Not only have the Canadiens won five in a row, after edging the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Sunday, they’ve done so at the most important time of the season. Thus, they’re beginning to pull away from the Rangers, who wasted a month’s worth of chances when no one could seize hold of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

This is Montreal’s second five-game winning streak this season, and second since February. You know who hasn’t won five games in a row this season? The Rangers. In fact, they’ve won at least three straight just two times. Two. As in in one more than one. As in their last three-game winning streak was Nov. 14-19.

The Rangers’ inability to string together victories is one of their major undoings this season. They needed some serious winning streaks after that crushing 4-15-0 stretch in November and December. But they didn’t haveit in them. Their latest attempt at winning three consecutive games was a 4-0 faceplant of a loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

As such, the Rangers fell from two points out of the second wild card to six back this weekend.

Against all odds, the Rangers need to reverse course immediately, likely needing to win out over their final six games, beginning Monday at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stay tuned … but don’t hold your breath.

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New York Rangers news

You may have heard — Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal in a 4-1 Washington Capitals loss to the Islanders, passing Wayne Gretzky for most in NHL history.

Peter Laviolette coached Ovechkin for two seasons in Washington and said Sunday that he’s “really happy” for The Great 8 after he became the all-time goals leader.

Here’s a breakdown of the Rangers week ahead, when they probably need to win all four games with their playoff life hanging in the balance.

Gabe Perreault said he’s feeling “more settled in” after playing his first two NHL games with the Rangers.

Here are our winners and losers from the Rangers latest loss, 4-0 to the New Jersey Devils.

The Rangers were shredded by four different NHL analysts Saturday, including three who once played for the organization.

NHL news and rumors

Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin, who allowed Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking 895th NHL goal, gave The Great 8 his goalie stick upon request after the game. What did he get in return from his fellow Russian comrade? “Respect,” said Sorokin, who stopped the other 28 shots he faced in the Isles’ win. Full story in NYI Hockey Now.

Lane Hutson’s assist Sunday against the Predators gives him 64 points this season, tying Chris Chelios for most points by a rookie defenseman in Canadiens history.

Aliaksei Protas, who has 30 goals this season, is week to week for the Capitals with a lower-body injury.

The banged-up Minnesota Wild are now without defenseman Jake Middleton, who’s day to day with an upper-body injury.

The Detroit Red Wings kept their slim playoff hopes alive — and pulled even with the Rangers for ninth place in the Eastern Conference — with a 2-1 win over the visiting Florida Panthers. Next up? A showdown with the Canadiens on Tuesday.

Going the opposite direction are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who’ve lost three in a row, — the last two by shutout. They were blanked 4-0 by the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, Ottawa’s second shutout win this weekend.

Marco Rossi’s goal 58 seconds into overtime lifted the Wild over the Dallas Stars 3-2.

The Vancouver Canucks look to be running out of time in the Western Conferenec playoff race after losing 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Watch: NHL.com compiled every single one of Alex Ovechkin’s 895 regular-season goals.

Though Sidney — still referred to as Cindy by many of the Blueshirts Faithful — is probably more disliked by Rangers fans, neither superstar is particularly welcome at Madison Square Garden. That each plays for a division rival and there’ve been a fair share of playoff meetings over the years against Crosby and Ovechkin fuels the fire.

It can be argued that Crosby is more of a villain in the eyes of Rangers fans than Ovechkin. Perhaps that’s because he’s won the Stanley Cup three times, part of a mini-Pittsburgh Penguins dynasty, at the expense of the Rangers. Maybe New Yorkers more appreciate the locomotive-like ferocity in Ovechkin’s game or his cannon shot.

Bottom line. Each has abused the Rangers for years.

But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t appreciate greatness when it’s before us. And each of these players is great. However, let’s focus here on Ovechkin, who tied Wayne Gretzky’s record for most goals in NHL history Friday night, scoring twice against the Chicago Blackhawks to reach the magic 894 total of The Great One.

OVI HAS TIED WAYNE GRETZKY FOR MOST GOALS ALL TIME WITH CAREER GOAL #894 🚨 pic.twitter.com/wRQ5uv7s5B

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 5, 2025

Ovechkin is 39 years old and sustained a fractured fibula earlier in the season, missing 16 games because of the injury. Yet he has 41 goals in 60 games. That’s an absurd scoring rate, without even factoring in his age or that this is his 20th season in the NHL. And he’s coming to the wire like the thoroughbred he is. With the end of the regular season two weeks away and the pressure on to catch Gretzky, Ovechkin has five goals in his past four games, six in six, and eight in his past 10. He could’ve — should’ve — scored four or more against Spencer Knight and Co. on Friday.

Ovechkin is not only still scoring goals, he’s dominating games for the first-place Capitals. That’s nothing new. He owns the NHL record for scoring 40+ goals three times since the age of 35, He’s now scored 40+ goals 14 times in his career, another NHL record.

A picture that says 894 words 🔥

(GETTY/John McCreary) pic.twitter.com/XlyJEFJbWf

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 5, 2025

Quite simply, he’s a machine on the ice. Just think, it was only a year ago many of us questioned if The Great 8 was nearing the end. He scored “only” 31 goals in 79 games last season and looked like a shell of himself when the Rangers swept the Capitals in the first-round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It was even debated how much he’d drag a young Capitals team down while chasing Gretzky’s goal mark. It could take two seasons at his declining rate to get the 42 he needed, all at the expense of team growth and success.

Wrong.

The Capitals (49-18-9) are tops in the Eastern Conference with 107 points, one behind the Winnipeg Jets in the Presidents’ Trophy race. And Ovechkin is, well, Ovechkin again.

If you’re a hockey fan — Rangers fan or not — you’ve got to appreciate historic greatness. You’ve got to appreciate Alex Ovechkin.

Catch the latest RINK RAP podcast talking Gabe Perreault debut, full K’Andre Miller experience & more, at the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page.

New York Rangers news

In a Forever Blueshirts exclusive, Marty Biron details his relationship with Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist, goaltending partners and, eventually, close friends, on Broadway.

Here are three things to watch for when the Rangers seek their third straight win in a matinee Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

In the latest Rangers injury update, Matt Rempe is nearing a return from his upper-body issue and Mika Zibanejad skipped practice because of an illness.

Breaking down how Braden Schneider is emerging as a leader among the next core of young Rangers.

NHL news and rumors

Wayne Gretzky was present at Capital One Arena when Alex Ovechkin tied his all-time goals record, and The Great One explained why it’s important he be there to support and salute The Great 8.

Leon Draisaitl won’t play for the Edmonton Oilers in their crucial clash with the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. However, the NHL goal-scoring leader is expected back before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The surging St. Louis Blues will be without forward Dylan Holloway; he’s week to week with a lower-body injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be missing defenseman Jake McCabe and forward David Kampf when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Each is day to day with an undisclosed injury.

