Forward Artemi Panarin didn’t take part in practice Friday because of an upper-body injury after missing time earlier in camp with a lower-body injury that kept him off the ice for a week. Center J.T. Miller returned to practice Friday in a non-contact jersey after sustaining a lower-body injury Monday.

“I think it’s just a day to day thing at this point,” coach Mike Sullivan said Friday. “Our hope is that we’ll have them for opening night.”

Sullivan confirmed that Panarin won’t dress – meaning that he’ll have missed all six preseason games. He sounded more hopeful that Miller would be able to go.

The Rangers are 2-2-1 entering their preseason finale. Sullivan said Friday he’s happy with what he’s seen during training camp.

“I’m excited about working with these guys,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun to this point, and I know it will continue to be. But I’ve been really encouraged and excited about the level of enthusiasm around the group every day. I think if we continue to have that, we can’t help but get better every day.

“We think we have good people and we have a lot of talent. … I think we’ve got the opportunity to be a real good team. Right now, that’s all it is – an opportunity. Now we have to go out and earn it.”

The Rangers sent two of their top prospects, defenseman Scott Morrow and forward Gabe Perreault, to Hartford of the AHL on Friday – opting to give them plenty of ice time in the minors to further their development. There’s no question the Rangers think both are a big part of their future – after a little more seasoning.

“We believe these guys have the potential to have a lasting impact on the New York Rangers,” Sullivan said. “We’re trying to make the best decisions we can to try to help that process and get these guys as close to pushing their way onto the roster as they can.”

New York Rangers news and analysis

Jim Cerny takes a look at what’s next for the Rangers after they sent Perreault and Morrow to Hartford.

Here’s Jim’s look at the storylines for the game against the Bruins.

Sullivan has emphasized that he wants the Rangers to be tougher to play against. They’ll need to improve after the 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. Another area needing improvement: Through five preseason games they’ve been outscored 10-0 in the third period.

NHL news and rumors

NHL.com: Sidney Crosby looks like he’s ready for the Rangers. Crosby prepared for the start of his 21st NHL season by scoring the tying goal late in the third period and the winner nine seconds into overtime to give the Penguins a 5-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Penguins finished the preseason 5-1-1, including five straight wins.

9 SECONDS OF OT IS ALL SID NEEDS 🚨

8️⃣7️⃣ IS READY FOR THE REGULAR SEASON! pic.twitter.com/9a4Tn8X5WG

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 4, 2025

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers locked up coach Kris Knoblauch through 2028-29 with a three-year contract extension. The former Hartford Wolf Pack bench boss has gotten the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past two seasons, though they lost to the Florida Panthers each time. Knoblauch joked that the Oil has “much more important” contracts to negotiate other than his own heading into the season – referring to star center Connor McDavid, who can become a free agent on July 1.

NJ Hockey Now: The Devils saved about $375,000 on the salary cap by swapping enforcers with the Ottawa Senators, dealing Kurtis MacDermid – known best to Rangers fans for his fight with Matt Rempe — for Zach MacEwen. New Jersey is still about $3.5 million over the cap after signing defenseman Luke Hughes to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million, but is likely to get under by putting another defenseman, Johnathan Kovacevic ($4 million AAV) on LTIR after knee surgery.

NHL.com: Scott Laughton is week to week for the Toronto Maple Leafs with a lower-body injury. The veteran forward was injured in a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday and will miss Toronto’s regular-season opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 8. Despite the apparent opening created by Laughton’s injury, the Leafs also placed center David Kampf on waivers.

Boston Hockey Now: The Rangers won’t see forward Fabian Lysell, the Boston Bruins’ top pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, when they play Saturday. The 22-year-old failed to break camp with the B’s for the fourth straight year and was sent down to Providence of the AHL on Friday. He played 12 games with Boston last season but did little at camp or in their preseason games to earn an NHL job.

Colorado Hockey Now: Jack Johnson, a defenseman who played briefly (13 games) for the Rangers in 2020-21, was released from his PTO by the Minnesota Wild. That could spell the end of the line for the 38-year-old, selected by the Carolina Hurricanes with the third pick in the 2005 draft (two picks after the Penguins took some kid named Crosby). Johnson never played for the ’Canes but did play with six clubs during a 19-year NHL career that included winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.  

The Hockey News: Defenseman Andrej Sustr, released from his PTO with the Rangers earlier this week, signed an AHL PTO with the Bridgeport Islanders.

Summer ends Wednesday for 22 hopefuls when they report to rookie camp. The 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders will go through their paces for two days of workouts before back-to-back games against the Philadelphia Flyers’ rookies on Friday and Saturday in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The veterans report next week, and the first of six preseason games is against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Sept. 21.

The biggest name on the ice figures to be forward Gabe Perreault, the Rangers’ first-round draft pick in 2023 (No. 23 overall) who’s generally regarded as their top prospect. The son of former NHL center Yanic Perreault was a star during his two seasons at Boston College, but was scoreless in five games with the Rangers after signing with them following the NCAA Tournament.

