Even with the heavy criticism sent his way during New York’s dumpster fire of a 2024-25 season, as well as the fact that clearly general manager Chris Drury didn’t have the appetite to invest in him long term, Miller appears quite happy with how things turned out.

The Rangers moved Miller to their division rival, who then signed him to a lucrative eight-year, $60 million contract. New York received defenseman Scott Morrow and two draft picks — a conditional first-round selection in 2026 and a second-rounder next year.

“Obviously, I knew what the summer might entail. I hadn’t gone through that before, and obviously, it was not unexpected. It was a little shocking to go through that experience,” Miller explained to the media after the morning skate. “But I’m thriving now. I’m loving life. It’s been amazing coming down here to Carolina and [I] came to start a new career here, so it’s been fun.”

K’Andre Miller on the ice this morning ahead of his first game against #NYR pic.twitter.com/4fqMfZ796h

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) November 26, 2025

Miller’s averaging a career-high 22:52 TOI over 16 games with the Hurricanes, who host the Rangers for a Thanksgiving Eve clash at Lenovo Center. He was expected to fill a second-pair role but spent much of his 5v5 time on the top defense pair because Jaccob Slavin is on IR and only played two games so far.

The 2018 first-round pick (No. 22 overall) by the Rangers scored two goals in his Hurricanes debut Oct. 9 against the New Jersey Devils. He’s added eight assists since for a total of 10 points.

Miller missed six games with an injury from Oct. 23 – Nov. 4. The final game he missed in that stretch was against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, which would’ve been a homecoming for him.

Nonetheless, coach Rod Brind’Amour is pleased with all that Miller’s done to help the Hurricanes (14-6-2) sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 30 points.

“He’s been great. It’s been everything we had hoped for,” Brind’Amour told reporters pregame. “You kind of know the player from coaching against him, but you don’t know what his impact can be. When he’s on, it’s an elite player there. He’s been a little nicked up this year, unfortunately, so we’ve missed him a little bit. But when he’s been going, feeling good, he’s been really effective.”

Rangers recall Connor Mackey from AHL Hartford

Connor Mackey — photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

In a sign that Will Borgen may not be ready to be activated off IR, the Rangers recalled defenseman Connor Mackey from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday afternoon.

Borgen missed five of the past six games with an upper-body injury. He participated in New York’s morning skate in Raleigh, wearing a regular jersey, after he wore a no-contact sweater at practice the day before.

With Borgen on injured reserve, the Rangers had six defensemen on the active roster. The Rangers played without an extra defenseman on the roster Monday, when they defeated the St. Louis Blues at home 3-2. But being on the road, it appears the Rangers wanted a seventh defenseman as a precaution in case Borgen isn’t healthy enough to go.

After the game in Raleigh, the Rangers head to Boston for a matinee against the Bruins on Black Friday.

Mackey has 42 games of NHL experience, including three games with the Rangers the previous two seasons. The 29-year-old has three assists and nine penalty minutes in 15 games with Hartford this season.

To make room on the active roster, the Rangers assigned rookie defenseman Scott Morrow to Hartford and placed defenseman Will Borgen on injured reserve. That leaves the Rangers with 14 forwards, six defensemen, and three goalies on the current 23-man roster.

UPDATE: #NYR has recalled G Dylan Garand and F Brett Berard from AHL Hartford. #NYR has assigned D Scott Morrow to AHL Hartford. pic.twitter.com/BQIC48Lvrd

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 23, 2025

The additions of Berard and Garand are injury related since J.T. Miller is day to day with an upper-body injury, and Jonathan Quick was banged up late in New York’s 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Saturday and is being evaluated for a lower-body injury.

Miller and Quick are out Monday when the Rangers host the St. Louis Blues at Madison Square Garden. Garand will back up Igor Shesterkin.

Quick made 31 saves and was terrific again Saturday, but appeared to favor his right leg after Utah forward Michael Carcone crashed into him, following a hit by backchecking Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson. The 39-year-old finished the game, but now there’s concern about his status moving forward.

Oof that was a rough collision for Quick. Ouch. pic.twitter.com/TwdvtMQZPS

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) November 23, 2025

Miller was hurt in New York’s 6-3 loss Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche after an accidental collision during a penalty kill. The Rangers captain was shaken up, but remained in the game and scored his second power-play goal of the night later in the third period. He’ll miss his second straight game Monday.

Borgen’s missed the past two games, and four of the past five, with an upper-body injury.

In addition, center Vincent Trocheck is banged up and a game-time decision for the contest against the Blues.

Rangers plans following recalls of Brett Berard, Dylan Garand from Hartford amid injury concerns

Where Garand is in New York amid concern over Quick’s health status, Berard may have been called up to spark the Rangers lineup. Even if Miller had been able to play Monday, Berard could add juice in the bottom six, as he often did playing 35 games with the Rangers last season, when he scored six goals and totaled 10 points. His boundless energy, speed, and fearless play style are attributes the Rangers, losers of four straight, can use right now.

With Miller out again, the Rangers could simply run it back with Jonny Brodzinski in the top six and Juuso Parssinen in the bottom six. But considering how the Rangers looked slow and not as hungry against the Mammoth, it makes all the sense to play Berard now that he’s called up.

BRETT BERARD NETS HIS FIRST OF THE SEASON TO TIE IT UP🚨 pic.twitter.com/UPIXS2FzDc

— Hartford Wolf Pack (@HWPHockey) November 18, 2025

The 23-year-old forward started slowly in the AHL this season, perhaps disappointed he failed to crack New York’s opening-night roster. Berard, who led Hartford with 25 goals in 2023-24, went 14 games without scoring one to start this season, and was pointless in his first five games. But he scored two goals in his past three games, and is tied for the Hartford lead with seven assists this season, and ranks fourth with nine points in 14 games.

