team in the first month of the season, a visit from one of the worst and the start of a swing through the Northwest.

Winnipeg Jets at Rangers (Nov. 12, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)

The Rangers will try to become the second team this season to defeat the record-setting Jets, who became the first team in NHL history to win 14 of its first 15 games by defeating the Dallas Stars 4-1 on Saturday. Connor Hellebuyck, last season’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner, is 11-1-0 with a 1.83 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage and three shutouts.

Shesterkin has excelled against the Jets in his career, with a 4-2-0 record and 1.86 GAA, .944 save percentage and one shutout.

San Jose Sharks at Rangers (Nov. 14, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)

The Rangers have owned the Sharks since San Jose entered the NHL in 1991, posting a 33-10-3 record with three ties. They are 9-0-2 in their past 11 games; San Jose hasn’t defeated New York in regulation since a 4-1 win at the Garden on Oct. 23, 2017.

The Sharks, who finished last in the overall standings in 2023-24, enter their game Monday at Philadelphia 5-5-0 in their past 10 games after an 0-4-2 start, following a 1-0 win at New Jersey on Sunday.

This will be Macklin Celebrini’s first visit to The Garden. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft has played only four games due to injury, but has three goals and four points already.

Rangers at Seattle Kraken (Nov. 17, 9 p.m. ET; MSGSN)

The Rangers begin a four-game, seven-day trip with a stop in Seattle. New York is 5-0-1 all-time against the Kraken and has outscored Seattle 23-12 in the six games. They swept the two-game series last season, outscoring the Kraken 9-3, and have never given up more than three goals in a game to the Kraken.

This trip includes games against the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Last season, the Rangers swept this exact trip, that also included a stop in Winnipeg against the Jets.

It’s a massive win for the Blueshirts because they move the final three years of Goodrow’s contract off their books, a salary cap savings of $3.6 million per season. New York now has $13.695 million in projected cap space.

Mollie Walker of the New York Post first reported the possibility that the Sharks would claim Goodrow, who landed on the waiver wire Tuesday.

“By placing Goodow on waivers, the Rangers allow themselves some cap flexibility no matter what happens,” Mollie Walker of the New York Post wrote Tuesday. “Though there is belief there is a pre-arranged deal for the Sharks to claim Goodrow, who spent the first six seasons of his NHL career in San Jose.”

Goodrow has a 15-team no-trade clause, and while it’s unknown whether or not San Jose was on that list, it didn’t prevent the Sharks from claiming him off waivers.

“There is definitely a lot of smoke around San Jose,” NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said on the most recent episode of 32 Thoughts. “We know San Jose is looking for veterans. One of the things I’m kinda wondering about here is, maybe Goodrow can’t be traded to San Jose, but because he doesn’t have a no-move clause, he can’t block being claimed by them on waivers.”

If Goodrow hadn’t been claimed by another team, the Rangers likely would have bought out the remainder of his six-year contract. That would’ve given them an extra $247,000 in cap credit. Of course, they would have had dead money on the books if Goodrow was bought out, including $3.5 million in 2026-27.

But that’s a moot point now.

Related: Patrick Kane could want to ‘make it right’ with Rangers

Rangers gain $3.6 million in cap space after Barclay Goodrow claimed by Sharks

Goodrow tallied 71 points in 268 games with San Jose, who signed him to an entry-level contract in 2014 after he went undrafted.

San Jose landed the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft and is expected to take the consensus best-available prospect, Macklin Celebrini of Boston University. They already have Will Smith, last year’s No. 4 overall pick, in their system. After finishing dead last in the League this past season, they are searching for veteran talent to bolster that development process.

With over 500 games of NHL experience and a pair of Stanley Cup rings, Goodrow certainly provides that.

The Sharks also added forward Ty Dellandrea on Wednesday, acquiring him in a trade with the Dallas Stars for a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft.

Now that the Rangers won’t need to buy Goodrow’s contract out, it might make be more possible to buy out captain Jacob Trouba, which would provide another $4 million in savings against the salary cap this season. Though that move would also mean the Rangers had to fill another spot on their defense corps.