As if the Vancouver Canucks don’t have enough injuries, defenseman Tyler Myers iikely won’t play Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks after getting “banged up” earlier in the week against the Seattle Kraken.

The Islanders ended a six-game skid (0-4-2) with a 3-1 home-ice win against the Minnesota Wild, keeping their very slim playoff hopes alive for another day.

Similarly, the Detroit Red Wings remained afloat with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Watch the Chicago Blackhawks line up to show respect to Alex Ovechkin.

Watch the press conference as Ovechkin and Gretzky meet with the media together Friday night.

One of the biggest keys will be shutting down Ovechkin, who is blazing his way to surpassing The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, for the all-time NHL goals lead. The Great Eight has 31 goals on the season, bringing his career total to 884, just 10 goals shy of tying Gretzky at 894 and 11 away from breaking the record that has stood for over three decades.

Ovechkin has done this at 39 years old, and in a season when he missed 16 games with a fractured fibula. Somehow, he just keeps finding the net. He’s got five goals in his past five games, and all eyes will be on him tonight against the Rangers.

“That’s not a distraction for us,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said Wednesday. “I don’t know what it is over there, but for us it’s about the game tonight. It’d be great to not have (Ovechkin) push forward in that race. That’s about the only way that we’ll talk about it when it comes up in a power-play meeting or how we defend and things we do.”

Ovechkin has made a living scoring goals on the power play from the left circle, so playing a disciplined game and staying out of the penalty box is one way that the Rangers will be able to limit his scoring chances

Other than that, it will be continuing to play team defense, being physical, and blocking shots. A recipe that has led to success for the Rangers over the past several games.

“Obviously he’s a tremendous goal scorer,” said Laviolette, who coached Ovechkin with the Capitals from 2020-23. “From a hockey standpoint we talk about it, but not necessarily a race standpoint.”

Related: Rangers vs. Capitals: 3 things to watch for trying to avoid season-series sweep

Rangers aim to avoid season-series sweep against Capitals

The Capitals have gotten the better of the Rangers in both meetings this season. They first faced off back on Oct. 29, and the Capitals came away with a 5-3 win thanks to two goals from Ovechkin. It was another high-scoring affair on Jan. 7 when the Capitals won 7-4. Ovechkin cashed in another goal in that game.

Those games were against a different Rangers team. There’s been quite a few moves since then, and now the Rangers are on a run of four wins in five games. Some real confidence is being built inside the room, especially now that the Rangers sit in a playoff spot for the time being.

“I just think (consistency and confidence) go hand in hand,” J.T. MIller explained. “If you play the right way and play the team game, typically you get the results, you get confidence, and away you go. We’re going to need everything today, obviously we know who we’re playing against. It’s going to be a fun game.”

The Rangers will need to come up with one of their better performances to date if they want to come away with another huge two points and their first three-game win streak in over three months (No. 14-19). They may be coming off back-to-back shutout wins, but the Nashville Predators and the New York Islanders are a far cry from the Capitals, who are second overall in the NHL standings.

“They’re a great team,” defenseman Braden Schneider said. “They’re obviously at the top of the League, so we have to make sure that we’re ready to go. They’re a hard, physical team. They’re deep all around, so we have to make sure that we’re bringing our best and we’re ready to go for it.”

Watch the exclusive RINK RAP podcast interview with Martin Biron on the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page.

Or listen to the audio here

So, when The Captain’s got a hot take on the Rangers, it’s worth taking a listen.

Also Read: DirecTV Stream Review: Is Worth It for NY Rangers Fans?

Messier isn’t around Madison Square Garden a whole lot these days. But much of his hockey-related time is spent as an in-studio analyst for ESPN and ABC’s NHL coverage, so he still has a pretty good idea of what’s going on with his old team. And he was very clear with his assessment of the Rangers (17-20-1) during ABC’s telecast of New York’s 7-4 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon.

“I think the core of the Rangers is fractured right now,” he said. “And I don’t think they’re fractured internally. I think there’s a disconnect between management and the coaching staff, there’s a lack of trust and loyalty now — and in order to get over that, it’s going to take a lot of work. They don’t look like a championship team right now.”

Mark Messier on #NYR: “Right now the core is fractured. There’s a disconnect between management and the coaching staff. There’s a lack of trust and loyalty now.” pic.twitter.com/Q0OHABoHpt

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) January 4, 2025

The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy last season, got within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final and began this season with a 5-0-1 run. They had a 12-4-1 record after a 4-3 road win against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 19. But beginning with a 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames two nights later, the Rangers are 5-16-0 with a .238 points percentage that’s last in the NHL during that stretch.

During the summer, the Rangers placed veteran center Barclay Goodrow on waivers to get around his no-trade clause; he was snapped up by the San Jose Sharks. On Dec. 6, they traded captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, a move that frustrated many of the players. Forward Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, was traded to the Seattle Kraken less than two weeks later.

Related: 3 Rangers takeaways from sloppy 7-4 loss to Capitals

Mark Messier feels ‘cascade effect’ is part of Rangers downward spiral

Messier said players must realize that trades are part of life in the NHL, and that they must put their feelings aside and play.

“As players, we have to be big enough, strong enough, man enough and man up to get over that,” he said. “We are not in control of some things that happen as players. Management can do whatever they want, and we have a responsibility to each other as players. They’ve got to get over that. We haven’t seen a lot of emotion from the Rangers over the last month.”

Messier compared the Rangers’ current situation, especially the trade of Trouba in order to open salary cap space, to the emotions he and his Oilers teammates felt when Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in August 1988 – a deal that was also about money, albeit not in a salary-cap era. He said he and his teammates were mad at management for the trade but were able to channel that emotion into another championship in 1990.

“I remember when Edmonton traded Wayne Gretzky. We were mad at management at trading away a brother,” he said. “We were able to overcome it in Edmonton, as mad as we were at ownership and at management and everything else at trading away one of our brothers. It takes a lot of work, a lot of trust and I think the Rangers can (overcome it), but it’s not going to be easy.”

Messier, acquired by the Rangers in October 1991, also talked about his own departure from the Rangers three years after June 14, 1994, when the Cup returned to New York. He became a free agent in the summer of 1997 and signed with the Vancouver Canucks. After a management change in New York – Glen Sather, his old general manager in Edmonton, succeeded Neil Smith, who built the 1994 championship team, in the summer of 2000 – Messier returned to the Rangers shortly afterward and played with them until he retired in 2004.

“I left New York because the team didn’t want me,” he said. “I could not play under the circumstances where I did not feel the loyalty.”

Messier added some thoughts during the first intermission after an interview with forward Chris Kreider, the longest-tenured current Rangers player. Kreider and Trouba were mentioned by Rangers GM Chris Drury in a letter to the 31 other NHL general managers several weeks ago as players who could be available in trade, and Messier feels that’s had a negative impact on the team.

