Rangers grind out win over Canucks to end three-game skid, keep playoff hopes alive

At this point of the season, and considering where they’re at, the Rangers aren’t getting caught up in how the wins come. 

All that matters is that they do. 

After a bleak week for their playoff odds, which dropped following losses in seven of their previous nine games, the Blueshirts snapped a three-game losing skid Saturday afternoon and moved back onto the cusp of the postseason picture with an empty-net-abetted 5-3 win over the Canucks at Madison Square Garden. 

Even with the Canadiens and Islanders losing later in the day (but both have two games in hand), the Rangers were still in desperate need of any sort of victory. 

“It was kind of a mixed bag,” said J.T. Miller, who earned a primary assist and scored an empty-net goal in his first game against his former team of six years. “They probably outplayed us for most of the game today, but we stuck with it. I thought our best period was in the third period. You definitely don’t want to give up that many after you give up the lead, what, three times? We’ll take the points this time of year though.” 

Vincent Trocheck and Brennan Othmann celebrate after a K’Andre Miller goal in Saturday’s Rangers win.

This wasn’t exactly the most convincing performance from the Rangers, who were capped at way less than 10 shots in each period for the second time in the past three games. Their past few efforts had been heavily questioned, but they went goal-for-goal with Vancouver over the final 20 minutes to go into their final three-game road trip on a high note. 

And they did so on a night when legendary voice of the Rangers Sam Rosen was honored for his iconic 40 years in the MSG broadcast booth. 

Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers defends against Jake DeBrusk of the Canucks during the second period on Saturday, March 22, 2025.

Jonny Brodzinski scored twice in the win, including the game-winner as part of a goal-scoring palooza over the final 20 minutes of regulation.

The Rangers and Canucks combined for six total goals before the Blueshirts emerged victorious at the final horn. 

“He’s a role model for me and a lot of the younger guys,” said Brennan Othmann, who notched his first NHL point in his 16th career game with a secondary assist on Adam Fox’s 1-1 score in the middle frame. “To see him get an opportunity like that to play on the first line, it’s great. He was down with us at the start of the year and now he’s playing on the first line.” 

Jonny Brodzinski scored twice in the Rangers’ win.

Adam Fox celebrates a goal with his teammates.

The Rangers were once again flat-footed at the start, barely generating any offense through the opening 20 minutes as the Canucks had their way in the home team’s zone before taking a 1-0 lead. 

It doesn’t get any more egregious than being outshot 11-1, out-attempted 13-3 and coming out on the wrong end of an 8-1 advantage in high-danger chances. 

On one of the Canucks’ several shifts swarming the Rangers zone, Dakota Joshua jammed home a rebound for his fifth goal of the season. 

Vincent Trocheck of the Rangers gets into a scuffle against Jake DeBrusk of the Canucks as Matt Rempe of the Rangers pulls DeBrusk back during the second period on March 22, 2025.

The Garden crowd made sure their displeasure was heard, booing the team off the ice after the first period and sarcastically cheering on their second and third shots of the game, which didn’t come until five seconds in and the 5:59 mark of the second period, respectively. 

When Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin grabbed onto Kieffer Sherwood and earned a roughing penalty, however, the fans in attendance were rejuvenated. Shesterkin ultimately stopped 36 of the 39 shots he faced in his 24th win of the season. 

“It got everybody going a little bit, which was good,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “We needed that.” 

Rangers commentator Sam Rosen is honored before the start of the game as he is retiring after being the voice of the Rangers for 40 years when the New York Rangers played the Vancouver Canucks Saturday, March 22, 2025

Fox got a stick on a long Braden Schneider to keep the Blueshirts competitive before Miller got things going for them at the start of the third period. 

After helping usher the puck into the Canucks’ zone, Miller found Brodzinski all alone on the doorstep of Vancouver’s crease for the 31-year-old’s eighth goal of the season.

The goal came just 1:39 into the third period, but the Rangers couldn’t buckle down. 

Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers checks Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks during the second period when the New York Rangers played the Vancouver Canucks Saturday, March 22, 2025.

Drew O’Connor kept the Canucks in it when he cleaned up his own rebound at the 11:22 mark of the third period. 

The Rangers then retook the lead on a goal from K’Andre Miller, who ripped the puck off the skate of Canucks captain Quinn Hughes and in with 7:20 left in regulation. 

Vancouver never stopped coming, with Brock Boeser later shaking off a stickless K’Andre Miller behind the Rangers net and scoring to make it a 3-3 game. 

“We were just slow, can’t start a game like that, start a period like that,” Laviolette said. “They were just quicker than us, they had the puck on their stick and they were chasing them. Moved the lines around in the second period, I thought it got a little bit better…The third period I thought we came out and were playing better, attacking more. I liked the responses in the third period, as well.”