“My first few games, I don’t think I was at my best, getting sent down late (final cuts of training camp) … the last few weeks, I feel like I’ve started to find my game and my stride,” Berard said this past week.

In addition, Berard likely feels he’s got something to prove since fellow forward prospects Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault each was recalled from Hartford before he was this season.

Garand, an AHL All-Star last season when he won 20 games, allowed three goals in the third period Saturday, when Hartford let a 2-0 lead slip away in a 3-2 loss to Lehigh Valley. The 23-year-old is 3-6-2 in 11 starts, with a 2.96 goals-against average and .897 save percentage. He’s backed up Shesterkin before but hasn’t appeared in an NHL game yet.

Should Garand be required to be in New York for a stretch of games, Hartford has two options to replace him between the pipes. Callum Tung looked sharp winning two starts this past week after the 22-year-old moved up from Bloomington of the ECHL. And the Rangers signed veteran Spencer Martin recently, after he played earlier this season with the KHL in Russia.

Morrow was scoreless and averaged 13:11 TOI, playing three games with the Rangers after Borgen first sustained his injury. The 23-year-old has two points (one goal, one assist) in 11 games with Hartford.

At 9-1-1, the Rangers have the best road record in the League, and their 19 points are one behind the Los Angeles Kings (9-2-2) for most in the NHL. Yet, it’s some tough sledding ahead, facing perennial powerhouse Vegas, then two nights later skating against the Colorado Avalanche, who have the best overall record in the League and only one regulation loss so far (13-1-5). The trip concludes with a tilt against the up and coming Utah Mammoth on Saturday, and they’re no pushover either.

The Rangers (10-8-2) will take this challenge, though, considering how much better they play away from Madison Square Garden. New York is 1-7-1 on home ice after a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, when the Rangers were outplayed and badly outshot 42-19.

Their current six-game road wining streak is fourth-best in franchise history and longest since 2019-20, when the Rangers won nine straight on the road. With that comes plenty of confidence and swagger, which won’t hurt playing in a tough building Tuesday night.

Perhaps the Rangers arrive in Las Vegas at a good time. The Golden Knights (8-4-6) are banged up and struggling to win games after racing to a 5-0-2 start this season. Since Oct. 25, however, the Golden Knights have lost 8 of 11 games (3-4-4) and won once in their past six (1-2-3).

They’ve also lost four straight (0-2-2) at home, including 3-2 to in overtime to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, when Kirill Kaprizov bagged the game-winner.

Vegas is without injured forwards Mark Stone and William Karlsson, and No. 1 goalie Adin Hill. But they remain dangerous with Jack Eichel (24 points in 18 games) and Mitch Marner (20 points in 18 games) pacing their offense. Pavel Dorofeyev leads them with 11 goals, three shy of the League lead, after scoring on the power play against the Wild.

3 storylines when Rangers visit Golden Knights

1. Sully’s back

Though he didn’t travel with the team Monday, coach Mike Sullivan flew out on his own and rejoined the Rangers at the morning skate. He missed the game Sunday, dealing with a “family circumstance,” in his words.

“I’d rather not get into the details of it, but I appreciate everybody’s support,” Sullivan told reporters after the skate. “I’m grateful to Mr. Dolan and [Chris Drury] for their understanding. Obviously, family means everything to all of us. I appreciate everybody’s support through a little bit of a trying circumstance.”

2. Will Borgen game-time decision

Sullivan said that Will Borgen is a game-time decision against the Golden Knights. The 28-year-old defenseman missed the past two games with an upper-body injury, but skated on a pair with Urho Vaakanainen on Tuesday morning.

Rookie Scott Morrow made his Rangers debut against the Red Wings, and partnered with Matthew Robertson on the third defense pair. They skated together again Tuesday, and Morrow quarterbacked the second power-play unit. Not to read tea leaves or anything, but it feels like Morrow will play Tuesday.

“I’m feeling confident,” Morrow told the media after the morning skate. “Obviously, I haven’t gotten any bounces in terms of points, but I think I’ve been playing a really solid game [in the minors and NHL]. I think the bounces will come over the course of the season, wherever I am, so just staying with it. I feel a lot more ready for the NHL than I have, you know, at any point last year.”

3. Watch Mika

The Rangers scored two goals in their past two games, not counting J.T. Miller’s shootout winner in Columbus on Saturday. Mika Zibanejad scored each of those goals and leads the Rangers with seven this season, including a team-high four on the power play.

Of course, he’s also a team-worst minus-9 this season. So, there’s that.

But he’s got a four-game point streak coming into this one, three goals in four games, and always delivers against the Golden Knights. He’s got 10 goals and 19 points in 14 games against them.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Will Cuylle — Mika Zibanejad — J.T. Miller

Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere

Conor Sheary — Noah Laba — Jonny Brodzinski

Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Braden Schneider

Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Vegas Golden Knights

When: Tuesday Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: T-Mobile Arena

How to watch: MSG

Neither team has fared very well against division rivals this season. The Rangers have lost four of five (1-4-0) against Metro teams, with the only win a 6-1 thrashing of the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Oct. 11. An opening-night loss to the Penguins, and subsequent defeats at the hands of the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders followed that lone division win.

