Perhaps the meeting with general manager Chris Drury and a practice-ending shootout with the coaches on Thursday did the trick for the New York Rangers. Because they looked like a different team Friday, ending a three-game skid with a 3-1 win against the Dallas Stars.
It’s not that it was a perfect game. The Rangers took seven penalties, including a five-minute major in the third period of a one-goal game by Matt Rempe. They allowed 42 shots. They allowed the first goal for the 10th time in the past 15 games.
But the Rangers competed against a very good opponent, on the road, and found a path to snag a gritty victory.
Igor Shesterkin was the backbone of the win, and the penalty killers — including Reilly Smith, who scored short-handed — were excellent. And the Rangers were better 5v5, though they overall metrics in the game were skewed heavily in the Stars because of all their power-play time.
Nonetheless, good win for the Rangers (16-15-1), who are three points out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. They’ll practice Saturday in Westchester and play two important matinee games Sunday (against the Carolina Hurricanes) and Monday (at the New Jersey Devils) before taking off for the NHL holiday break.
New York Rangers news
Here are three takeaways from the Rangers’ 3-1 win against the Stars, including the good and bad from Matt Rempe’s return to the lineup.
Artemi Panarin returned to the Rangers lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury. In our pregame story, Panarin discussed how they’re are too many hot dogs in the press box, and that’s dangerous for him! There were also pregame quotes from Rempe about his return from the minors.
Before the game, we provided a breakdown on what the Rangers’ newest defenseman, Will Borgen, brings to the lineup.
We also had a breakdown of Kaapo Kakko’s first game with the Seattle Kraken, a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
NHL news
The Washington Capitals decided to not rush Alex Ovechkin back from his fractured fibula. So, the Capitals captain won’t play until after the NHL holiday break, though he’s been cleared for contact.
Logan Stanley is also out until after the holiday break. The Winnipeg Jets defenseman blocked a shot in a game Wednesday and sustained an unspecified injury. He did not practice Friday.
John Tavares is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and is having a terrific season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, with 31 points in 32 games. But the veteran forward reiterated Friday that he has no interest in testing the market as a free agent and wants to re-sign with his hometown Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs then went out and defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6-3. Goalie Matt Murray played his first NHL game in two seasons, following hip surgeries and time in the minors, and made 27 saves in the emotional win.
Aleksander Barkov did it all on his game-winning goal in overtime that lifted the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 win against the St. Louis Blues.
You’ve got to watch this incredible save by Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren in their 3-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.
