The New York Rangers kept their home-ice run rolling Sunday with a 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth, backing up a strong back-to-back and stretching their streak to three straight victories.
Utah arrived at 2-0 and looked every bit like a team that had been playing sharp hockey, and the opening period matched that energy. Chances came at both ends, but it was defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov who opened the scoring with a shot from near the blueline. Gavrikov scored a big batch of goals last season, and this one suggested he may be picking up right where he left off.
Alexis Lafreniere didn’t find the net in the first, but he was active and dangerous, creating several solid looks. New York still went to the first intermission ahead 1-0, though the period ended with a concern when fourth-line center Joe Veleno left injured and needed help getting back to the dressing room.
Utah answered in the second. Igor Shesterkin was strong, but the Mammoth capitalized on the power play after New York got stretched defensively, and Nick Schmaltz tied it at 1-1 with his fourth goal of the season.
The Rangers responded after Will Cuylle dropped the gloves, and their top line started to find some rhythm. Mika Zibanejad fed Lafreniere for a quality chance, and when the save kicked out a long rebound, Gabe Perreault was there to bury it for his second goal of the season.
Later, J.T. Miller gave New York the lead for good with his first goal of the season, finishing off another Gavrikov setup. The shot from Gavrikov got partially through and into the crease, and Miller did the rest.
Utah wasn’t done pushing and cut the margin right back down when Andrew Peeke scored his first of the season to make it 3-2. The Mammoth kept pressing and even pulled their goalie, but they couldn’t get another one through.
The Rangers finished it off with an empty-net goal from Eeli Tolvanen, his third of the season, to seal the 4-2 final. Cuylle and Shesterkin got the assists on the play, and Shesterkin has now recorded a point in back-to-back games after scoring a goal in his last start, a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
New York’s next stop is Tuesday night at MSG against the New York Islanders.
In Other News...
Rangers Are Building Something At MSG And Fans Can Feel It
Madison Square Garden had a little extra edge to it Friday night, and the Rangers fed off it. New York beat the Utah Mammoth 4-2 behind Igor Shesterkin, who stopped 27 shots and even picked up an assist, while the club closed strong with three third-period goals to turn a tight game into another convincing home result. Utah did get a power-play goal, but the Rangers kept their composure and found a way to finish on the right side of a game that felt like more than just another regular-season date on the calendar.
Vincent Trochecks return to the Garden added another layer to the night, with the former Ranger now skating for Utah after the trade that sent him out of New York. The matchup had the kind of familiar faces and late-game urgency that can make a building buzz, and the Rangers looked like a team comfortable playing in that atmosphere. For a club trying to keep building momentum at home, it was the sort of win that gives fans a reason to believe there is something taking shape at MSG. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Suddenly Have A Center Depth Problem They Can't Ignore
Joe Velenos night ended almost as soon as it began against the Utah Mammoth, and the Rangers were left sorting through the fallout of a lower-body injury that came early in the first period. Veleno was hurt while trying to slow down a Mammoth forward and needed help off the ice before being ruled out for the rest of the game, an abrupt exit for a team that has leaned on its center depth to keep things steady.
The concern for New York goes beyond one lost shift because the roster does not currently feature an extra center. If Velenos injury keeps him out longer than just one game, the Rangers may have to look to Hartford for reinforcements, turning a single in-game injury into a depth problem they cant really afford to let linger. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Already Look Stronger In One Area Fans Hated Last Year
The early returns around Madison Square Garden have been encouraging for the Rangers, and one of the clearest reasons has been a steadier, more productive bottom six. New York has opened 3-1-0 through four games, and the depth forwards have looked more effective than they did a year ago, giving the lineup a more balanced feel in the kind of stretches that often decide whether a good team turns into a dangerous one.
Igor Shesterkin has helped set the tone with a strong start in goal, and the Rangers have also checked an important box at home after a sluggish beginning in that building last season. It is still early, but with the goalie play firming up and the supporting cast doing more of its share, the areas that frustrated fans last year are looking a lot less like liabilities right now. [Read more 🡒]