The Rangers were 12-13-1 against division opponents last season, but they took three of four from the Blue Jackets. It’s important they get back on track against Metro foes this season if they wish to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing in 2024-25. By the looks of things, the division — and the entire Eastern Conference — is going to be a dogfight, making head-to-head games against Metropolitan Division opponents crucial.

The Blue Jackets are 1-3-0 within the division this season. They lost to the New Jersey Devils and Capitals before a road win against the Penguins on Oct. 25. Columbus lost on Long Island the following week.

The Rangers and Blue Jackets fare well against Atlantic Division opponents. As such, the Rangers are 5-4-1 in the Eastern Conference and the Blue Jackets are 4-3-0.

In a broad view, the Rangers (9-7-2) feel good about things. They scored 13 goals in consecutive victories this week and come off a 7-3 road win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. New York is a point out of a wild card and owns the best road record (8-1-1) in the NHL.

Part of that road success stems from the Rangers leading the League with a plus-16 goal differential away from Madison Square Garden, allowing an NHL-low 2.00 goals per game on the road.

The Blue Jackets (9-7-1) are streaky so far this season. They’ve won two straight after a four-game slide (0-3-1) that followed a four-game winning streak. Though no longer the surprise they were a year ago, the Blue Jackets still have the feel of being an upstart team in the East.

Whoever loses Saturday must sit on that defeat for nearly four months, since the Rangers and Blue Jackets don’t play again until March 2 at MSG.

3 storylines when Rangers visit Blue Jackets

1. Will Borgen status

Will Borgen took part in the morning skate, and Coach Mike Sullivan anticipates that the 28-year-old defenseman will play against the Blue Jackets. Borgen missed practice and was listed as day to day with an upper-body injury Friday. He’s played 285 consecutive games, including 84 for the Rangers and Seattle Kraken last season.

It’s not known what’s bothering Borgen or when he might’ve been hurt. He logged 19:47 TOI against the Lightning and scored his first goal since last March in the win.

Will Borgen with the Rangers’ fourth goal of the first period pic.twitter.com/EWRuPvyLO1

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) November 13, 2025

If Borgen doesn’t play Saturday, expect Braden Schneider to move up into the second pair alongside Carson Soucy, and Matthew Robertson to draw in on the third pair with Urho Vaakanainen.

Sullivan did confirm that Igor Shesterkin starts in goal against the Blue Jackets. That means Jonathan Quick likely gets the call for the second time this season against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, after a 4-1 road win last week.

2. Like he’s never been gone

Talk about seamless transitions. Vincent Trocheck has two multiple-point games (two goals, two assists) since returning to New York’s lineup after the veteran center missed 14 straight with an upper-body injury. He had two assists and sparked linemates Alexis Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin during a 6-3 home-ice win over the Nashville Predators on Monday. Trocheck followed that with his first two goals of the season Wednesday in Tampa Bay.

The 32-year-old is also getting underneath opponents’ skin — giving and taking bumps, chirping, winning big face-offs and playing a key role on the PK. Not surprisingly, the Rangers won each of his first two games back — and perhaps it’s a coincidence they’ve broken out offensively with 13 goals in the past two games. Or maybe it’s not such a coincidence.

Keep an eye on Trocheck against the Blue Jackets. He’s got 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists ) in 36 games against them.

3. Kirill the Thrill, Part 2

Earlier this season, the Rangers did a good job shutting down Kirill Kaprizov. Despite losing 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 20, the Rangers held the superstar forward in check throughout before Kaprizov scored an empty-net goal.

Saturday, they face a similar challenge against Kirill the Thrill, Part 2.

Kirill Marchenko not only leads the Blue Jackets in goals (8), assists (11), and points (19), the 25-year-old forward brings a career-high 10-game point streak (three goals, nine assists) into the game. He scored 31 goals last season and has 21 or more each of the past three seasons. In 10 games against the Rangers, Marchenko has two goals and five points. Shutting him down is key for the Rangers on Saturday.

New York Rangers projected lineup

J.T. Miller — Mika Zibanejad — Gabe Perreault

Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Conor Sheary

Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen — Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

When: Saturday Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Nationwide Arena

How to watch: MSG

UPDATE: Borgen took part in the morning skate Saturday and Sullivan hopes he’ll be able to play against the Blue Jackets

It’s unclear when or how Borgen was injured — he played the entirety of Wednesday’s 7-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With Borgen not on the ice Friday, Carson Soucy, his regular partner, was paired with Braden Schneider while Matthew Robertson played alongside Urho Vaakanainen.

Borgen is one of those players who is easy to overlook despite averaging a career-high 18:43 of ice time. His goal in the win at Tampa Bay was his first of the season and his third point. He hadn’t hit the score sheet since assisting on the Rangers’ only goal in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 20.

PUT IN THE WORK + PUT IT AWAY. pic.twitter.com/K8N1Jtdehe

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

“We’re not asking him to score a lot of goals,” Sullivan said earlier this week.

But not having Borgen on the blue line against a Columbus team that is 9-7-1 after a 5-4 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday would be a sizeable loss.

The Rangers have had a major turnaround defensively, and Borgen is a big reason why. They were 28th in the NHL last season in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick. Entering the game in Columbus, they are second (2.13).

Will Borgen has been key to solidifying Rangers’ defense

New York acquired Borgen from the Seattle Kraken last December in the trade that sent forward Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, to the League’s newest franchise. Less than two months later, general manager Chris Drury made a major commitment to his new defenseman, signing him to a five-year extension with an average annual value of $4.1 million.