Other players who hope to parlay a solid rookie camp into a role with the Rangers include forward Brennan Othmann, New York’s first-round pick (No. 16) in 2021, and defenseman Scott Morrow, who was acquired in the trade that sent defenseman K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Fourteen of the 22 players attending rookie camp were drafted by the Rangers. The roster also includes several “veterans” of rookie camp who played with Hartford of the American Hockey League last season, like forwards Dylan Roobroeck, Adam Sykora, Bryce McConnell-Barker, and Jaroslav Chmelar.

Here’s the roster and camp schedule. Note that prospects such as forward Malcolm Spence, the Rangers’ first pick in the 2025 draft, and defensemen EJ Emery and Drew Fortescue are already back at school for the fall semester and are ineligible to attend.

New York Rangers news and analysis

Our Jim Cerny looks at five players to watch at rookie camp who aren’t named Gabe Perreault or Brennan Othmann.

Brett Berard is healthy again, and Sportsology’s Russ Cohen told our RINK RAP podcast this week that he expects the 23-year-old fifth-rounder from the 2020 draft to make the team. He wasn’t nearly so optimistic about Othmann’s chances.

NHL news and rumors

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Sidney Crosby grew up in Nova Scotia rooting for the Montreal Canadiens, so he understands that Habs fans want to see No. 87 in bleu, blanc et rouge. “I get it,” Crosby said during the annual NHL Player Media Tour. “Trust me, growing up a Montreal fan and being from not too far from there, I understand how passionate they are.” As Sid the (no longer a) Kid prepares for his 21st NHL season, he said still sees himself as a Pittsburgh Penguin for life. But could that change if the Pens miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season? “I haven’t seriously considered anything else,” he said.

ESPN: Is the NHL getting ready for another go-round in Atlanta. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN that the League met with multiple groups in July who are seeking to make Atlanta the league’s 33rd team. However, he said the NHL needs a “fully baked plan” from an ownership group in Atlanta before having its board of governors consider bringing an expansion team to the city. The NHL is 0-for-2 in Georgia after the failures of the Atlanta (now Calgary) Flames and the Atlanta Thrashers, who became the Winnipeg Jets in the summer of 2011.

NHL.com:  Connor Bedard says contract talks with the Chicago Blackhawks are going well. The 20-year-old center is entering the final season of his three-year, entry-level contract and can become a restricted free agent July 1. “It’s nothing crazy,” he said at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour on Tuesday. “We’re both comfortable with where we’re at.”

NHL.com: Daly also told NHL.com that the League is moving closer to finalizing details for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, with the intention of having decisions made early next year. He said at least two-thirds of NHL cities have expressed an interest in hosting the World Cup, and that the League has received interest from close to 20 European cities.

The Associated Press: The NHL and the Players Association will contribute $4 million annually to the newly established Retired Players Emergency Healthcare and Wellness Fund. NHL Alumni Association president and executive director Glenn Healy, Mike Richter’s backup on the 1994 Stanley Cup-winning Rangers, said the plan provides access to a family doctor and a mental wellness professional for any player, “whether you played one shift or 10,000 games.”

The United States has not finished first in a best-on-best international tournament since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey; now, they are just 60 minutes away from accomplishing that feat, if they can get past Canada.

However, the last time the U.S. came this close to winning was 2010 Vancouver Olympics when Canada crushed Team USA’s dreams in a 3-2 overtime final with Sidney Crosby scoring the Golden Goal.

The beginning of both tournaments started the same; USA marched into Canada to win a statement two-goal victory in preliminary round/round-robin action, ultimately to match up again in the championship game. This time around, Team USA aims to write a different ending.

“This is probably the most jacked up I’ve been for a game,” New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said.

The 2010 Gold Medal game is one of the most iconic moments in international hockey history. Trailing by a goal late in the third period, Zach Parise netted the equalizer at 19:35 for the United States to stun the Canadian crowd and send the game to overtime. However, it set the stage for Crosby to become a national hero in Canada, when he scored the iconic goal 7:40 into overtime.

Though under a different format featuring only four teams as opposed to the 12 at the 2010 Winter Games, this tournament has played out the same for the United States and Canada, so far. In 2010, the U.S. defeated Canada in the preliminary round 5-3 – former Rangers captain and current general manager Chris Drury scored Team USA’s third goal.

Similarly, last Saturday, the United States defeated Canada 3-1 in their second game of round-robin play. None of the three Rangers who played tallied a point, but J.T. Miller took part in one of three fights in the game’s opening nine seconds, setting the tone for a physical game that followed.

And the final fight of the main card to start the game, JT Miller drops em with Colton Parayko. Absolute cinema to start this one. pic.twitter.com/TB7tBdvxyE

— 2 Goalies 1 Mic (@2Goalies1Mic) February 16, 2025

Most hockey fans don’t remember the preliminary victory in 2010 due to what happened in the gold medal game. And if Team USA is to lose to Canada in the 4 Nations Faceoff final, their round-robin victory won’t be as memorable either.

There is one important difference that should help the United States this time: home-ice advantage. Canada hosted the Olympics in 2010, and both head-to-head matchups were played in Vancouver. The first half of the 4 Nations Faceoff was played in Montreal – Team USA was able to silence a rowdy Canadian crowd at Bell Centre – but the championship game will take place on U.S. soil in Boston at TD Garden. 

