New York Rangers week ahead includes busy 4-day stretch before Christmas break
The New York Rangers will try to get their season back on track after one of their worst weekends in recent memory.
There was optimism at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon when the Rangers took the ice against the Los Angeles Kings, two days after a 3-2 road win against the Buffalo Sabres. But the Rangers laid an egg, allowing five goals in the first 25:04 on the way to a 5-1 loss that earned them multiple serenades of boos.
They were a little better Sunday in St. Louis but still left Enterprise Center with a 3-2 loss to the Blues that wasn’t as close as it sounds – they trailed 3-0 after two periods.
The Rangers begin the week before Christmas with a 15-14-1 record, having lost 10 of their past 13 games. They are on the outside looking in at the Stanley Cup Playoffs; New York trailed the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild card.
Their four games in the final seven days before getting some time off won’t be easy; three are on the road, and they have a three-in-four weekend stretch against a trio of teams (Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils) that each has a points percentage of .621 or better.
Who’s hot
Brett Berard gave the Rangers some life in the third period when he scored his second NHL goal Sunday. He was one of the few Rangers who showed any kind of compete level and continues to impress coach Peter Laviolette with his speed and drive.
Who’s not
The third defense pair of Victor Mancini and Zac Jones was awful against the Kings; each finished minus-3. Mancini was a healthy scratch Sunday; Jones played 21:28, had no points and was minus-1, getting caught to allow Robert Thomas a 2-on-1 goal off the rush for the Blues. With K’Andre Miller on IR and Jacob Trouba now playing for the Anaheim Ducks, the Rangers are thin on the blue line; Chad Ruhwedel took Mancini’s place Sunday and figures to see more action. Jones may keep his spot largely because the Rangers really don’t have anyone else right now.
Chris Kreider hasn’t had a point in five games and averaged just 16:10 of ice time in the three games last week, when he ended up demoted to the fourth line against the Blues. He’s been a minus player during four of the past five games. Kreider has to score goals to contribute, and with one goal in his past 10 games, he’s not contributing.
Related: Artemi Panarin lates injury concern for Rangers
Rangers lookahead this week includes …
Four games, three on the road, with a back-to-back afternoon set Sunday and Monday before the NHL takes its annual three-day break for Christmas.
Rangers at Nashville Predators (Dec. 16, 8 p.m. ET; MSG)
These are two points the Rangers can’t afford to leave on the ice.
Nashville opened the vault during the summer to bring in future Hall of Famer Steven Stamkos from the Tampa Bay Lightning and 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault from the Vegas Golden Knights, as well as veteran defenseman (and former Ranger) Brady Skjei from Carolina. To say the moves haven’t worked would be an understatement.
The Preds enter the week with the League’s worst record (8-17-6), although they did upset the Dallas Stars 4-1 on the road Thursday night before losing 5-2 at Colorado on Friday. Nashville has scored just 38 goals at even strength in 31 games; no other team has scored fewer than 46. Stamkos has eight goals (six on the power play, two at even strength); Marchessault has seven, just five at even strength.
After their miserable weekend, this is a game the Rangers can’t afford to lose.
Rangers at Dallas Stars (Dec. 20, 8 p.m. ET; MSG)
The Rangers begin a stretch of three games in four days in a city where they’ve enjoyed success, winning three of their past four visits to Dallas and eight of 13 since the start of the 2006-07 season.
But this one won’t be easy. Dallas enters the week 12-2-0 at American Airlines Center (they also lost a “home” game in Finland) – though oddly enough, the two losses were to two of the bottom-three teams in the NHL, the Predators and Anaheim Ducks.
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger picked up his 128th NHL win when the Stars defeated the Blues 2-1 in overtime Saturday, but none of them have come against the Rangers. He is 0-1-1 lifetime against New York with a 4.13 goals-against average and a save percentage of .855. In contrast, Igor Shesterkin has starred against the Stars; he’s 5-1-1 with a 2.58 GAA and .920 save percentage.
Carolina Hurricanes at Rangers (Dec. 22, 12:30 p.m. ET; MSG/NHL Network)
The Rangers begin a pre-Christmas back-to-back when the Hurricanes make their first of two visits of the season to the Garden. The ’Canes have won four of their past five visits to MSG in the regular season, including a 6-1 win on Jan. 2, 2024. Carolina also rallied in the third period for a 4-3 win at Raleigh in the only meeting between the teams this season.
Of course, that doesn’t count the Rangers’ six-game victory against the Hurricanes in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring. They also sent Carolina home for the summer in 2022 with a seven-game win in the second round.
The Hurricanes are coming off a 4-1 home win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, but they’ve lost five of their past eight games after a 16-5-1 start. The Rangers will have to keep an eye on forward Martin Necas, who is sixth in the NHL in scoring with 44 points (14 goals, 30 assists) – just nine points less than he had all last season.
Rangers at New Jersey Devils (Dec. 23, 1 p.m. ET; MSG)
Revenge will be on the minds of the Rangers in their final game before the Christmas break. New Jersey embarrassed the Rangers 5-1 at the Garden on Dec. 2. Before that, the Rangers had won four in a row against New Jersey, sweeping the season series in 2023-24.
Artemi Panarin has feasted on the Devils during his career; he has 44 points (14 goals, 30 assists) and is plus-17 in 34 games against the Rangers’ cross-Hudson rivals. However, Panarin is day to day with an upper-body injury.
Kreider has 24 goals in 51 games against New Jersey. Shesterkin has 10 wins against the Devils; New Jersey and Buffalo are the only teams he’s reached double figures against in the regular season.
Devils center Jack Hughes has made life miserable for Rangers goaltenders with 13 goals in 21 games, including two in the 5-1 win three weeks ago. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 38 saves in the Dec. 2 victory and is 10-4-2 lifetime against the Rangers with a 2.34 GAA and .921 save percentage.
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