Drury didn’t do it because of Borgen’s ability to score – the 28-year-old’s five goals last season was a career high – but rather because of his ability to help Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick keep the puck out of the Rangers’ net. He’s blocked 24 shots, fourth on the team, and he and Soucy have been on the ice for five 5-on-5 goals for and only two against during the 14 games and 138:02 they’ve played together.

“What we’re asking of Will is to be hard to play against and defend hard, help us on the penalty kill, defend the rushes aggressively, kill plays in the D-zone, be hard at the net front,” Sullivan said. “That’s the game that we think he excels at. That’s what he’s brought to us.”

Sullivan, who coached the Pittsburgh Penguins for 10 seasons before parting ways with them and signing with the Rangers in May, didn’t know much about Borgen before coming to Broadway. But in watching him on film during the offseason, the coach said he liked Borgen’s willingness to defend and how he uses his size (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) to his advantage.

“Number one, he’s competitive, and he has a level of abrasiveness to his game that I think makes us a whole lot more difficult to play against,” Sullivan said.

Borgen looks like a legit shutdown defenseman who can handle top-four minutes and kill penalties, especially under Sullivan’s zone approach to defending. One thing that’s helped him, even with a coaching change, is that he’s more familiar with his new team as he nears the one-year mark since coming to New York. Borgen said this week that he’s feeling “more comfortable everywhere on and off the ice.”

Sullivan, who helped a number of defensemen, including Kris Letang, raise their game in Pittsburgh, has liked what he’s seen so far and hopes Borgen won’t have to miss time – especially with the Rangers playing the second half of a back-to-back when the Detroit Red Wings come to town on Sunday, followed by a three-game trip to Vegas, Colorado and Utah.

“He’s a reliable, trustworthy defenseman, and he’s predictable for his partner,” Sullivan said. “I think those are great attributes to have for a defenseman.”

Vincent Trocheck and Will Cuylle each scored twice, and Artemi Panarin dished out four assists to lead a varied and high-powered Rangers attack. Eleven New York skaters made their way on to the score sheet, with Alexis Lafreniere, J.T. Miller, and Will Borgen also scoring goals.

Foxy with the shot + Cools cleans it up. 🧹 pic.twitter.com/P2nraQWFzp

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

Igor Shesterkin made 33 saves, including 26 in the final two periods, for the Rangers (9-7-2), who are an NHL-best 8-1-1 on the road. Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed goals on the first three shots he faced and finished with only eight saves on 13 shots over two periods for the Lightning, who had won seven of their previous games. Jonas Johansson stopped six of seven shots in the third period.

Though neither coach — Mike Sullivan of the Rangers, nor Jon Cooper of the Lightning — probably agrees, the first period was wildly entertaining. There were seven goals scored on 18 combined shots, and the Rangers skated into the first intermission with a 4-3 lead.

Cuylle scored a power-play goal just 1:09 into the game and the Rangers never trailed the rest of the way. Mika Zibanejad picked off a a cross-ice Nikita Kucherov pass in the neutral zone moments later, and the Rangers scored off the ensuing rush. Zibanejad zipped a pass to his left and Miller chipped the puck past Vasilevskiy to make it 2-0 at 3:31.

The Lightning got a rush goal themselves at 6:04, when rugged forward Scott Sabourin wired a left-circle shot over Shesterkin’s glove. But 64 seconds later, Lafreniere restored New York’s two-goal lead by scoring his fourth goal — you guessed it — off the rush.

LAF ON THE FLY. pic.twitter.com/TVKp11Kmbn

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

Zemgus Girgensons snuck a rebound short side past Shesterkin for his third goal at 13:59 to cut the Rangers lead to 3-2. But the Rangers had an answer again, when Borgen scored his first off the season, a wrist shot from between the circles that went off a defenseman’s leg and changed direction up and over Vasilevskiy at 16:20.

PUT IN THE WORK + PUT IT AWAY. pic.twitter.com/K8N1Jtdehe

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

It was that kind of night for the two-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender.

Yet, before the wild opening period ended, the Lightning cut into the Rangers lead again. This time Jake Guentzel scored on a short-handed breakaway at 17:32.

Shorthanded? No problem for Jake Guentzel 😉

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @StreamOnMax ➡️ https://t.co/krZ2oaNmyZ pic.twitter.com/pLzb5Ttsoa

— NHL (@NHL) November 13, 2025

The scoring pace settled down in the second period, though the Rangers were badly outplayed early on. The Lightning recorded six shots in the opening six minutes of the period and added two more on a power play soon after.

Late in the period, the Rangers capitalized when Vasilevskiy lost his footing moving right to left to challenge Trocheck off the rush. As the Lightning goalie fell to the ice, Trocheck slid his first goal of the season under Vasilevskiy to make it 5-3 at 18:19 of the second period.

Trocheck scored again, 5:03 into the third, and Cuylle potted his team-leading sixth goal into an empty net with 2:11 left to play

The Rangers will try to keep this offensive explosion going Saturday, when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets

Key takeaways after Rangers defeat Lightning 7-3

Bald Bread

It’s safe to say that Panarin is on a serious heater. After a slow start offensively this season, the Breadman has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past four games, coinciding with Panarin shaving his head before a road game against the Detroit Red Wings last Friday. He had three points that night, was blanked in a home loss against the Islanders on Saturday, and scored two goals in the 6-3 home win over the Nashville Predators on Monday.

Panarin followed that up with a brilliant offensive display in Tampa. He made a pretty feed to set up Lafreniere’s goal, and an even more impressive pass to spring Trocheck on his first goal of the night. Bread also had a pair of secondary helpers, and a prime scoring chance of his own on the doorstep that he misfired on.