“You can tell with Kreider, one of the longest-standing Rangers of all time, he’s clearly been hurt by being put on the trade block, for whatever reason,” Messier said. “That has had a profound effect on the core of the team. When you put Chris Kreider on the trade block, that affects his best friend, (Mika) Zibanejad. The cascade effect of that has clearly been evident over the last month.”

The cascade effect, as Messier called it, has resulted in the Rangers sharing the basement in the Metropolitan Division and 14th place in the 16-team Eastern Conference with the Islanders. There’s been no bigger disappointment in the NHL this season than the Rangers, though the Nashville Predators are right there with them.

Yet again, the Rangers will try and get back on track, when they visit the last-overall Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.

From the 1970s to the present day, the New York Rangers have cashed more than a few winners. Some have been of the big-ticket variety, the kind of player everyone knows about. Others have been solid players who stepped up their games when they arrived at Madison Square Garden, while still others came from out of nowhere and turned into valuable contributors. Here’s a look at the 10 best free-agent signings in Rangers history:

Related: New York Rangers’ worst free-agent signings in history: Wade Redden leads the pack

10. A Flower Blooms on Broadway

The Signing: Rangers signed forward Guy Lafleur to a one-year contract
Date: Sept. 28, 1988

Why it mattered: Lafleur, one of the greatest players in NHL history, had retired in 1984 after 14 brilliant seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and was preparing for his induction into the Hall of Fame in September 1988 when he shocked the hockey world by deciding to attempt a comeback. Rangers GM Phil Esposito, a longtime Lafleur rival, hedged things a bit by calling it a “tryout,” but “Flower’s” performance at training camp showed that he still had something in the tank.

Lafleur wasn’t the star he’d been in Montreal, but he had flashes of his glory days during his one season in the Big Apple, including a four-assist performance against the Edmonton Oilers and the final hat trick of his NHL career against the Los Angeles Kings. But the biggest one came on Feb. 4, 1989, when he lit up the Forum in his first game back in Montreal. The crowd roared for No. 10 in blue as he scored twice and assisted on a third goal. 

Related: New York Rangers worst trades in past 50 years, including Luc Robitaille twice

A goal in the season finale against the New York Islanders gave Lafleur 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 67 games – excellent numbers for a 37-year-old who hadn’t played in the NHL for nearly four years.

Lafleur did the Rangers one more favor after becoming a free agent in the summer of 1989; he signed with his hometown Quebec Nordiques. Under the rules of that era, the Rangers received a fifth-round compensation pick in the 1990 NHL Draft — one that Espo’s successor, Neil Smith, turned into defenseman Sergei Zubov, a future Hall of Famer himself and the leading scorer on the Rangers’ 1994 Cup-winning team.

Related: New York Rangers best trades in past 50 years, including Mark Messier

9. A Terrific Two Years

The Signing: Rangers signed Michael Nylander to a three-year contract
Date: Aug. 10, 2004

Why it mattered: The only problem with Nylander’s time in New York was that it was too short.

The Rangers signed the Swedish center just before training camp in 2004, only to see the first season of his contract negated by the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

When play resumed in 2005-06, the 33-year-old found himself centering a line with Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka. It was a match made in hockey heaven; Jagr set Rangers records that still stand with 54 goals and 123 points; he got plenty of help from Nylander, who had career highs in assists (56), points (79) and plus-minus (plus-31). The Rangers qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1996-97 and reached the 100-point mark for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 1994.

Nylander was even better in 2006-07, putting up career highs across the board with 26 goals, 57 assists and 83 points. The Rangers again qualified for the playoffs, this time winning a round for the first time in a decade.

However, the season lost to the lockout meant that Nylander became a free agent in the summer of 2007, when he was coming off back-to-back career seasons. Though he was set to turn 35 just before opening night, the Washington Capitals swooped in and signed him to a four-year contract; he played just two seasons before retiring.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Jagr’s production fell off as soon as Nylander left, and he left for the KHL a year later. 

These days, Nylander is best known for his hockey-playing sons — particularly Mitch, a high-scoring forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Related: Where do New York Rangers rank regarding team statistics in salary cap era?

8. Dandy Dan

The Signing: Rangers signed defenseman Dan Girardi to a two-year contract
Date: July 1, 2006

Why it mattered: Girardi made a career out of putting his body in harm’s way.

The Rangers signed the undrafted free agent defenseman in the summer of 2006 and started him in the ECHL, but his gritty style (and some injuries on the blue line) got him to the NHL by midseason. He turned into a key member of the Rangers team that had the franchise’s longest run of success since the 1994 championship — they missed the playoffs once in his 11 seasons and got to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.

Girardi did contribute offensively, but it was his willingness to hit and block shots that made him a Garden favorite. He was credited with at least 125 blocks in each of his final eight seasons with the Rangers and had more than 175 hits seven times in his 11 seasons with New York. Girardi averaged 22:15 of ice time in his 11 seasons with the Rangers, was an alternate captain and even earned a trip to the NHL All-Star Game in 2012.

But all those hits and blocks eventually took a toll. Girardi began to slow down in the later 2010s, and the Rangers bought out the final three seasons of his six-year contract in the summer of 2017. Tampa Bay signed him and he played two more seasons with the Lightning before retiring.

Girardi was the NHL’s all-time leader in blocked shots (1,954) when he hung up his skates; 1,691 of those came with the Rangers. Few players in team history have been more willing to sacrifice their body for the team.

Related: 10 most underrated New York Rangers since 2000

7. Trocheck Finds Next Level with New York Rangers

The Signing: Rangers signed center Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year contract
Date: July 13, 2022

Why it mattered: Trocheck is a good player who’s taken his game to another level since joining the Rangers.

The Pittsburgh native had been a solid middle-six center with the Florida Panthers and Carolina before Rangers GM Chris Drury brought him to New York two years ago. He said he made the decision to join the Rangers because he didn’t want to come to a team that didn’t have a chance to win every year.

Trocheck is a big reason the Rangers got to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons last spring. Not only did he finish with a career-high 77 points and earn a spot in the NHL All-Star Game, he also led the Rangers in the postseason with 20 points in 16 games, scored his first career playoff overtime goal (a double-OT winner against Carolina) and set up two other OT tallies.

At 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, Trocheck is small by NHL standards. But he more than makes up for any lack of size with his work ethic and intensity. Coach Peter Laviolette was so impressed with Trocheck’s effort last season that he played him an average of 21:27, fifth in the NHL among forwards. One reason he got so much ice time was his success in the faceoff circle; Trocheck was fifth among all players with a 58.7 winning percentage during the regular season, then won 57.8 percent of his draws in the playoffs.

But not only does Trocheck center the Rangers’ top offensive line, playing between Artemi Panarin and Alex Lafreniere, he’s also an excellent defensive center — arguably the defensive conscience of an offense-first trio. If his first two seasons are any indication, Trocheck’s average salary of $5.625 million is an incredible bargain. 