Related: Daily — Finally the Final at 4 Nations Face-Off; Seth Jones trade chatter

USA, Canada share high expectations for high stakes matchup

There’s nothing quite like representing your country on the biggest stage, something that NHL hockey can not replicate. Sure, winning the Stanley Cup is every hockey player’s dream. But for those participating in the game Thursday, many agree that it’s one of the most important games of their life.

“It’s the biggest game I’ve played in in quite some time, maybe ever,” said Jack Eichel, who won the Stanley Cup in 2023 with the Vegas Golden Knights.

In that Stanley Cup Final, Eichel’s Golden Knights defeated Matthew Tkachuk’s Florida Panthers. One year later, the Panthers won a Stanley Cup of their own in a seven-game series against the Edmonton Oilers. Still, the magnitude of the 4 Nations Faceoff final stands out to Tkachuk.

“Maybe Game 7 aside, this is probably the biggest game we’ve all played up until this point,” he said. “I’m expecting the best environment I’ve ever played in Thursday night.”

On the losing side of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final was Connor McDavid of Team Canada.

“Obviously having just been there a few months ago, playing in big games is what I love to do. Everyone loves to do. And [Thursday’s] a big game,” McDavid explained.

Canada coach Jon Cooper believes that loss can help prepare McDavid for another winner-take-all scenario, less than a year later.

“Many times you think you’ll be right back there. But it doesn’t work that way,” Cooper said “That’s why you have to embrace those moments like they’re going to be your last. And I know for sure Connor is doing that.”

There’s only one player left on either team from the 2010 gold medal game, and it just so happens to be Crosby, Team Canada’s captain. Crosby knows what it is like to play in a game like this, and more importantly, he knows how to excel under the white hot spotlight.

Will Team USA be able to keep Crosby and Team Canada in check to reverse that outcome in 2010?

We will find out shortly.

Vaakanainen, acquired by the Rangers on Dec. 6 in a trade that sent Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, was minus-3 in just 11:14 of ice time, beginning with the game’s first goal by Connor McDavid 4:13 after the opening face-off.

NHL scoring leader Nathan MacKinnon made it 2-0 just 46 seconds after McDavid’s goal and added another goal early in the second period for a 4-0 lead. Canada survived a late three-goal surge by Finland and advanced to the final on Thursday against the United States.

“It got a little scary at the end,” MacKinnon, named the Player of the Game, admitted on TNT.

The title game will be a rematch of Canada’s 3-1 loss to the Americans in Montreal on Saturday. That win assured the U.S. of a berth in the final regardless of what happens in its game against Sweden on Monday night. Vaakanainen’s Rangers teammate Chris Kreider will make his first appearance of the tournament in that game. Kreider replaces Matthew Tkachuk, who has a lower-body injury.

Vaakanainen and third-pairing partner Nikolas Matinpalo, a rookie defenseman with the Ottawa Senators, each had a game he’d like to forget. They were on the ice for two of Canada’s three goals in the first period, as well as MacKinnon’s second of the afternoon at 5:03 of the second.

46 SECONDS LATER, IT'S 2-0 CANADA! 🤯 #4Nations

🇺🇸: @NHL_on_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3T
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/0ICbFsnopK

— NHL (@NHL) February 17, 2025

That goal spelled the end of the afternoon for Kevin Lankinen, the Finnish goaltender who got the win Saturday in a 4-3 overtime victory against Sweden. He allowed four goals on 13 shots and looked little like the goalie who’ s helped save the Vancouver Canucks’ season while starter Thatcher Demko battled injuries.

Jordan Binnington made his third start in as many games for Canada, finishing with 23 saves. He lost his shutout with 6:41 remaining in the third period on a goal by Esa Lindell, and the Finns made it close on two sixth-attacker goals by Mikael Granlund before Sidney Crosby hit the empty net with 56 seconds remaining.

Related: Ryan Lindgren decision, Rangers options on defense ahead of NHL Trade Deadline

Canada 5 – Finland 3

Finland actually got off to a decent start, mounting some pressure on Binnington in the first couple of minutes before things fell apart.

McDavid opened the scoring with his second of the tournament. Finnish center Roope Hintz made an awful clearing pass that McDavid picked off just inside the blue line. Vaakanainen had a good view as McDavid toyed with his partner and was given loads of time and space to cut in from the left boards before whipping a shot from the circle past Lankinen.

MacKinnon doubled the lead at 4:59 after a slick play by Sam Reinhart just inside Finland’s zone. His little chip pass sprung MacKinnon into open space inside the right circle, and the Colorado Avalanche star was left alone to beat Lankinen from the lower right circle.

The Vaakanainen-Matinpalo was victimized again at 13:02, when Canada made it 3-0 on a goal by Brayden Point. McDavid raced down the right wing and fed defenseman Travis Sanheim, who was coming down the middle. Lankinen stopped Sanheim’s shot but was left helpless when the rebound came right to Point for an easy putaway.