THE BREADMAN ➡️ TROCH pic.twitter.com/dvNPEgVR6M

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

Don’t look now, but Panarin took over the Rangers scoring lead Wednesday. He’s got 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 18 games, after leading the Rangers in scoring each of the past six seasons.

Igor! Igor!

Shesterkin allowed three goals on 10 first-period shots, but shook that off in a big way. He didn’t allow a goal and was simply outstanding the final two periods, stopping all 26 shots he faced.

It all began in the first period, though. Shesterkin absolutely robbed Gage Goncalves on the doorstep following a brilliant back-door pass from Kucherov less than a minute after the Lightning pulled to within 3-2. It just may have been a game-altering save. Two minutes later, Borgen’s goal made it 4-2 Rangers. Who knows if that scoring sequence even happens if Goncalves ties the game 3-3?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME SHESTERKIN?!? 😲

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @StreamOnMax ➡️ https://t.co/krZ2oaNmyZ pic.twitter.com/OlFLk516aA

— NHL (@NHL) November 13, 2025

And Shesterkin was the difference in the second period, when the Rangers were on their heels much of the time. Shesterkin was under fire in the third period, but stopped all 14 shots in an impressive finish to even his record at 6-6-2 this season.

Short-handed hosts

Not only did the Lightning score their first short-handed goal of the season — a beauty by Guentzel on a clean breakaway — but the home team’s lineup was, to be honest, short-handed. The Lightning played without their top two defensemen — and two of the more reliable defenders in the League — with Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh each sidelined by injury. Forward Anthony Cirelli missed his second straight game and Dominic James landed on injured reserve.

The Rangers took a page out of the Florida Panthers playbook and rocked Brandon Hagel in the head.

Was quite angry heading down the tunnel.

Bolts playing with a handful of players down and they look terrible to begin this contest. pic.twitter.com/cu21Slwz4J

— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) November 13, 2025

It only got worse when forward Brandon Hagel was steamrolled by Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy in the first period and didn’t return to the game. To add insult to injury, the Rangers scored their third goal, with Soucy picking up an assist, on the ensuing rush the other way.

Offense from defense

Five of six Rangers defensemen recorded at least one point Wednesday. Adam Fox led the way — no surprise there — with two assists; he has 12 helpers and 15 points in 18 games. But how many of you had Borgen scoring his first goal since March 20 of last season on your Bingo card?

Urho Vaakanainen played his 200th NHL game and had the primary assist on Trocheck’s second goal. Vladislav Gavrikov had the secondary assist, setting Panarin off in full flight, on Trocheck’s first goal. And Soucy leveled Hagel to start the rush the other way that Lafreniere finished with his third goal in the past four games.

Braden Schneider? He had to settle for three hits and three blocked shots.

The Rangers (8-7-2) are an NHL-best 7-1-1 on the road this season and won four straight games away from Madison Square Garden. Most recently, they dismantled the Red Wings in Detroit last Friday 4-1, after winning three straight out west the prior week.

New York has outscored opponents 29-17 on the road this season, the second-best away goal-differential in the League, and its 1.89 road goals-against average is No. 1 in the NHL.

Despite their road success, the Rangers were historically bad at MSG, starting the season 0-6-1 at home. But the season-opening schneid ended Monday, when the Rangers defeated the Nashville Predators 6-3 at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Home or road, either way, the Rangers face a much tougher opponent Wednesday. The Lightning (8-5-2) brushed off a slow start to the 2025-26 campaign and won seven of their past eight games (7-1-0).

The Lightning edged the Washington Capitals at home 3-2 on Saturday, when Brandon Hagel scored the game-winner to snap a 2-2 tie midway through the third period. Forward Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist in the win, and leads the Lightning with 15 points (six goals, nine assists).

Though off to a quiet start (for him) with 14 points in 13 games, Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, the three-time NHL scoring leader, has 37 points (10 goals, 27 assists) in 30 games against the Rangers.

3 storylines when Rangers visit Lightning

1. Where there’s a Will

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan appeared pretty darn pleased with the play of a pair of Wills — Borgen and Cuylle — when speaking with the media Tuesday. Borgen’s averaging a career-high 18:39 TOI through 17 games in a second-pair defense role, playing mostly with veteran Carson Soucy. He’s been on ice for only four goals against 5v5, and the Rangers hold a 61-31 advantage in high-danger chances when Borgen is out there, per Natural Stat Trick. The 28-year-old is fourth on the Rangers with 22 blocked shots and second among defensemen with 24 hits.

“What we’re asking of Will is to be hard to play against, defend hard, help us on the penalty kill, defend the rushes aggressively, kill plays in the D zone, be hard at the net front. … We think he’s doing a great job at it, Sullivan explained. “”He’s competitive and has a level of abrasiveness to his game that I think makes us a whole lot more difficult to play against.”

The coach is also very impressed with Cuylle, the 23-year-old forward who has eight points (four goals, four assists) on the season, and three goals in his past five games. He’s been moved throughout the top nine, and now settled with Noah Laba on the third line, and leads the Rangers again with 59 hits, after establishing a franchise record with 301 in 2024-25.

“Will’s a good player on both sides of the puck. He can skate, he’s a solid defensive player, but he brings a solid offensive threat to that line,” Sullivan stated.

2. Lightning trucked

The Rangers need not be worried about being trucked by their former captain Wednesday. Ryan McDonagh — or “Mac Truck” as he’s often referred to — is out for the Lightning with a lower-body injury. The Lightning placed their stalwart 36-year-old defenseman on injured reserve Wednesday morning after he blocked a shot with his left foot against the Capitals.