Related: The Case For Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck being named to NHL Network’s top-20 centers List

6. From Norway to New York

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Mats Zuccarello to a two-year contract
Date: May 26, 2010

Why it mattered: “The Norwegian Hobbit” lost a name when he signed with the Rangers. He had been Mats Zuccarello Aasen while playing in Sweden and for his home country in the 2010 Winter Olympics, but the “Aasen” didn’t make the trip when he came to New York.

Zuccarello bounced between the Rangers and the AHL for his first three seasons before becoming a regular in 2013-14, breaking out with 19 goals and 59 points and contributing five goals and 13 points in the playoffs as the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it all in 1994. 

The 5-foot-8 forward soon became a crowd favorite, winning the Steven McDonald Extra Effort award twice. He was named an alternate captain in 2017, scored his 100th NHL goal on March 12, 2018, and became the ninth player in Rangers history to lead the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons.

But when the Rangers struggled in 2018-19, management decided to rebuild — and the 31-year-old Zuccarello was among those who were shipped out. He was dealt to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 23, 2019, though he played just two games before an upper-body injury ended his season. He’s played the past five seasons with the Minnesota Wild. But his 113 goals and 352 points in 509 games are a terrific contribution from a player no one knew much about before his arrival.

Related: Top 10 all-time best United States-born players in New York Rangers history

5. Sweet Swedes

The Signing: Rangers signed center Ulf Nilsson and forward Anders Hedberg to two-year contracts
Date: March 20, 1978

Why it mattered: Free agency within the NHL was still years away in 1978. But poaching talent from the rival World Hockey Association was perfectly OK, and that’s what GM John Ferguson did in March 1978 when he announced that two of the WHA’s biggest stars, Swedish linemates Nilsson and Hedberg, would be heading to the Big Apple for the 1978-79 season.

The two, along with left wing Bobby Hull, had terrorized WHA goalies for years with the Winnipeg Jets, so the news left Rangers fans salivating. Hedberg scored at least 50 goals and finished with 100 points in each of his four WHA seasons. Nilsson averaged 121 points in his four WHA seasons and never had fewer than 76 assists.

Neither came close to those totals in the NHL, but both were fine players who keyed the Rangers’ run to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final.

Hedberg had three straight 30-goal seasons and led the Rangers in scoring in 1978-79. A knee injury limited him to four games in 1981-82, but he had at least 20 goals in each of his six seasons before retiring in 1985.

Nilsson was averaging well over a point a game in his first season before he sustained a broken ankle caused when he caught a rut in the ice at the Garden as he was hit by Islanders defenseman Denis Potvin (he absolved the future Hall of Famer of any blame for the injury, but the “Potvin Sucks” chant lives on 45 years later). Nilsson also missed the entire 1981-82 season because of a knee injury sustained playing for Sweden in the 1981 Canada Cup. He played just 10 games in 1982-83 before retiring with 169 points in 170 NHL games — and one of the biggest “what if” clouds in Rangers history.

Related: 5 alternate jerseys the New York Rangers should bring back

4. Grabbing Gabby

The Signing: Rangers signed forward Marian Gaborik to a five-year contract
Date: July 1, 2009

Why it mattered: Gaborik figured in one of the most embarrassing games in Rangers’ history — he became the first player in 11 years to score five goals in a game when he did it for the Minnesota Wild against Henrik Lundqvist on Dec. 20, 2007. That big night was part of a 42-goal season, one that convinced the Rangers to sign him when free agency opened in July 2009, even though he’d missed all but 17 games in 2008-09 while recovering from hip surgery.

Gaborik did just what the Rangers brought him to New York to do — score. He was fifth in the NHL in 2009-10 with 42 goals, then scored 41 in 2011-12 to help them finish first in the Eastern Conference. He was voted a First-Team All-Star and scored what is still the latest overtime goal in Rangers history, connecting at 14:41 of the third overtime in Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Washington Capitals; the 2-1 win keyed their trip to the conference final.

But the Rangers lost that series to the New Jersey Devils, and coach John Tortorella was unhappy with the play of many of his veterans, including Gaborik — although it was revealed after the playoffs that he’d been playing with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. 

Gaborik had successful surgery and was ready to go when the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season began in January. But Tortorella hadn’t forgotten his unhappiness from the previous spring. Gaborik’s ice time diminished, as did his scoring numbers, and he sometimes found himself on the fourth line.

The Rangers sent Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2013 trade deadline, but he exacted his revenge on the Rangers a year later after being traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Gaborik’s 14 goals led the Kings as they won the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons; the last two were game-tying third-period tallies in their five-game victory over the Rangers in the Final.

Despite his disappointing finish with the Rangers, Gaborik finished his time in New York with 115 goals and 229 points in 255 games. Tortorella was fired after the 2012-13 season — and it would have been interesting to see what Gaborik would have done under his replacement, Alain Vigneault.

Related: 6 Unanswered Rangers questions before 2024-25 season, including Matt Rempe’s long-term role

3. A “Great” Day

The Signing: Rangers sign center Wayne Gretzky to a two-year contract
Date: July 21, 1996

Why it mattered: Hockey’s greatest player playing his home games at The World’s Most Famous Arena. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Of course, it wasn’t the 1980s-model Gretzky that the Rangers were getting when they signed “The Great One” in the summer of 1996. But even a 35-year-old Gretzky was still a force to be reckoned with, especially because he was rejoining his longtime Edmonton Oilers teammate Mark Messier.

The Gretzky-Messier tandem carried the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in 1996-97, which turned out to be their only season together in New York. No. 99 was No. 1 in the NHL with 72 assists, led the Rangers with 97 points, was voted a Second-Team All-Star and piled up 20 playoff points (including a first-round hat trick against the Florida Panthers) before the Philadelphia Flyers bounced them in five games.

Gretzky led the NHL in assists again in 1997-98 with 67 and repeated as a Second-Team All-Star. But with Messier signing with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent, they finished 15 points out of a playoff berth. They were out of the playoff race for most of 1998-99, and as the end of the season approached, Gretzky decided he’d had enough. On April 16, two days before the end of the season, he announced he would retire after the Rangers’ final game two days later.

Appropriately, his last NHL point was an assist — one that came on the Rangers’ lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who then lined up and shook his hand like it was the end of a playoff series. After the teams left the ice, Gretzky came back out for a solo skate — “I made a lot of curtain calls, but the fans wouldn’t stop cheering,” he said. “I cried; I broke down a couple of times.”

The Great One is still the Greatest One when it comes to goals, assists and points. Those numbers include the 57 goals and 249 points in his 234 games as a Ranger. His big regret was that he didn’t win the championship he’d hoped for in New York.

Related: Rarest Rangers sweaters in franchise history, including Wayne Gretzky

2. “Gravy” Train Rolls In

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Adam Graves to a five-year contract
Date: Sept. 3, 1991

Why it mattered: Chalk up one for Neil Smith.

Before joining the Rangers as GM in 1989, Smith had worked for the Detroit Red Wings. One of the players he scouted was Graves, who was selected by Detroit in the second round of the 1986 NHL Draft. But the Wings traded Graves to Edmonton in November 1989, and he was part of the Oilers’ championship team the following spring.

