The New York Rangers have a comeback
After three consecutive wins, fans are hopeful the recent loss streak has ended
Photo courtesy of Lisa Gansky/Wikimedia Commons
After defeating J.T. Miller’s former team, the Vancouver Canucks, in a 2–0 shutout and following it up with back-to-back overtime wins, the New York Rangers have found their stride—riding a three-game win streak that has fans hopeful the team’s early-season struggles may finally be behind them.
The New York Rangers (NYR) may be turning their season around after winning their three most recent games. Fans are finally able to enjoy a game without witnessing the Rangers being constantly defeated.
On Oct. 28, the Rangers beat Captain J.T. Miller’s former team, the Vancouver Canucks, in a 2-0 shutout. Miller was a fierce opponent during the game, staying very present on power plays, offense, and winning faceoffs. Miller said, “I thought that we had a cycle game, had an honest game, and it's an emotional game, for sure, but it actually went better than I thought. I actually thought I was going to be a little worse but made it through.”
Jonathan Quick was in the net and obtained his 64th shutout victory, which led him to tie Henrik Lundqvist on the NHL’s all-time shutout list. Quick said, “Any time your name is in a category with Hank, it's special…But at the end of the day, it's a much needed two points, and hopefully we can build off this game.” Center Mika Zibanejad and center Sam Carrick each scored a goal during the game, which went unanswered by the Canucks.
The New York Rangers then beat the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 30 in a 4-3 overtime win, with J.T. Miller scoring the game-winning goal with a wrist shot. When speaking about the goal, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said, “We should have been able to deflect that, get that outside and maybe give up a shot, but certainly not him driving to the middle of the net. So, I think that’s disappointing in how that was played.”
Igor Shesterkin was in the net for the game and made 33 saves. The other Rangers goals were scored by center Jonny Brodzinski, right wing Taylor Raddysh, and defenseman Braden Schneider, who also made an assist that night. The game was very energetic and both teams played well, but had mistakes which led to such a narrow victory.
Left wing Will Cuylle scored the game-winning overtime goal against the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 1. Cuylle said, “In the third, I felt like we were pressing, lots of good chances…you’re not going to lose games if the other team can’t score that much.” Cuylle has been a fan favorite on the team since making his NHL debut in the 2022-2023 season.
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov scored his first goal since signing with the NYR during the Nov. 1 game. Forward Noah Laba has proven to be a promising player this season, and he scored another goal during that game. He has been a player who seems to be very energetic on and off the ice—something that has been missing amidst recent trades. The team seems to finally be playing cohesively and communicating on the ice.
Head coach Mike Sullivan spoke of the team’s victory over Seattle, saying, “I thought tonight might’ve been our best, just as far as…controlling territory, defending hard, limiting shot quantity and quality — I thought it was a complete effort by everybody.” Fans are enthusiastic after seeing the way the team played—hopeful the teams’ energy and vigor seemingly is coming back. This stretch of wins may prove to be very important for the Rangers’ momentum going into the rest of the season.