McDonagh played his first 516 NHL games with the Rangers, and was their captain from 2014-18, when he was traded to the Lightning. The two-time Stanley Cup champion passed the 1,000-games played milestone last season and has six points (three goals, three assists), averaging 20:10 TOI in 15 games this season.

UPDATE: The Lightning will also be without captain Victor Hedman and forward Anthony Cirelli, due to undisclosed injuries.

A look at the #GoBolts lines (12/6) tonight without Cirelli, Hedman, Holmberg, McDonagh or James

Guentzel-Point-Kucherov
Hagel-Gourde-Girgensons
Bjorkstrand-Katchouk-Goncalves
Douglas-Finley-Sabourin

Moser-Crozier
D’Astous-Cernak
Lilleberg-Raddysh

Vasilevskiy 🦁 pic.twitter.com/6RNdjmbeHk

— Diandra Loux (@Diandra_loux) November 12, 2025

3. Urho’s milestone

Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen is expected to play his 200th NHL game Wednesday. It’s been quite the journey for the 26-year-old to reach this point, after injuries and subpar play earlier in his career took much of the luster off the No. 18 overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins.

After fits and starts with the Bruins and Anaheim Ducks, Vaakanainen finally landed a regular role with the Ducks, playing 68 games in 2023-24. Then last season, after appearing in five games, the Ducks traded him to the Rangers as part of the return for Jacob Trouba.

Vaakanainen recorded a career-high 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) and plus-8 rating, averaging 16:43 TOI in 46 games with the Rangers. He also landed a two-year, $3.1 million contract in early March, and is mostly a regular on the Rangers third pair with Braden Schneider this season. He has two assists in 12 games, though is constantly pushed for a lineup spot by rookie Matthew Robertson.

New York Rangers projected lineup

J.T. Miller — Mika Zibanejad — Gabe Perreault

Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere

Will Cuylle — Noah Laba — Conor Sheary

Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen — Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

When: Wednesday Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Benchmark International Arena

How to watch: TNT/HBO Max

Ironically, their most recent three-game win streak, Nov. 14-19, 2024, included a 2-0 victory on the road over the Kraken. So, perhaps it’s meant to be that the Rangers extend their winning streak to three games by beating this particular opponent.

OK, that’s a bit of a reach. But not as crazy as the fact that the Rangers failed 10 times since — nine times last season and once this one — to win a third consecutive game.

Baby steps. But important ones for the Rangers to fully re-establish a winning culture after one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history in 2024-25. In an another plot twist, there’s a chance that this specific road trip to Western Canada and Seattle is a turning point — in a positive way — for the Rangers, just as this same trip a year ago was the beginning of the end for them.

The Rangers (5-5-2) rallied for a thrilling 4-3 overtime win Thursday in Edmonton against the Oilers. They overcame a 3-1 third-period deficit, when Braden Schneider and Taylor Raddysh scored clutch goals to pull them even, and J.T. Miller won it in OT.

THE CAPTAIN CALLED GAME. pic.twitter.com/AlolKcXiUe

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 31, 2025

That came on the heels of a 2-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks. Of course, those two most recent victories followed a three-game winless skid (0-2-1), which included a pair of embarrassing losses to the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames.

All in all, there’s nothing simple nor clearcut with this team. But there’s no question that returning to Madison Square Garden next week on a three-game winning streak and taking three of four on an important road trip is a big deal, if the Rangers can get past the Kraken on Saturday.

“Hopefully [the win Thursday] can help propel us and keep this things going a little bit more in this road trip,” Miller said. “We have a good chance to finish it off in the right way.”

The Kraken (5-2-3) come off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. They did earn a point for the third straight game (2-0-1), scoring three goals in the third period to wipe out a 3-0 deficit and force overtime, before Cole Caufield won it for the Canadiens. Their 13 points through 10 games are the most in franchise history.

Seattle has played six one-goal games out of their first 10, winning three in regulation and losing three in overtime (3-0-3). The Kraken have points in each of their seven games decided by two goals or fewer (4-0-3).

The Rangers are 6-1-1 all-time against the Kraken, though they lost the most recent meeting, 7-5 at Madison Square Garden last Dec. 8. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Kaapo Kakko, who played for the Rangers in both of those games, faced their former team for the first time after each was traded last season.

3 storylines when Rangers visit Kraken

1. Powerful opportunity

The Rangers’ power play has been more disadvantage than advantage this season. New York dropped to 30th in the League (13.3 percent) and has one power-play goal in its past five games (11 opportunities). Mika Zibanejad has two of the Rangers’ four power-play goals in 12 games. Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere are among those sitting on goose eggs.

Perhaps this is the night the Rangers will break through. The Kraken surrendered a pair of power-play goals against the Canadiens and are 29th in the NHL on the penalty kill (64.0 percent). They’ve given up at least one power-play goal in seven of their 10 games.

2. Where there’s a Will

All the attention seems to be on Ryan Lindgren and Kaapo Kakko ahead of this contest. It’ll be Lindgren’s first game against the Rangers since they traded him to the Colorado Avalanche last season, and subsequently signed as a free agent with the Kraken in the offseason. Kakko is a game-time decision and could return from a broken hand in time to make his season debut against the Rangers, which would also be his first game against them since they dealt him to the Kraken last December.

But let’s not forget about Will Borgen. The Rangers defenseman was a member of the Kraken’s inaugural team in 2021-22 and played four seasons with them before he was included in the Kakko trade 11 months ago. This is his first game against his old club, too.