However, Smith never forgot Graves, and when he became a Group I free agent after the 1990-91 season, the Rangers signed him to a five-year contract, giving up forward Troy Mallette as compensation. Graves was given No. 11, but quickly shifted to No. 9 after the Rangers acquired former Edmonton teammate Messier a month later.

Coach Roger Neilson put Graves on Messier’s left wing, and he began filling the net. After seasons of 26 and 36 goals, “Gravy” broke the Rangers’ single-season goal-scoring record with 52, then piled up 10 more in the playoffs; the last one came in Game 7 of the Final and helped the Rangers end their 54-year championship drought.

Graves’ style of play was simple but effective — get to the front of the net and make life miserable for opposing goalies. Most of the 280 goals he scored in 10 seasons with the Rangers didn’t travel very far. But off the ice, he might have been even more valuable for what he did for the team and the community. Though on the ice, he was tough as nails, scoring goals and protecting teammates so well that the Rangers retired his No. 9 on Feb. 3, 2021. Wway from the rink, he was humble, caring and kind — and still is.

1. The Breadman Cometh

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Artemi Panarin to a seven-year contract
Date: July 1, 2019

Why it mattered: Panarin was an instant hit in the NHL after arriving with the Chicago Blackhawks from Russia as an undrafted free agent, winning the Calder Trophy in 2015-16 and being named a Second-Team All-Star the following season. Despite that, the Hawks traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2017, only to see him continue to pile up points during the following two seasons.

Panarin had plenty of suitors when he became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, but reportedly turned down more money from at least one other team to sign a seven-year, $81.5 million contract with the rebuilding Rangers.

Talk about money well spent!

Panarin’s arrival jump-started the rebuild the Rangers had announced before the 2018 trade deadline, and he’s been a major factor in their two trips to the Eastern Conference Final during the past three seasons. “The Breadman” delivered career highs of 49 goals and 120 points last season, helping the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champs; the 120 points are the second-highest single-season total in Rangers history, trailing only Jagr’s 123 in 2005-06. 

He is the only player in team history to break the 90-point mark four times (the only time he missed was the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season), and he’s one of just five Rangers to score as many as 49 goals in a season. His 1.32 points per game is the most in the Rangers’ 98-year history, and he reached 400 points faster than anyone in team history. Few free-agent signings in NHL history have paid off like this one.

Related: Rangers’ Artemi Panarin named one of best wings in hockey by NHL Network analyst

Now, eight numbers remain that have never been worn by a Rangers player: Nos. 52, 57, 59, 65, 66, 69, 83, and 98. Meanwhile, 17 numbers have been worn only once; here are those digits and the players behind the sweater.

Related: Why Artemi Panarin already greatest Rangers player to wear No. 10

Rangers players and their distinctive numbers

00 – John Davidson

John Davidson has a deep connection to the Rangers, not only as a goalie from 1975 to 1983 but as a long-time broadcaster with the MSG Network. After leaving the booth, he got an executive job with the St. Louis Blues and then the Columbus Blue Jackets before serving as President of the Rangers from 2019 to 2021. Davidson remains one of two players in NHL history to wear No. 00, with the other being Martin Biron. Eventually, the league unceremoniously retired the number, so no one else would ever wear it.

60 – Alex Belzile

Alex Belzile appears in the Rangers database as the only player to wear No. 60. However, he’s never worn the sweater in an official NHL game. According to his career profile, he has only appeared in 44 NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens and is a member of the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2024-25, waiting for another crack at the league.

63 – Anthony Duclair

Initially drafted (80th overall) by the Rangers in 2013, Anthony Duclair made his NHL debut in 2014-15, skating in 18 games while wearing No. 63. He scored 17 points as a 19-year-old before a trade for Keith Yandle sent him to the Arizona Coyotes in March 2015.

64 – Tyler Motte

Tyler Motte has played with the Blueshirts on two separate occasions, first in 2021-22 and then again in 2022-23. During his first stint, which lasted only eight games, he wore No. 64 and remains the only player to wear those digits. Motte scored no points that season but collected 10 in 24 games in 2022-23 while wearing No. 14.

68 – Jaromir Jagr

Not only is Jaromir Jagr the only Rangers player ever to wear No. 68, but he may also be the last, as arguably the greatest skater, to wear the number in NHL history. After dominating the 1990s with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he took his act to Broadway in 2003-04.

Related: Rangers Greatest Hits: Jaromír Jágr’s Record-Breaking Year of 2005-06

In his first full campaign with the Blueshirts (2004-05), Jagr set the franchise records for goals (54) and points (123) in a single season. Even though he spent just three and half years with the Rangers, he scored 319 points in 277 games, which equals a 1.15 points-per-game average.

72 – Filip Chytil

Filip Chytil is one of two active players on this list and wears No. 72, the same number he’s had since his debut in 2017-18. Entering his eighth season with the Rangers, the 24-year-old has scored 64 goals and 144 points in 337 games. Unfortunately, injuries derailed Chytil’s 2023-24 season, and he only dressed 10 games before returning for six games during the playoff run.

78 – Brennan Othmann

Brennan Othmann is one of New York’s top prospects. He wore No. 78 in three NHL games in 2023-24. The former 16th overall pick from 2021 has been in the American Hockey League for two seasons, collecting 49 points in 67 games.

79 – K’Andre Miller

K’Andre Miller is the only other active player on this list and has worn No. 79 his entire career, which is entering its fifth season. As another first-round pick, 22nd overall in 2018, he finished his first year as an All-Rookie Team member and was 12th in Calder Trophy voting. In 294 games, Miller has scored 29 goals and 105 points.

82 – Martin Straka

Martin Straka, who wore No. 82 throughout his career, came to New York to play alongside his best friend Jagr in 2005. Over three seasons, the Czechia center scored 65 goals and 187 points in 224 games. During his debut on Broadway, Straka scored 75 points, the third-highest point total of his career.

87 – Donald Brashear

Enforcer Donald Brashear played his final NHL season in New York, skating in 36 games while wearing No. 87. He picked up an assist and finished fourth with 73 penalty minutes. In 1,025 games, Brashear compiled 2,634 penalty minutes, which ranks 15th all-time in NHL history.

89 – Pavel Buchnevich

Pavel Buchnevich was a third-round pick (75th overall) in 2013 and played the first five seasons of his career with the Blueshirts. He scored 79 goals and 195 points in 301 games before a trade to the Blues in July 2021. Even though Buchnevich outperformed his New York totals in the Midwest, he remains a topic of discussion in the Big Apple as one of the good players who got away.

Related: Former New York Rangers goalie believes he could’ve led team to Stanley Cup

92 – Michael Nylander

Michael Nylander was a well-traveled NHL veteran who played for seven franchises, including the Rangers. He is the father of William and Alex Nylander. At the tail-end of his career, Michael came to the Big Apple as a free agent and played 160 games, collecting 162 points, arguably the best stretch of his career. He wore No. 92 with each team, remaining the only one in New York.

