Rangers Rally Late, Outshoot Stars, and Maybe-Just Maybe-Turn a Corner
The New York Rangers pulled off something at Madison Square Garden that’s felt just short of mythical this season: a dramatic, late-game comeback win. And not just against any opponent-the Dallas Stars came in as one of the NHL’s best road teams. But on this night, the Rangers flipped the script.
Let’s start with the moment that had fans rubbing their eyes in disbelief: a successful 6-on-5 goal with the goalie pulled. That’s been a white whale for this team.
Usually, when the net is empty, it’s a countdown to the inevitable dagger the other way. But this time?
The Rangers found the back of the net and forced overtime.
That’s not just rare-it’s historic, at least by recent standards. You’d have to dig deep into the archives to find the last time they pulled off that kind of late-game magic with the goalie pulled. It’s been that long.
But here’s the thing-this wasn’t a fluke. The Rangers didn’t sneak out of this one with a lucky bounce or a hot goalie stealing the game.
They outshot Dallas 41-26. That’s not just competitive-that’s dominant.
And if you’re into the analytics (and we are), the “Deserve to Win” meter had this one clearly in New York’s favor.
So what changed?
One name worth spotlighting: Carson Soucy. He’s become one of the more quietly effective stories of the season.
After arriving from Vancouver and enduring a rough first year in New York, Soucy was a lightning rod for criticism. And honestly, some of it was warranted.
But context matters.
Last season’s defensive structure under Peter Laviolette was, to put it kindly, chaotic. It’s tough to evaluate individual performance when the system itself is broken. Soucy was thrown into a blender of mismatched pairings and inconsistent roles, and the results showed.
But fast-forward to this season, and Soucy looks like a different player. He’s gone from borderline unplayable to a steady, reliable presence on the blue line.
It’s not flashy, but it’s effective. He’s playing within himself, making smart decisions, and contributing to a defensive corps that’s starting to find its rhythm.
And for a Rangers team that’s been underwhelming in more areas than one, that kind of turnaround matters. It’s not just about one win or one player-it’s about signs that this group might be figuring things out.
Was this comeback a sign of a team turning the corner? Or just a tease before another stretch of inconsistency?
That’s the big question. But for now, this was a win worth savoring.
A gutsy, well-earned, statement win. The kind that reminds you what this team could be if they can string it together.
And if they keep getting performances like this-from their depth, from players like Soucy, and from a group that looked genuinely engaged on both ends of the ice-then maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t a one-off.
Maybe it’s the start of something real.