The New York Rangers needed a win to avoid officially being eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention, and they got a big one, 9-2 over the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Thursday night.
It’ll take just one point secured by the Montreal Canadiens over their last four games or one point lost by the Rangers in their final three to send the Blueshirts packing for the offseason. But the Blueshirts kept themselves alive by getting back into the win column for the first time since April 2.
The Blueshirts had all 18 skaters register a plus-one or better for the first time since 2021 in an offensive outburst that saw seven different goal scorers and 10 players record multiple-point performances. While it’s likely too little too late for the Rangers, it had to feel good to finally pile one on, especially at the expense of their archrivals.
With that, let’s take a look at the winners and losers from the game Thursday.
Winners – The Vets – Rangers
The Rangers veterans — their best players — stepped up in a big way and their fingerprints were all over this victory. Among the seven different goal scorers, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and an assist; Artemi Panarin had two goals and an assist; Adam Fox had three assists; and J.T. Miller had a pair of helpers. It’s been a struggle for the veteran core to find consistency this season, but they certainly clicked in this one.
Loser – Marcus Hogberg – Islanders
With both Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlomov injured, Marcus Hogberg made the start as next man up for the Islanders. Let’s just say it didn’t go well. Hogberg was lit up, allowing eight goals on 30 shots, and was pulled for several minutes, but then reinserted in the third period. Hogberg was often out of position and flailing at shots, and couldn’t buy a save for his team. Of course, he got very little help from his teammates. And it didn’t help the Islanders cause that one of the best goaltenders in the world was standing in the other crease.
Winner – Igor Shesterkin – Rangers
It sounds weird to say that Igor Shesterkin was one of the Rangers best players in a 9-2 victory, but that’s exactly what he was. Shesterkin had to be sharp in this one, and ended up with 44 saves on 46 shots. In the second period, Shesterkin stopped 19 of 20 shots, when the Islanders out-chanced the Rangers 15-2 and had an expected goals share of 84.3 percent, per Natural Stat Trick.
Losers – Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann – Rangers
Many Rangers fans were outraged at the fact that rookie Gabe Perreault was a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game and second-year pro Brennan Othmann joined him in the press box against the Islanders. Perreault got some time in the top six, and Othmann got a fair crack as well, but neither of the Rangers top prospects found the back of the net in their NHL playing time. Still, with the Rangers having just a fraction of a chance to make the playoffs, it does the development of these young players no good if they’re not playing. That being said, it’s hard to argue with the results, especially since Brett Berard and Juuso Parssinen — the forwards who played instead of the two former first-round picks — combined for three goals and two assists.
Winner – Brett Berard – Rangers
Brett Berard was one of the young Rangers who wasn’t scratched Thursday, and he made the most of that opportunity. Berard scored two goals for the first time in his NHL career, as he makes a case to be a more consistent regular in the future. For a young player like Berard who has been on the bubble of the lineup, often playing on the fourth line, scoring those two goals was a big deal. The 22-year-old hadn’t scored since March 2, a span of 14 games (scratched four times), and he now has six goals in 34 games.
Loser – Patrick Roy – Islanders
It was a brutal look for Islanders coach Patrick Roy and his team as they got blown out in their own building, which was at least half full with Rangers fans. Not only was the loss bad, but how he handled his two goaltenders in the third period was not the best look. Roy pulled Hogberg after letting up seven goals, and gave rookie Tristan Lennox the chance to play in his first NHL game. Lennox made one save, but then let up a goal on Berard’s open look off the rush. The 22-year-old was immediately given the hook, and Hogberg came back in. The move didn’t make much sense, really didn’t look good on Roy’s part, and he admitted as much after the game. Oh, and his Islanders, like the Rangers, now have a tragic number of one and are on the brink of elimination.
Winner – Juuso Parssinen – Rangers
Since arriving in a pre-deadline trade from the Colorado Avalanche, Juuso Parssinen has done a whole lot of nothing for the Rangers in their stretch drive. The forward was scratched in 11 of 19 games, and in the eight games he played, produced no points and not a single a shot on goal. He was back in the lineup Thursday and finally broke through. The 24-year-old was noticeable early, physically engaged, and then erupted for three points to equal his career high. He scored on a second-period wraparound. To be honest, it was a terrible goal allowed by Hogberg. But Parssinen was aggressive, took the puck to the net and good things happened. He then assisted on the final two goals of the game.
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