94 – Derek Boogaard

Derek Boogaard played 277 games in the NHL, racking up 589 penalty minutes, and was known as one of the league’s top heavyweights. He dressed 22 games with the Rangers in 2010-11, scoring two points and collecting 45 penalty minutes. Boogaard’s last NHL game was on Dec. 9, 2010, when he picked up a fighting major. Unfortunately, he passed away on May 13, 2011.

Related: Find out where New York Rangers rank in key stats during salary cap era

95 – Vinni Lettieri

Vinni Lettieri came to the Rangers as an undrafted free agent and appeared in 19 games as a rookie in 2017-18. The following season, he skated in 27 games but only scored three points. He did not appear in the NHL again until 2020 when he signed as a free agent with the Anaheim Ducks.

Related: Most important New York Rangers players for 2024-’25, 16 through 20

97 – Matt Gilroy

Matt Gilroy played for the Rangers twice in his career, wearing No. 97 on both occasions. As another undrafted free agent, he debuted in 2009-10 and collected 26 points in 127 games before departing as a free agent to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning. After a year, Gilroy returned in 2012-13 to skate in 15 more games (no points) before finishing his NHL career in 2013-14 as a member of the Florida Panthers.

Related: 5 alternate New York Rangers jerseys that should be brought back

99 – Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky was already “The Great One” before he donned the iconic Rangers sweater, the only Original Six team he skated during his legendary career. After shattering the NHL record book with the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, he briefly skated in St. Louis and rejoined his longtime teammate Mark Messier in New York in 1997.

Related: Top offensive seasons in New York Rangers history

Together, the duo led the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final, with Gretzky scoring one of his final playoff hat tricks in a memorable performance against the Panthers in the first round.

In three seasons, Gretzky scored 249 points in 234 games, including his final goal (Apr. 12, 1999) and final point in his last contest against Jagr and the Penguins on Apr. 18, 1999. He remains the last player to wear No. 99 as the NHL retired the sweater league-wide.

What better time to have some fun?

Though this year’s free agency was a bit of a dud for the Rangers, history shows us that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, the Rangers have historically made some big splashes when it comes to signing free agents, so we’re going to make the best roster we can solely with that pool of players.

We tried to put a focus on what the player did during his time in New York, so some big-time names like Guy Lafleur and Markus Naslund, for example, didn’t quite make the list because their best days were with other teams.

When going through this list, it was surprising how few impact defensemen the Rangers have signed over their near 100-year existence, leaving some tough choices of who even deserved to make this list.

Lastly, this roster consists mostly of players from the 1990s on, though that was more due to player movement being limited before the era of free agency expanded about 30 years ago.

WATCH: Exclusive 1-on-1 interview with former Rangers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck

Best all-time Rangers lineup consisting of free-agent additions

Forwards

Line 1: Artemi Panarin (2019) – Wayne Gretkzy (1996) – Marian Gaborik (2009)

What a first line that would be. 

Panarin is arguably (if there’s an argument at all) the best free-agent signing in Blueshirts history. He has 461 points in 350 games with the Rangers, including 120 in 2023-24, second most in a single Rangers season.

Gaborik likely had the title as best free-agent signing before Panarin’s arrival. His departure ahead of the 2013 trade deadline — and subsequent Stanley Cup win with the Los Angeles Kings at the expense of the Rangers in 2014 — soured the feeling towards No. 10, but the talented forward still posted two 40-goal seasons during the three full seasons he played in New York.

Gretzky’s best days were clearly behind him when he arrived in 1996, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he wasn’t a top-tier player. He had back-to-back 90-point seasons his first two years on Broadway, and had a great playoff run with the Rangers in 1997. All told, he had 249 points in 234 games with the Blueshirts to close out his NHL career.

Line 2: Adam Graves (1991) – Mark Messier (2000) – Brendan Shanahan (2006)

Talk about a tough trio that combined equal parts skill and physicality.

Graves arrived in New York as a free agent in 1991, back when compensation was required when a player was signed, at the expense of Troy Mallette! The wildly popular forward posted four 30-goal seasons, including a then record-setting 52 during the Stanley Cup season of 1993-94. He’s an all-time great Ranger whose No. 9 hangs at Madison Square Garden.

We’re cheating a little bit here getting Messier on the list due to his return to New York after a three-year stint with the Vancouver Canucks. Clearly this version wasn’t as successful as the first, when he was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in a 1991 trade and led the Rangers to the Cup in 1994, but Messier was still a mostly-decent middle-six center despite being in his 40s. He had a 24-goal season in 2000-01 and back-to-back 18-goal campaigns before he called it a career in 2004.

Like Messier, Shanahan’s best days were behind him, but he still had a lot left in the tank and changed the complexion of the Rangers upon his arrival in 2006, adding grit and sandpaper to a team that had been swept by the New Jersey Devils in the 2005-06 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Shanahan scored 52 goals in his 140 games with the Rangers, impressive totals for a player in his late 30s. Arguably the lasting image of Shanahan’s time as a Ranger was him fighting feared enforcer Donald Brashear in December 2006.

Line 3: Mats Zuccarello (2010) – Mark Pavelich (1981) – Theo Fleury (1999)

Three small forwards, each under 5-foot-8, make up this line that had plenty of pop.

One of the most popular Rangers of the past 25 years, Zuccarello was a mainstay in New York during the franchise’s most successful period since the Cup year in the mid 90s. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Norway, Zuccarello totaled 352 points in 509 games, and he won the Steven McDonald Award for his “extra effort.”

Pavelich’s numbers are certainly a product of his era, but his numbers don’t lie. He began his NHL career after playing a big role on the United States’ “Miracle On Ice” team in 1980 with back-to-back 30-goal seasons and flirted with point-per-game-numbers during his five seasons in New York, which included a five-goal game in 1983. His 76 points during his rookie year of 1981-82 remains a franchise record to this day.

Fleury’s time in New York coincided with one of the worst stretches in franchise history, not to mention his own personal issues. That clouds the minds of Rangers fans who lump him into signings that didn’t pan out. Though he wasn’t the player he was in Calgary, the 5-foot-6 winger scored more than 63 points in each of his three seasons with the Rangers, including a 30-goal, 74-point campaign in 2000-01, the height of the dead puck era.

Line 4: Martin Straka (2005) – Brad Richards (2011) – Anders Hedberg (1978)  

Straka could be one of the most underrated players during the Rangers’ renaissance in the late 2000s. He had two straight 20-goal seasons, including 29 in 2006-07, and was a mainstay on the “Czech Line” and power play. All told, he had 187 points in 224 games with the Blueshirts. Not bad for a journeyman in his mid 30s.