BRAYDEN POINT 🚨

Canada is firing on all cylinders right now! #4Nations

🇺🇸: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3T
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/Yju3OnivVg

— NHL (@NHL) February 17, 2025

Canada continued its dominance through the remainder of the period, outshooting Finland 11-5.

The Nova Scotia duo of MacKinnon and Crosby combined to make it 4-0 just after the five-minute mark in the middle period. Crosby controlled the puck in the corner to the left of Lankinen and threaded a pass to MacKinnon, who had found a small gap in the defensive coverage. MacKinnon one-timed the pass behind a helpless Lankinen; Vaakanainen slammed his stick against the boards while Canada celebrated.

Sidney Crosby ➡️ Nathan MacKinnon 😍 #4Nations https://t.co/g3nK6X2AO8 pic.twitter.com/mKOMosnysM

— NHL (@NHL) February 17, 2025

Juuse Saros, the losing goaltender in Finland’s 6-1 loss to the United States on Thursday in Montreal, replaced Lankinen. It didn’t help.

Finland got the game’s first power play when Devon Toews was sent off for slashing Finland’s Joel Armia but managed just one shot on goal. Former Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko, who was traded to the Seattle Kraken just before Christmas, was denied twice from close-in just after the power play ended.

Lindell got the Finns on the board at 13:19 of the third, beating Binnington with a shot from the right circle that caught the far corner. Finland pulled Saros for an extra skater with more than four minutes left and made it close when Granlund, the OT hero against Sweden, beat Binnington with 1:40 remaining and again with 1:17 to play.

But Crosby’s empty-netter from the red line, his first goal of the tournament, eased any anxious nerves among Canadian fans and sent Canada into the championship game.

Dave Maloney and I were in agreement about that when we discussed our interest in the 4 Nations Face-Off on the latest Rink Rap podcast.

I may have to call Dave back now, though, and reconsider my position. I’m not going to lie, I really enjoyed the Sweden-Canada opener to the 4 Nations on Wednesday. Great crowd, great atmosphere, great game.

The only downside was seeing Shea Theodore sustain an upper-body injury and then hearing later that the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman is out for the remainder of the tournament. This becomes a bigger issue to me if he misses some time for Vegas after being hurt in an exhibition game.

I know the argument is that a player can get hurt at any time in any game, or even practice. Sure, it comes with the territory over an 82-game NHL schedule. But it’s so much more difficult to stomach when that injury occurs in a game that’s not for his NHL team, in my opinion.

Maybe Rangers fans don’t care. It’s Shea Theodore. It’s the Golden Knights. But you’ll be singing a different tune if Adam Fox sprains a knee or J.T. Miller pops a shoulder when the United States plays Finland on Thursday, for example.

But that said, yes, I’ll be watching that U.S.-Finland game and the rest of this mid-season tournament. Can’t keep me away from exciting hockey played by some of the best players on earth (did you see Sidney Crosby on Wednesday night?!). Just fingers crossed that there are no more injuries along the way.

Subscribe to the Rink Rap podcast at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page

New York Rangers news

Mika Zibanejad nearly capped a stirring comeback by Sweden in overtime Wednesday, but Mitchell Marner eventually won it for Canada, 4-3, in OT.

J.T. Miller sees the 4 Nations Face-Off as a chance to grow “friendship and a bond” with new Rangers teammates Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider on Team USA.

Our Tara Salvati provided a list of one thing each of the six Rangers taking part in the 4 Nations should try to accomplish at the tournament, outside of helping their team win it, of course!

Speaking of Dave Maloney earlier and his guest spot on Rink Rap, the former Rangers captain also had some really interesting things to say about Jacob Trouba and how revered he was as the Blueshirts leader during his tenure in New York.

John Kreiser breaks down the Rangers long road to landing a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference over the final 27 games of the regular season.

Tom Castro writes that the Rangers should be pretty concerned over Alexis Lafreniere’ regression this season.

NHL news

We wrote about the Columbus Blue Jackets and how general manager Don Waddell believes he owes it to his surprising team to keep it together ahead of and after the trade deadline and let it make a run at a playoff spot.

The NHL and NHLPA announced that the World Cup of Hockey featuring eight countries will return in 2028. That guarantees best-on-best international hockey tournaments every two years, beginning with the 2026 Milano Olympics and including the 2028 World Cup and 2030 French Alps Olympics.

Sidney Crosby was the First Star in Canada’s 4-3 overtime win against Sweden at the 4 Nations. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain had three assists and Canada has now won 26 straight international games with Crosby in the lineup.

Watch this slick Crosby feed to set up a Nathan MacKinnon power-play goal.

Canada coach Jon Cooper said “it’s heartbreaking for the kid,” referring to Shea Theodore sustaining an upper-body injury that knocks him out for the rest of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Miracle on Ice hero Mike Eruzione said that the current United States team competing at the 4 Nations “is the best collection of American talent ever put on the ice.”

Brad Marchand, speaking in Montreal where he’s playing for Canada at the 4 Nations, said he doesn’t expect the Boston Bruins to trade him ahead of the March 7 deadline even though he’s a pending unrestricted free agent.