The 28-year-old has been a staple on the second defense pair with the Rangers since arriving on Broadway. Reliable in his own end, and with a serious compete level, Borgen quickly landed a five-year, $20.5 million contract with the Rangers after the trade. This season, he’s averaging a career-high 18:51 TOI, has two assists in 12 games, and is third on the Rangers with 16 blocked shots and tied for seventh with 18 hits.

It’ll be a flashback for Kraken fans when they see Borgen paired with Carson Soucy on Saturday. They formed a solid defense pairing for the Kraken in 2022-23, the only season Seattle reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

3. Keeping his Cool

Will Cuylle has just one goal this season, none at even strength, and hasn’t hit the back of the net since Oct. 11 — nine games ago. That’s despite a bump up into the top-six forward group and averaging 17:29 TOI, nearly 2 1/2 minutes more per game than last season, when he scored 20 goals while playing mainly on the third line.

But Cuylle is finding ways to make a difference for the scoring-challenged Rangers. He carries a three-game point streak into Saturday and was a force all night in the comeback win against the Oilers. Cuylle helped start the comeback in the third period when he powered to the net to begin the play that resulted in Schneider’s goal that made it 3-2. The game before in Vancouver, Cuylle made a brilliant pass off the rush to set up Zibanejad’s game-opening goal.

Braden Schneider scores his 1st of the season off of a hell of a play by Will Cuylle.

3 straight games with a point for #NYR Cuylle. pic.twitter.com/1Gd1KCzTxn

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) October 31, 2025

The 23-year-old also has 44 hits, eighth-most in the NHL, after setting a Rangers record with 301 last season. In other words, he’s doing a lot of really good things — and not letting his lack of goal scoring get in the way. With that approach, the goals should come soon enough for Cuylle.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Artemi Panarin — Mika Zibanejad — Will Cuylle

Conor Sheary — J.T. Miller — Alexis Lafreniere

Juuso Parssinen — Noah Laba– Taylor Raddysh

Adam Edstrom — Sam Carrick — Jonny Brodzinski

Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox

Carson Soucy — Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen — Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Jonathan Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Seattle Kraken

When: Saturday Nov. 1 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Climate Pledge Arena

How to watch: MSG

There was no doubt defenseman Ryan Lindgren would be in the Kraken lineup — one night after having some of his old teammates over to his house for dinner. In addition, forward Kaapo Kakko, who was traded to Seattle by the Rangers for defenseman Will Borgen and two draft picks last Dec. 18, made his season debut by facing his former team.

Kakko missed Seattle’s first 10 games because of a broken hand sustained during training camp. He was injured when slashed by Edmonton Oilers defenseman Beau Akey in the first period of the Kraken’s 4-1 win on Sept 24 and placed on injured reserve. Kakko returned to practice earlier this week and was a full participant when the Kraken took the ice on Friday and again at the morning skate Saturday.

Coach Lane Lambert said Kakko would be a game-time decision, but he took line rushes during warmups.

Lindgren is also facing his former team for the first time since being traded. The Rangers sent Adam Fox’s longtime regular partner and a pending unrestricted free agent, to the Colorado Avalanche on March 1. He had three points (two goals, one assist) in 18 regular-season games for the Avs, then chipped in three assists in seven games during Colorado’s loss to the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Kraken signed Lindgren to a four-year, $18 million contract ($4.5 million average annual value) on July 1. He has one assist and 23 penalty minutes in 10 games for the Kraken, who are off to a surprising 5-2-3 start.

While Lindgren and his old teammates will be on opposite ends of the ice Saturday, many Rangers were guests of the veteran defenseman on Friday night.

“It will be fun to see them and then play against them,” Lindgren said after practice when asked about facing his old team. “It will be nice to see a couple of the guys — I’m having a few of them over for dinner tonight. Obviously some best friends over there.

“Obviously it will be my first time against the Rangers. It might be a little weird. It will be exciting, for sure.”

Ryan Lindgren looking forward to facing former Rangers teammates

When asked if he had any particular ex-teammates who meant a lot to him, Lindgren was quick to cite his old partner.

“Adam Fox would be the one guy,” he said. “We kind of went through everything together. We lived together for two years. I was best friends with him in high school, and it was kind of cool that we were able to reconnect in New York and able to play together for a long time.

“He’s definitely a guy I feel very close with. He definitely means a lot to me.”

New York and Seattle split their season series in 2024-25, with the road team winning each time. The Rangers won 2-0 on Nov. 17, but the Kraken got even with a 7-5 victory at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 8, 10 days before the Kakko trade was made.

Kakko never blossomed the way the Rangers had expected him to. His best season in New York was 2022-23, when he finished with 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists), and he had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 30 games with the Rangers last season before the trade.

He said after the trade was completed that he was hoping for a fresh start in Seattle.

“That’s what I’m hoping,” Kakko said. “It’s a new chance for me. I played there for a long time, just one team. I’m happy to be here and that’s what I’m thinking also.”

Expectations for the 24-year-old have increased in Seattle. He played 49 games with the Kraken after the trade, scoring 10 goals and finishing with 30 points while averaging a career-high 17:03 of ice time, almost four minutes per game more than he was seeing with the Rangers. That was enough to earn him a three-year contract extension that carries an average annual value of $4.525 million — making him the sixth-highest-paid forward on the team.

“Getting a contract done with Kaapo was a top priority this summer,” general manager Jason Botterill said after the signing on July 22. “We knew quickly he’d be a big part of our team moving forward. He’s got size, skill and tremendous playmaking ability, and isn’t afraid of going to the net. He fit in immediately with our group, and we’re thrilled to have him under contract.”