Richards never lived up to the hype of his massive contract, but he was still a useful player for the Rangers, who immediately turned a corner following his addition in the summer of 2011. Richards scored 25 goals — just three shy of his NHL career-best — his first season in New York, when the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1997. After a down year in 2013, Richards turned in another 20-goal season to help the Rangers make it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. He finished with 151 points in 210 games with the Blueshirts, and added 28 points in 55 postseason contests.

Hedberg arrived in 1978 after a successful career in both Europe and the WHA. All he did was score 30 goals four times during his Broadway tenure and help the Rangers reach the 1979 Stanley Cup Final. The talented Swede, who came to New York as a package deal with center Ulf Nilsson, played his entire NHL career with the Blueshirts, amassing 397 points in 465 games from 1978-79 through 1984-85.

Related: 10 most underrated Rangers all-time

Defensemen

1st D pair: Darius Kasparaitis (2002) – Dan Girardi (2006)

Kasparaitis bridged the gap between The Dark Ages and the Renaissance. The hard-hitting defenseman arrived for the 2002-03 campaign and was an alternate captain during the 2005-06 season, when Kasparitis introduced the Stick Salute after Rangers wins, something the team still does to this day. His time with the Rangers ended during the 2006-07 season, when he was waived and eventually loaned to a team in the KHL, thus ending his NHL career.

While he’s looked at in mostly unfavorable terms from the Twitter crowd, Girardi was a gritty defenseman in the same mold as current Rangers blueliner Ryan Lindgren. He was a key part of Rangers teams that had their longest run of success this side of the 1994 Stanley Cup. Girardi, who was signed as an undrafted free agent, rose from the ECHL all the way to becoming an NHL All Star. In parts of 11 seasons, Girardi averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time per game and missed the playoffs just once during his tenure. Here’s hoping that with time, Girardi gets the credit he so deserves from Rangers fans.

2nd D pair: Bruce Driver (1995) – Anton Stralman (2011)

Former Devils never seem to work out for the Rangers, and it’s more of a testament to the slim pickings than Driver’s success in New York that he’s on this list. After 12 season in New Jersey, Driver signed with the Rangers as a 33-year-old before the 1995-96 season. He spent three seasons in New York and was a mostly-serviceable bottom-four blueliner. His high point was 37 points his first season as a Ranger.

Stralman was the analytics darling of those mid-2010s teams, though largely underrated, too. He played three steady seasons in New York, helping the Rangers advance to two conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. 

3rd D pair: Marek Malik (2005) – Michal Roszival (2005)

Malik somewhat defines the Tom Renney post-lockout Rangers, thanks in large part to his legendary shootout goal in the 15th round against the Washington Capitals at the start of the 2005-06 season. But he was a fine bottom-four defenseman who was likely used more out of necessity than anything else. 

Another lynchpin of the Renney era, Roszival was a mainstay on those post-lockout teams that always snuck into the playoffs but were never really a threat. The offensive-defenseman turned in some strong seasons with the Rangers, including a 40-point campaign in 2006-07. His most memorable moment in New York was his overtime-winner in the second round against the Buffalo Sabres in the 2007 playoffs. He finished with 176 points in 436 games with the Rangers.

Goalies

Goalies: Chuck Rayner (1950) and Cam Talbot (2010)

We’re going way back for this one, but it’s hard to keep a goalie who won the Hart Trophy off this list. Rayner never finished with a winning record but did lead the Rangers to the 1950 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in Game 7. Had they won that game, 1940 would have never been a thing. Rayner was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.

Talbot signed with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and worked his way up from the ECHL. He made his NHL debut in 2013-14 as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup and finished that season with 12-6-1 record, terrific 1.64 goals-against average and sterling .941 save percentage., But it was the following season that earns Talbot a spot on this list. He was 21-9-4 in 2014-15, including a spectacular run when Lundqvist missed a chunk of time due to injury. His performance helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy, and he won the Steven McDonald Award. Talbot finished his two seasons with the Rangers 33-15-5 with a .931 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average.

Rangers captain Mark Messier was about to embark on the final playoff run of his Hall of Fame career. Incredibly, the six-time Stanley Cup champions did not play in the postseason over the final seven seasons of his career (three seasons with Vancouver Canucks, four more with Rangers).

Also, Wayne Gretzky was making his Broadway postseason debut. Like Messier, it would the final one of “The Great One’s” illustrious career. And former goaltending partners Mike Richter and John Vanbiesbrouck were going head-to-head for the first time in the playoffs.

After being swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers (35-28-19) finished three points better (89-86) than the Rangers (38-34-10) in the Atlantic Division standings in the 1996-97 regular season. Florida’s leading scorer was a former Rangers forward, Ray Sheppard (60 points), while Gretzky finished fourth in the Art Ross race, with 97 points.

Those Panthers were the Cinderella team of the 1996 playoffs, backstopped by Vanbiesbrouck’s excellence. The Blueshirts lineup boasted four future Hall of Famers: Gretzky, Messier, Brian Leetch, and Luc Robitaille.

Let’s take a look back at how the 1997 first-round playoff series between the Rangers and Panthers played out.

Related: Rangers vs. Panthers: Breaking down 2023-24 season series ahead of Eastern Conference Final

Rangers split first two games on road in 1997 series

New York began their march to the 1997 Eastern Conference Final by being shut out 3-0 in their first playoff game on Apr. 17, 1997. Vanbiesbrouck, a one-time Vezina Trophy winner with the Rangers, made 34 saves against his former teammates, outdueling Richter, who finished the with 25 saves and a .893 save percentage. Each of the three goals were scored in the second period. Florida’s Johan Garpenlov and Kirk Muller scored on the power play, followed by Rob Niedermayer lighting the lamp late in the frame at even strength. Robert Svehla earned an assist on all three goals.

Gretzky tallied New York’s first goal of the postseason in the second period of Game 2, and finished the contest with a goal and an assist. Shortly after Gretzky opened the scoring, Esa Tikkanen put the visitors up 2-0 with a power-play goal set up by Adam Graves and Messier. Just three minutes into the third, Robitaille extended the lead to 3-0, which held up as the final score. Richter finished with 31 saves, returning the shutout favor.

Overtime heroics, Gretzky hat trick put Panthers on brink

Back at Madison Square Garden for Game 3, the Rangers blew a 2-0 first-period lead and rallied back from a 3-2 deficit in the dying seconds of the third period to force overtime. Mike Eastwood gave New York a 1-0 lead, followed by Robitaille’s second of the series. After three second-period goals by Florida, two of which came on the power play, the Blueshirts were down to the final 20 seconds when Robitaille tied the contest up 3-3 at 19:41 with helpers from Messier and Gretzky.

In overtime, Tikkanen, a five-time Stanley Cup winner, notched his third career overtime goal to give the Blueshirts a 4-3 win. Between the pipes, Vanbiesbrouck was busy again, stopping 41 out of 45 shots (.911 save percentage). Richter made 36 saves (.923 save percentage) for his fourth playoff overtime win.