Here’s a breakdown of what Noah Dobson’s switching agents means for him and the Islanders.

Jesse Puljujarvi explained why he sought to have his contract with the Penguins terminated earlier this week.

Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle was assigned to Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League on a conditioning stint. He’s been out since November following pelvic surgery.

Watch Mitchell Marner score in overtime to help Canada defeat Sweden 4-3.

The New York Rangers center was robbed by goaltender Jordan Binnington 1:55 into the extra period on a one-timer from the left circle that would have given Sweden a come-from-behind victory. Marner then scored at 6:06 of OT to give Canada a 4-3 win in the tournament opener, spoiling Sweden’s comeback from a pair of two-goal deficits.

“We did a good job working ourselves back into the game,” Zibanejad said. “Overtime could have gone both ways.”

Sidney Crosby, the game’s First Star, got his third primary assist of the night when he fed Marner, who raced into the offensive zone and ripped a high shot from the right of the slot through an inadvertent screen by Swedish defenseman Erik Karlsson that beat Filip Gustavsson for the win.

“He’s amazing. He’s just ageless. It’s a credit to him,” Connor McDavid said of Crosby. “It’s a credit to how much he puts into it his work ethic, credit to how he takes care of himself and credit to how smart he is out there. He just gets it done time and time again, and he did that again tonight.”

Canada has won 26 consecutive games in international competition with Crosby in the lineup.

AN ABSOLUTE ELECTRIC #4Nations OPENER! 🙌

Mitch Marner scores the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner for Canada. pic.twitter.com/PTTYLar7BV

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 13, 2025

Scoring the overtime winner on an assist from his boyhood idol was special for Marner.

“You tell 13-year-old Mitch that he scored an overtime goal assisted by Sidney Crosby, the guy he looked up to since day one, it’s pretty crazy,” he said. “I really just tried to enjoy the moment after. The building was rocking, and it was nice to have them cheering for me instead of against me.”

Crosby also set up goals by Nathan MacKinnon in the first period and Mark Stone in the second. Brad Marchand, who fueled Canada’s World Cup win nine years ago with a tournament-leading five goals, scored the other goal.

“As someone who loves to play in environments like that, I grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan, and to have an ovation like that here was really special and something I’ll always remember,” Crosby said.

Binnington made 23 saves, allowing goals by Jonas Brodin in the second period and Adrian Kempe and Joel Eriksson Ek in the third. Gustavsson finished with 24 saves, including seven in overtime.

Canada lost defenseman Shea Theodore early in the second period with an upper-body injury, and coach Jon Cooper said after the game that Theodore will miss the rest of the tournament, which ends Feb. 20.

Zibanejad finished the game minus-1 and had two shots on goal in 20:01 of ice time. He had one takeaway and was 12-10 on face-offs — no other Swedish center was over .500 on draws.

“I think toward the end of the first (period) and from then on, we started playing a little bit more,” Zibanejad said. “We could have won this game.”

Having to go into the 10-minute overtime before winning means Canada got two points for the victory, instead of three. Sweden got one point.

Each team will have two days off before playing its biggest rival. Sweden faces Finland on Saturday afternoon, while Canada and the United States square off Saturday night. The Americans, featuring four Rangers — defenseman Adam Fox and forwards J.T. Miller, Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck — play Finland in their first game Thursday night.

Related: Former Rangers captain believes Jacob Trouba was ‘spiritual leader’ before trade to Ducks

Canada 4 – Sweden 3 (OT)

Zibanejad was in the starting lineup, centering a line with Rickard Rakell and William Nylander, and won the opening face-off. But he had already gone off for a line change when Nylander was called for high-sticking MacKinnon 44 seconds into the game.

That brought out Canada’s No. 1 power-play unit, which needed just 12 seconds to open the scoring. McDavid fed Crosby at the goal line to the left of Gustavsson, and Crosby’s backhand pass across the top of the crease found MacKinnon. The NHL leading scorer wasted no time snapping it into the net for a 1-0 lead.

“We get a penalty on the first shift and they score, what, 15 seconds into the power play,” Zibanejad said. “The building gets going and they get a second goal.”

The Canadians dominated play and had not allowed a shot on goal before Marchand scored at 13:15 to make it 2-0.

Seth Jarvis’ pass sprung Brayden Point and Marchand on a 2-on-1 break. Point found a wide-open Marchand in the lower left circle, and he hit the half-empty net for a 2-0 lead.

Brad Marchand in Montreal! 🇨🇦

Canada leads 2-0! #4Nations

🇺🇸: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3T
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/1OeWbNgQN7

— NHL (@NHL) February 13, 2025

Marchand admitted during a between-periods interview with TNT that “I heard a few boos” amid the cheers after the goal but added that “It’s incredible the way the fans rally behind Canada.” The Boston Bruins captain has heard his share of boos at Bell Centre over the years, playing for one of the Montreal Canadiens’ biggest rivals.

Canada had the first seven shots of the game before the Swedes finally got their first shot at 13:49 when Nylander got off a backhander that Binnington had no trouble with. They had the final three shots on goal in the period, none of which was dangerous.

