The Rangers are turning to James Reimer for Monday’s home game against the Los Angeles Kings, a move that gives Dylan Garand a needed breather after carrying the load in net.
New York has been a completely different team at home than it has on the road. The Rangers are 6-0 at Madison Square Garden, but just 1-5-1 away from it, and the road stretch has exposed issues in both low-scoring games and higher-event ones.
That split has been especially noticeable with Igor Shesterkin injured and Joonas Korpisalo still unavailable. With those absences, Garand has started every game since Shesterkin went down, a heavy ask for a young goalie still trying to establish himself in the league.
Now Reimer gets the call. “Reimer is the first goalie off, so looks like he'll make his #NYR debut tonight vs. LA.”
The Rangers signed the 38-year-old to add depth in goal, and this is the kind of spot where they can use him. New York is off after Monday until Sunday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, so Garand should get a full week to reset before a matchup with Connor McDavid and company.
Reimer’s recent NHL work came with the Ottawa Senators, where he appeared in 14 games last season and went 7-4-2 with a .886 save percentage and a 2.42 GAA. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but they were solid enough to suggest he can give the Rangers competent minutes while Garand rests.
For New York, the hope is simple: keep the home streak alive, take some pressure off Garand, and see if Reimer can shake off any rust in his first action for the club.
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The underlying numbers have not been the main concern. Dorofeyev has created chances and generated high-danger looks, but the finish has not followed often enough, with only three goals in 13 games. For a Rangers team counting on him to be more than just a support piece, the pressure is already building to turn those opportunities into something more tangible. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Send A Clear Message With Tonights Lineup Shuffle
The Rangers are clearly looking for a different look against the Kings, and it starts in goal with James Reimer getting the nod in his first game for New York. Signed to a one-year contract, the veteran steps in after Dylan Garand handled the crease for seven straight starts following Igor Shesterkins injury, while the club also rolled out three line combination changes in an effort to shake things up.
There is a little extra edge to the matchup at Madison Square Garden, too, with former Rangers coach Peter Laviolette back in the building now guiding Los Angeles. Between the lineup tweaks and the change in net, the message is hard to miss: New York is treating this one as more than just another regular-season game. [Read more 🡒]
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Columbus, meanwhile, has another name circulating in trade talk in Dmitri Voronkov, a reminder that the Blue Jackets may be weighing bigger roster decisions than expected. For the Rangers, that sort of movement matters because every shift in the forward market and every available piece in goal can change how aggressively they approach the rest of the summer. [Read more 🡒]