Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8634f36d-b5f2-448f-a58b-a357fe570d1e.jpeg] Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images While the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers] didn’t come away with two points in their 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon, there’s a lot to be encouraged about from a Blueshirts perspective. The Avalanche currently hold the best record in the NHL, so the Rangers’ players and coaches knew the challenge that was ahead of them. Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Artturi Lehkonen arguably make up one of the most explosive lines in the NHL, and Mike Sullivan tasked his newly formed shutdown trio of J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, and Conor Sheary to contain them. Led by the effort and hard-nosed play of Miller, the Rangers not only contained MacKinnon’s line, they also neutralized Colorado's potent offense. Seeing the Avalanche’s 42 shots on net doesn't paint the full picture. Colorado had stretches of pressure, but the Rangers played a defensively sound game, staying in their structure, while limiting the amount of high-quality scoring chances and dangerous odd-man rushes. Mike Sullivan was specifically impressed with how Miller’s line played from a defensive standpoint. “J.T. and Troch in particular, those two guys, they have a 200 foot game. MacKinnon is a handful, he's big and he's strong and he's powerful. J.T. is big and strong and powerful also,” Sullivan said. “We just felt, it gives us the best chance to try to neutralize one of the more dynamic players in the league… I think those guys, they take those challenges, they embrace those. I think they're competitive guys, so when you give them a challenge like that, they tend to elevate their games. J.T. is one of those guys.” Going into the third period, the Rangers found themselves in a 1-0 hole, but it was Conor Sheary who tied the game with his first goal as a Ranger and first NHL goal since April 11, 2024. The Rangers signed Sheary to a professional tryout contract during the offseason, and he earned a roster spot out of training camp. Sheary has been in the lineup for a large part of the season, even playing a top-six role for a portion of the year. He just couldn’t find the back of the net, and now, he’s finally back on the scoresheet, which he describes as a relieving feeling. “I feel like I've been getting a lot of good chances throughout this year. It's a relief to get one,” Sheary said. “Hopefully I can build off that, but to contribute to the team and help the team gain a point, I think, is really important. Hopefully I can continue to do that.” Despite trailing 2-1 in the final stages of the third period, the Rangers found a way to even up the score in the form of an Artemi Panarin goal after an onslaught of pressure with an empty net. The Rangers clawed their way back the against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night after being down late in the game, and they were able to do it again against Colorado. It seems as if the Blueshirts are beginning to build confidence and a mentality that the team could come back in games. It stems from their success playing with a 6-on-5 advantage. “I think they're doing a great job,” Sullivan said of the Rangers’ 6-on-5 play. “They're buying into the structure, they're executing, they're making good plays, they're getting pucks to the net… We were trying to encourage them to put more pucks in play, create those broken plays, let's get numbers around the net, and let's try to win pucks and then create off the shot, so to speak. I think they're buying into that.” Rangers Secure Win Over Senators With Strong All-Around Performance [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6a9147cd-bb99-4962-9418-dd7d126509ac.jpeg] Rangers Secure Win Over Senators With Strong All-Around Performance It was all about the fundamentals in the New York Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/latest-news/rangers-secure-win-over-senators-with-strong-all-around-performance] The Rangers ultimately came away with one point instead of two due to MacKinnon’s goal in overtime. Even after a loss, the mood around the locker room was positive and upbeat. Sullivan has attempted to build a new identity since he arrived. It’s an identity formulated on playing a physical brand of hockey, and driving offense through their defensively sound game and relentless play, whether it’s forechecking hard or creating a strong net-front presence. Over this recent three-game stretch, the Rangers have shown they are adapting to Sullivan’s philosophy. “We talk about identity. It seems like every time we get some momentum like this, feeling good about our game, we kind of regress and go back to the other version of the game we don't like,” Miller said. “It's really important that we kind of reset every game and have that mindset of we haven't earned anything yet, just we have to keep going. If we want to build a standard and identity, we have to do it every single day, so that's kind of been the mindset lately.” The Rangers will be back in action on Sunday night against the Vegas Golden Knights.