“We had an awesome start,” Stone told TNT.

The Swedes finally began to find their game as the second period neared the midway point and cut the deficit to 2-1 at 9:33.

Jonas Brodin scored Sweden’s opening goal while making his debut at an NHL International Tournament. #4Nations

Tune in on @NHL_On_TNT, @SportsonMax, truTV, @Sportsnet and @TVASports. #NHLStats: https://t.co/fAVu10HCM6 pic.twitter.com/129wkho3Tu

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) February 13, 2025

Brodin, who has four goals in 34 games for the Minnesota Wild this season and only recently returned to the lineup after missing four weeks with a lower-body injury, let go a bad-angled shot from near the right boards. With Rakell screening Binnington, the shot went over the goaltender’s shoulder and just under the crossbar.

Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin saved a goal 3 1/2 minutes later by beating MacKinnon to a loose puck in the crease after a chop shot by Crosby leaked through Gustavsson.

But Crosby got his second assist of the night when he did most of the work on Stone’s goal at 17:28. With Zibanejad on the ice and Sweden pressing for the tying goal, Crosby picked up a miss by Mattias Ekholm and raced up the right wing. He muscled away defenseman Gustav Forsling in the lower right circle long enough to find Stone, who was flying down the middle and one-timed No. 87’s pass behind Gustavsson for a 3-1 lead.

He's just so good at protecting the puck 😳 #4Nations https://t.co/Ie6mX8CBpm pic.twitter.com/cjL6u4Iiy7

— NHL (@NHL) February 13, 2025

Sweden got back within a goal 1:54 into the third period when Kempe backed off his Los Angeles Kings teammate, defenseman Drew Doughty, and created enough room to snap a shot past Binnington from between the circles.

Eriksson Ek got the Swedes even at 8:59, finishing a nice passing play with Lucas Raymond and Jesper Bratt, who faked a shot and fed the Minnesota center for a flip shot over Binnington and a 3-3 tie.

JOEL ERIKSSON EK TIES THE GAME FOR SWEDEN! 👀 #4Nations 

Catch all the action on Sportsnet! 📺 pic.twitter.com/56Nre5MnDY

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 13, 2025

Gustavsson saved the day for Sweden with just under nine minutes remaining when he got his blocker on a shot from the slot by Devon Toews, who was alone in the slot and appeared to have a half-empty net to shoot at.

Canada’s firepower is surreal, but their goaltending is questionable. Sweden has issues in goal too, with Jacob Marsktrom out injured and Linus Ullmark coming back from a back injury. The United States might be the favorite because their roster is stacked AND that includes having the best goalie in the tournament in Connor Hellebiyck. Finland’s lineup is decimated by injury, but still can’t be counted out.

Adam Fox, J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider begin the tournament when the United States plays Finland on Thursday. It’s looking more and more like Kreider will be a healthy scratch. He was the extra forward rotating in at practice again Tuesday on a line with Trocheck, Brock Nelson and Dylan Larkin.

That Canada-U.S. preliminary-round clash Saturday night at Bell Centre should eb something to see for sure. Miller and Trocheck will have their hands full in checking roles against the likes of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby.

Curious to see what the interest is like with hockey fans in the United States. It appears that Canadian fans are embracing this mid-season international tournament. Fans in the States? That’s still up for debate.

Let’s just hope no one gets seriously hurt with the stretch run in the NHL regular season set to resume Feb. 22.

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New York Rangers news

Mika Zibanejad says he feels “like a kid again” playing for his native Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Dave Maloney weighed in on Igor Shesterkin’s struggles this season and said that his gold standard has been “compromised” this season with the Rangers.

Speaking of struggled, our Tom Castro writes that the Rangers should have major concerns about Alexis Lafreniere’s regression this season.

Ten days after his trade to the Vancouver Canucks, Filip Chytil penned a goodbye and thank you message to the Rangers and their fans.

Our John Kreiser breaks down the difficult path the Rangers face in trying to nail down a playoff spot.

In our weekly Rangers NCAA prospects report, we feature Gabe Perreault, who scored a goal in the Beanpot Tournament Final, but it wasn’t enough for Boston College, which lost to Boston University.

NHL news

Here are 5 things to watch for at the 4 Nations Face-Off, including McDavid, MacKinnon and Crosby finally teaming up together on international stage.

Here’s a great one-stop shop for all your 4 Nations needs: rosters, tournament rules, schedules and TV info all in one place.

Jordan Binnington will start in goal for Canada in its 4 Nations opener against Sweden. He beat out Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault.

The United States continues to honor the late Johnny Gaudreau, hanging his Team USA sweater in their dressing room at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Also, his father, Guy Gaudreau, was an on-ice coach for the United States this week and will continue in that role throughout the tournament.

Sidney Crosby, who skated on the wing not at center at Canada’s practice Tuesday, said “it’s an absolute honor” to have the QMJHL name it’s rookie of the year award after him, as it announced yesterday.

The Minnesota Wild placed forward Devin Shore on waivers, for the fourth time this season.