From the date he was acquired through the end of the regular season, Kakko was tied for second on the Kraken in points, third in assists (20) and power-play goals (3), and sixth in goals. He was tied for the team lead in even-strength points (24).

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound forward has 161 points (71 goals, 90 assists) in 379 regular-season games with the Kraken and Rangers. 

Soucy ditched his red non-contact jersey for a regular sweater during New York’s morning skate, joining Braden Schneider on the third pairing. While coach Mike Sullivan labeled Soucy as a game-time decision, the 31-year-old confirmed he was feeling 100 percent and was ready to return.

“It looked worse than it was,” Soucy said of his injury, alluding to a scary moment during the second period of an Oct. 11 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins when he awkwardly went headfirst into the boards.

Soucy’s return — he played 10:10, the least among any of the six Rangers defensemen — resulted in 22-year-old defenseman Scott Morrow being reassigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ AHL farm team, after practice. Urho Vaakanainen, who’s been a third-pairing regular, stayed behind with the other expected scratches and didn’t dress for a game for the first time this season.

New York acquired Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks in early March, sending a conditional 2025 third-round pick in return. He suited up for 16 games in the final six weeks of the 2024-25 season, tallying three points and a plus-2 rating. The 31-year-old began this season playing alongside Will Borgen on the second pair; he has one point, a goal, in three games.

How Soucy’s return affects Rangers’ blue line

1. Matthew Robertson vs Urho Vaakanainen

Soucy’s return forced one of New York’s other left-handed defensemen out of the lineup. Vladislav Gavrikov is ensconced on the first pair with Adam Fox, so that battle comes down to Matthew Robertson and Vaakanainen.

Robertson broke camp with the Rangers as their seventh defenseman, slotting into the lineup only after Soucy’s injury. Yet it’s Vaakanainen who spent Monday watching instead of playing.

Although Sullivan refrained from committing in either direction, he confirmed after the morning skate that Robertson has forced his way into the conversation with a strong four-game stretch.

The 24-year-old scored his first NHL goal in Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens and has settled in nicely alongside Borgen, showing a responsible defensive game. In more than 55 minutes together prior to Monday, the Robertson-Borgen duo led all Rangers defensive pairings with a 64.9 expected goals percentage, per MoneyPuck.

Robertson and Borgen skated together Monday morning, so it appears Sullivan will keep that tandem intact, even with Soucy returning.

Vaakanainen appeared in each of the first seven games, but his ice time had diminished due to Robertson’s strong play. After averaging more than 17 minutes in the first three games of the season, the former No. 18 overall pick hasn’t skated more than 14:10 in any of the four subsequent games with Robertson in the lineup.

In Saturday’s victory, Vaakanainen skated a season-low 12:22 and got just four shifts in the third period.

To echo Peter a bit here: #NYR Vaakanainen got 4 shifts in the 3rd period, Robertson got 8.

Vaakanainen didn't see the ice for the final 5:47 of play.

Robertson got 2 shifts inside the final 5 minutes, including being out there from 1:16 to 48 seconds remaining in the game. https://t.co/RjjTXEDs9M

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) October 19, 2025

As long as Robertson continues to impress, it’s going to be tough for Vaakanainen to get back into the lineup, barring another injury.

2. Scott Morrow returns to the AHL

The Rangers recalled Morrow after just one game with the Wolf Pack, wanting seven healthy defensemen available after a brief injury scare.

Borgen sustained a lower-body injury on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers and missed Wednesday’s practice. But he was in the lineup for Thursday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and played a season-high 20:45 on Saturday.

Morrow was a healthy scratch for both games, and with Soucy on track to return, the 22-year-old defenseman is headed back to Hartford, where he’ll play in all situations.

UPDATE: Scott Morrow has been assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack.

— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) October 20, 2025

While Borgen’s injury created a temporary need for a reserve right-handed defenseman, Morrow’s two-game stint with the Rangers was spent in the press box. The second-round pick (No. 40 overall) in 2021 has played 16 NHL regular-season games, 14 of them last season with the Carolina Hurricanes; he also played five playoff games for the ‘Canes in the 2025 playoffs. Still, some more seasoning in the AHL will likely be to his benefit.

Morrow’s offensive skills are evident — he earned an AHL All-Star nod in 2024-25 after scoring 13 goals and putting up 39 points in 52 games. But he’s less polished on the other end of the ice. The Florida Panthers exploited this during the postseason, where Morrow was minus-5.

Morrow may find himself back in the NHL if there’s another injury, but unless a right-handed defenseman goes down, his path to playing time for now is in Hartford.

3. Soucy with Will Borgen — or Braden Schneider?

After playing with Borgen before his injury, Soucy is expected to play with Schneider on the third pair. While that’s likely more of a testament to the quick chemistry between Borgen and Robertson on the second pair, it’s worth monitoring how loyal Sullivan will be to the lines he showcased during Monday’s morning skate.

Schneider has enjoyed a strong start to the season and Soucy figures to be an upgrade over Vaakanainen, so keeping that pair together could yield a stronger defensive rotation.

That said, Borgen and Soucy were very effective together during New York’s first win of the season — a 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres — sharing the ice for a pair of goals, one of which Soucy scored himself.

It’s hard to argue with the results Robertson and Borgen have enjoyed through four games, but if that changes, could Sullivan revert to a more-experienced second pair in which the 31-year-old Soucy replaces the 24-year-old Robertson? That likely hinges on Robertson’s play more than anything else.