With a chance to put a stranglehold on the series in Game 4,the Rangers delivered in front of the home fans, who saw Gretzky’s signature game as a Ranger. After Niedermayer opened the scoring for the Panthers with another power-play goal in the first period, The Great One took control of the game with a natural hat trick in the second period, scoring at 3:07 (power play), 6:46 and 9:30 to give New York a 3-1 lead.

Five different skaters earned assists on Gretzky’s first postseason hat trick since Game 7 of the Clarence Campbell Conference Final in May 1993. According to StatHead.com, Game 4 was his second career hat trick against Vanbiesbrouck, who surrendered three goals to Gretzky in a Nov. 4, 1987, contest between the Edmonton Oilers and Rangers at Northlands Coliseum.

The Panthers didn’t go quietly in Game 4, though. David Nemirovsky scored just 1:40 into the third period, forcing the Rangers to hang on for a 3-2 victory and 3-1 lead in the series.

Rangers advance in Game 5 overtime thriller

Messier opened Game 5 with a goal just 39 seconds in, but Florida tied the contest 1-1 before the end of the first period. The Captain reestablished the visitor’s lead with 16 seconds left in the second period before Sheppard tallied another power-play goal for the Panthers in the third, ultimately forcing overtime.

Three days after playing overtime hero in Game 3, Tikkanen picked up the final playoff overtime winner of his career at 12:02, sending the Rangers into the second round of the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-1 series win on Apr. 25, 1997.

Richter was solid in the series, with a .938 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average. Vanbiesbrouck was nearly as good good, finishing with a .929 save percentage and 2.60 GAA. Gretzky led all players with six points (four goals, two assists). Svehla was Florida’s leading scorer with a goal and four helpers. After getting shut out in Game 1, the Rangers only trailed two other times in the series for 32:52.

Following the series win, the Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils in five games in the second round before losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games in the Eastern Conference Final.

Interestingly, the Panthers played only three playoff series (2000, 2012, 2016) over the next 23 seasons.

When it comes to their long history of free agent signings, these three players rank as the franchise’s very best.

New York Rangers sign Adam Graves

When GM Neil Smith signed a young Adam Graves to an RFA offer sheet on September 3, 1991, he couldn’t have known it would go down as possibly the best free agent signing in Rangers’ history.

At the time, when you signed an RFA you could try and work out compensation with the other team. Smith and his counterpart in Edmonton, Glen Sather, were not able to agree on adequate compensation, so the issue had to be decided by an independent arbitrator.

Neil Smith was able to convince the mediator that rugged enforcer and fan-favorite Troy Mallette, was a suitable return for Graves. Much to the chagrin of Sather, Mallette was headed to the Pacific Northwest as Graves was packed his bags for the Big Apple.

Graves went on to become part of the core four (Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, and Mike Richter) that brought a Stanley Cup to New York after 54 years on the night of June 14, 1994. His brilliant career led to him becoming a Blueshirts legend and his #9 is raised to the Garden Rafters.

Even more importantly, he’s still making a difference as an ambassador for the organization and continues to be a charitable force. Truly one of the greatest signings in the franchise’s history.

Graves played 10 seasons with the Blueshirts recording 280 goals and 507 points in 772 games. For his career, he amassed 616 points in 1152 contests split between the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and San Jose Sharks.

Wayne Gretzky

The Rangers signed Wayne Gretzky on July 21st, 1996 and he didn’t disappoint during his three season in New York.

In his first year wearing Rangers’ Blue, he scored 25 goals and 97 points in 82 games to lead the Blueshirts in scoring. Matter of fact, he led the team all three years he was on Broadway (90 pts, 62 pts).

Reunited with Mark Messier, the Blueshirts went on a magical playoff run led by the Great One. Gretzky’s hat-trick against Florida was one of the more memorable games during that postseason. Sadly with no Alexei Kovalev and mounting injuries they couldn’t overcome the powerhouse Flyers led by Eric Lindros in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Wayne would finish those playoffs with 10 goals and 10 assists in 15 games. Unfortunately, Messier left the team to sign with the Vancouver Canucks in free agency and the aging Rangers couldn’t make the postseason again during Gretzky’s final two years of his brilliant career.

Gretzky registered 249 points in 234 games with the Rangers mainly playing with journeyman winger Nicklas Sundstrom.

Number 99 holds or shares 61 NHL records. He is the game’s all-time leading goal scorer (894), assist getter (1962), and point producer (2856). Matter of fact, had Gretzky never scored a goal, he’d still be the all-time leader in points by 41, over Jaromir Jagr’s 1921 points.

Artemi Panarin

Artemi Panarin is arguably one of the best free agent signings in recent memory. Since joining the Blueshirts after signing a seven-year deal on July 1,2019, he’s led the team in scoring every season.

To date, the 31 year-old has scored (100 goals, 241 assists) 341 points in 268 games. Unfortunately, Panarin hasn’t had the playoff success he would like with seven goals and 20 points in 30 postseason matches.

However, his story is still being written and the Blueshirts’ most dynamic offensive player since Jaromir Jagr could easily move up this list.

In 2021, his 1979 O-Pee-Chee rookie card sold for an astonishing $3.75 million after becoming the first-ever hockey card to break the million dollar mark ($1.29) the year before.

Now his New York Rangers jersey that he wore in his final game is up for grabs with a current bid of $189,000 and climbing. Grey Flannel Auctions is conducting the auction online which you can view here. There’s 18 days remaining to bid.

Wayne Gretzky final game jersey auction

The Rangers signed Wayne Gretzky on July 21st, 1996 as a free agent.

The Great One didn’t disappoint Rangers fans in his first season on Broadway as he recorded 25 goals and 97 points in 82 games to lead the Blueshirts in scoring. Matter of fact, he led the team all three years he wore their colors (90 pts, 62 pts).

Of course his first season reunited with Messier led to a magical run in the playoffs that was highlighted with a hat-trick against Florida. Sadly with no Alexei Kovalev and mounting injuries they could not overcome the powerhouse Flyers led by Eric Lindros.

The 1998-99 season started like any other for the Rangers as they continued to struggle since the departure of Mark Messier in the summer of 97. As the season grew late there were rumblings that Wayne was considering retirement. That started a long farewell tour and road arenas everywhere were giving him standing ovations. It wasn’t until after his last road game in Ottawa that Gretzky did indeed reveal he would retire. His last game would be against the Penguins at Madison Square Garden.

The game itself was surreal. Everytime he touched the puck the fans roared and sung his praises. There was just a weird feeling in the air that the game really didn’t matter and it was all about thanking and witnessing the last game of the greatest player in history. When the Rangers lost in OT, the moment fans really wanted to see took place and that was Wayne taking his final victory lap on the ice. Every wave touched fans not only at MSG but across the hockey world.

The Great One's final NHL game jersey is officially on the market. 💸 pic.twitter.com/YT39CmdZpx

— theScore (@theScore) May 24, 2023