At Finland’s media session, Patrik Laine discussed his recent dip in ice time for the Montreal Canadiens and it got a bit blow out of proportion that he’s angry with coach Martin St. Louis. For his part, Laine acknowledged he must begin to play better.

Watch several members of the United States, including Rangers forwards J.T. Miller and Chris Kreider, meet with media ahead of 4 Nations Face-Off.

But that doesn’t we mean we will take a vacation to the tropics here at Forever Blueshirts, no matter how enticing that sounds!

Nope, we’ll be here every day. Looking ahead to the March 7 trade deadline. Looking back on how the Rangers arrived at the break 11th in the Eastern Conference and just three points out of a wild-card spot despite one of the worst quarters in recent memory.

We’ll also be all over the mid-season tournament, where six Rangers will represent three nations in the four-team international event.

The Rink Rap podcast will be fired up a couple times a week still, including Monday when former Rangers captain and longtime radio analyst Dave Maloney will join the show.

So as you Blueshirts Faithful catch your breath and ramp up for the stretch run, know that we’re still grinding here every day, not taking a break during the break, talking all things Rangers on a daily basis.

Subscribe to the Rink Rap podcast at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page.

New York Rangers news

Our Tom Castro makes the case that the Rangers should investigate acquiring rugged forward Jordan Greenway from the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the trade deadline.

Speaking of physical forwards on the trade market, here’s a breakdown of why Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins likely won’t end up with the Rangers ahead of the March 7 deadline.

We took a dive into how Peter Laviolette’s line changes and Will Cuylle’s straight-ahead approach and heroics helped the Rangers win a crucial game right before the break, 4-3 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In case you missed it, here are our three Rangers takeaways from that win in Columbus, including how everything broke New York’s way in the playoff race on Saturday.

Sure, Louis Domingue would prefer to have 100 career wins in the NHL by now, but good on the Hartford Wolf Pack veteran goalie for earning his 100th AHL win the other night.

NHL news

The United States sustained a big blow ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off when it learned Quinn Hughes won’t be able to participate because of an undisclosed injury. The Vancouver Canucks defenseman and captain will be replaced by Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson.

Another Senators defenseman, Nikolas Matinpalo, also was added the 4 Nations tournament. Matinpalo will play for Finland, replacing Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ramus Ristolainen, who has an upper-body injury.

Despite missing the Carolina Hurricanes’ 7-3 win against the Utah Hockey Club with a lower-body injury Saturday, Mikko Rantanen will play for Finland at the 4 Nations.

Teams must submit final rosters for the in-season tournament by 5 p.m. ET on Monday. Canada plans to evaluate Sidney Crosby’s progress at a skate in Montreal on Monday before making a final call on his status. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain has been sidelined with an upper-body injury.

The Penguins keep making moves to retool their roster, claiming defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from Utah.

Pierre LeBrun reports that pending UFA forward Jake Evans and the Montreal Canadiens are not close on a new contract, making it more likely he could be traded ahead of the March 7 deadline.

The Washington Capitals overcame an ugly start to pick a point in a 5-4 shootout loss to Utah.

The Tampa Bay Lightning surged into the break with a 5-0-1 mark following a 5-3 win against the Canadiens. It appears the Canadiens are falling out of the playoff race after a 1-7-1 stretch heading into the break.

Watch Nicholas Paul of the Lightning score, perhaps, the prettiest goal on Super Bowl Sunday.

In an ugly reminder of earlier losses to the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues — to name a few — the Rangers were outplayed badly by the seemingly outmanned Pittsburgh Penguins and lost 3-2 on home ice Friday night.

No Sidney Crosby? No Evgeni Malkin? No problem for the Penguins, who worked for every opportunity they got, every inch of the ice. First to pucks, pushing the pace, simply the better team Friday. Had they had more talent on the ice, they surely would’ve had more than three goals.

But three was enough against the Rangers, who had a pair of quick-strike goals from Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox, but almost no sustained zone time in the first two periods. Sure, they awoke in the third and dominated the final 20 minutes, seeking a third straight comeback win. But though they held the Penguins without a shot in the third period and owned the puck, the Rangers managed only seven shots on goal in that stretch, not one of them ending up in the back of the net.

If ever a favored team deserved to lose, it was the Rangers on Friday.

What a wasted opportunity, when all but one team ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings were idle. The Rangers could’ve — should’ve — picked up ground on each one. Instead, it’s another day off the schedule and they remain 12th in the conference, five points out of the second wild card.

No time to wallow in this infuriating loss. The Rangers are right back at it in a must-win type scenario Saturday when they visit the Blue Jackets in Columbus, the final game before the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-off.

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New York Rangers news

Here are three Rangers takeaways from that brutal loss Friday, including relying on another third-period comeback that just didn’t happen.

With Urho Vaakanainen still ill, Zac Jones remained in the Rangers lineup Friday after a solid return in the 3-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.

Sidney Crosby has an upper-body injury and missed his first game in three seasons for the Penguins, who are now one point behind the Rangers in the East, though New York has two games in hand.

Here’s a breakdown of why Trent Frederic would be nice fit for the Rangers ahead of the March 7 trade deadline and why it likely won’t happen.

