The Rangers get the Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 5, and there’s plenty to keep an eye on before the puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST.
New York enters the matchup tied for the NHL lead with seven home wins and 14 points at home this season, while also sitting on 17 points in the Metropolitan Division. Philadelphia, meanwhile, brings a 4-9-4 overall record into the building. The Rangers will also be wearing their Hometown Remix jerseys for the first of five home games this year, a look that pays tribute to the city skyline, the Statue of Liberty and more.
On the ice, Mike Zibanejad is one of the most interesting names to track. The veteran has already taken over 250 faceoffs this season, and his 150 faceoff wins rank 11th in the NHL.
He’s long been one of the Rangers’ more underrated performers in bigger moments, and with a matchup against a weaker Flyers team, he could be in line for a bump in offensive production. Zibanejad is also a two-time winner of the Rangers’ Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.
Alexis Lafrenière has been one of New York’s most productive forwards so far. He sits second on the roster with 16 points and leads the team with nine goals. His all-around game has taken shape on both sides of the puck, and he’s already settled in as a top-line winger against a Philadelphia club that is tied for the very bottom of the Metropolitan Division with 12 points.
Adam Fox has been driving a lot of the Rangers’ early-season success from the back end. He has already put together five multi-point games, ranks tied for fourth in the league among defensemen, and has 19 points through 16 games, including two goals and 17 assists.
Those 17 assists are tied for fifth in the league, and he leads the Rangers in points, assists and multi-point games. Fox also brings a personal milestone into the night after skating in his 500th career NHL game on Oct. 26, making him the 14th Rangers defenseman in franchise history with 500 career games played.
There’s also a familiar face in the mix, even if he’s unlikely to suit up. Luke Glendening played 18 games for the Flyers during the 2025-26 season and recorded five points on two goals and three assists.
He was most recently a healthy scratch for the Blueshirts against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 3, and unless something changes, he won’t be available against Philadelphia.
Still, his time with the Flyers could give New York some useful insight before puck drop.
For Philadelphia, rookie Porter Martone is coming in with some momentum of his own. He’ll be making his first career regular season appearance at Madison Square Garden after collecting five points over his last five games, including assists in back-to-back contests.
After the Flyers, the Rangers head to face the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 7.
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Matvei Michkov is part of the shuffle too, dropping to the third line alongside Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates as Philadelphia tries to find the right mix. The defensive pairs stayed the same, and David Jiricek remained a healthy scratch, but the forward changes make this one worth watching to see whether the new alignment sparks more balance or simply adds another layer of uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
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Denver Barkey Has A Deep Personal Reason To Remember MSG
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Legge died in December 2023, and he had been a devoted follower of Barkeys hockey journey, which only sharpened the significance of the setting for the Flyers. Coach Rick Tocchet has already spoken highly of Barkeys intelligence and the way he plays, and now the young forward has a debut story tied not just to his career, but to a family history that will be hard to top. [Read more 🡒]