NHL news

Trade rumors are swirling around Dylan Cozens but Frank Seravalli reports that the Buffalo Sabres aren’t “too keen” on moving the 23-year-old, who’s having a disappointing season.

One of the nuggets in Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts was that the Vegas Golden Knights were pretty pissed when Marcus Pettersson was traded to the Vancouver Canucks by the Pittsburgh Penguins because the defenseman was a serious trade target of theirs.

In a minor deal, the Vancouver Canucks traded defenseman Mark Friedman to the Nashville Predators for future considerations.

J.T. Compher is expected to be back in the Detroit Red Wings lineup Saturday afternoon for a tilt against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The forward’s been out since Jan. 25 with an unspecified injury after taking a hit to the head.

The only team ahead of the Rangers in the East that played Friday was the Islanders, and they lost 4-3 to the Winnipeg Jets, remaining one point ahead of the Rangers. The Jets won their eighth straight game.

Watch Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers score this beauty, his second of the game, to become the first player to reach 40 goals this season.

Despite another big night by Draisaitl, the Oilers lost 5-4 to the Colorado Avalanche.

Kevin Fiala scored for the third consecutive game and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Dallas Stars 5-4 in a shootout.

The Stars played without yet another injured defenseman Friday. Ilya Lyubushkin is day to day with an upper-body injury and is not expected to play Saturday against the San Jose Sharks.

Ryan Donato had two goals and two assists to lead the Chicago Blackhawks past the Nashville Predators 6-2.

That would be three straight as in they are seeking their third consecutive win overall and third in three tries against the Penguins this season.

The Rangers (26-23-4) won back-to-back games in comeback fashion earlier this week, rallying for victories against the Vegas Golden Knights (4-2) on Sunday and Boston Bruins (3-2) on Wednesday. It’s the first time the Rangers won consecutive games in regulation when trailing after two periods since Nov. 26-27, 1988.

They’re hoping not to need such dramatics Friday against the Penguins (22-24-9). Though the Penguins have a three-game point streak (2-0-1), they are 7-10-4 since Dec. 21 and don’t appear to be a serious threat in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The Rangers shut out the Penguins 6-0 on opening night in Pittsburgh and doubled them up 4-2 at MSG on Dec. 6. Since 2021-22, the Rangers are 9-3-1 in the regular season against the Penguins.

Pittsburgh will be without Evgeni Malkin, who’s week to week with a lower-body injury and Sidney Crosby, who was ruled out Friday with an upper-body injury.

Related: J.T. Miller’s aggressive style benefitting Rangers stars: ‘It’s a bit of bull out there’

3 things to watch for when Rangers host Penguins

1. Let’s get physical

Since J.T. Miller’s arrival in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks last week, the Rangers have been credited with 109 hits in three games, second-most in the NHL this month. Miller has 11 of those hits, including five against the Golden Knights and a big one against the Bruins on Wednesday that caused a turnover and led directly to Artemi Panarin’s game-opening goal.

J.T. Miller has 4 points in 3 games since joining the Rangers. Plus, a couple more goals where he didn't get a point but don't happen without him…
1. Forecheck.
2. Centre lane drive, clearing Pietrangelo out of passing lane. pic.twitter.com/WCkCBlUbtG

— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) February 6, 2025

Will Cuylle is not scoring a lot recently but his physical play never wavers. He has 16 hits the past three games and is fourth in the League with 196 this season. Matt Rempe, in limited playing time, has 13 hits the past three games; Will Borgen has 10 and Sam Carrick nine.

Along with the hits, the Rangers renewed commitment to getting in on the forecheck is also a case of following Miller’s lead, to positive results.

2. Fill the net

Since Jan. 2, when the Rangers began to put their two-month slide behind them, they’ve scored 57 goals, tied for most in the NHL. Nine times they’ve scored four or more goals, including in five of their past eight games. When they score at least four goals this season, the Rangers are 15-3-3.

Over their past nine games (5-3-1), 18 different skaters have scored a goal for the Rangers and 20 registered at least one point. Panarin has two goals and five points in his past three games and Mika Zibanejad may have only goal in a three-game point streak, but he also has five assists in that span.

3. Let me at ’em

Panarin has feasted against the Penguins in his career. He’s got 44 points, including 19 goals, in 32 games against them. That includes two goals and three assists this season already.

Igor Shesterkin also dials in against the Penguins. The Rangers goalie is 9-5-1 with a 1.94 goals-against average and .929 save percentage with three shutouts against them.

How have the Pittsburgh boys fared against the Penguins? Miller has 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 28 games and Vincent Trocheck has 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 29 games.

The Rangers won’t have to worry about Crosby and that’s a good thing. The Penguins captain may be scoreless in two games this season against the Rangers, but lifetime he has 108 points (40 goals, 68 assists) in 87 games against them.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Panarin – J.T. Miller – Zibanejad

Smith – Trocheck – Lafreniere

Kreider – Brodzinski – Cuylle

Vesey – Carrick – Rempe

Lindgren – Fox

K. Miller – Borgen

Jones – Schneider

Shesterkin

Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

When: Friday Feb. 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG