Division foes will take the ice on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden when the Carolina Hurricanes battle the New York Rangers. The Canes enter without much momentum, dropping four of their last six after a 5-0-0 start. They dropped a 2-1 decision to the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon, with Alexander Nikishin providing the only tally for Carolina.
We won't get to see K'Andre Miller's big return to New York after this offseason's trade, which is a shame, as the defense remains short-handed. While the defense is the same, there are certain to be some changes to the forward lines after Monday's practice. We could also see Pyotr Kochetkov get back between the pipes as he returns from injury.
On the Other Side: New York Rangers
From top to bottom, last season was very disappointing for the New York Rangers. They went from one of the scariest teams in the league to out of the playoffs with the snap of a finger. They followed up their President's Trophy-winning season with just 85 points a season ago, with just about everyone on the roster taking a step back.
The team had a busy offseason. Longtime Ranger Chris Kreider was shipped to the Ducks. They signed Vladislav Gavrikov, the biggest free agent on the defensive side, thus forcing their hand and trading Miller to the Canes. They also replaced their bench boss, swapping a Stanley Cup-winning coach in Peter Laviolette for another Stanley Cup-winning coach in Mike Sullivan.
The results to begin the season have been a bit of a mixed bag. They earned the dubious honor of becoming the first NHL team to be shut out in their first three home games, and they've yet to record two points at Madison Square Garden. However, the Rangers are tied with the Hurricanes in points and are coming off a four-game road trip in which they won during their final three stops.
Last season: The Hurricanes claimed all four battles against the Rangers last season, outscoring them, 18-7. The season series had a little bit of everything. Jackson Blake played the hero when they first met last November before Pyotr Kochetkov (22 saves, 2 assists) and Frederik Andersen (22-save shutout) shut them down in both road encounters. They ended the series with an emphatic 7-3 win.
Rangers to Watch
Will Cuylle: While last season was rough for the Rangers, Cuylle was one of the few exceptions. In his second full season, the forward scored 20 goals for the first time and reached 45 points, a massive improvement from his rookie numbers in 2023-24. He has just two goals and six points to start this season, though his 12 penalty minutes are tops on the team.
Vladislav Gavrikov: Playing next to Fox and averaging over 23 minutes per night, Gavrikov hasn't gotten off to the quickest start after signing a big deal this summer. He has just a goal and two assists in 13 games, but he'll get plenty of chances next to his partner, the team's leading scorer this season.
Hurricanes to Watch
Taylor Hall: After his hot start to begin the season, Hall has managed just two assists over the team's last eight contests. As part of the major shakeup up front, Hall is expected to play next to Aho tonight, so I'd anticipated some major chances for him to get back on the scoresheet. I'd expect him to be on a shorter leash, especially of things aren't clicking.
Mark Jankowski: One of the three players to find the scoresheet in Saturday's loss, Jankowski picked up his first assist and point of the season on Nikishin's goal. While he hasn't played a ton this season, Jankowski has been one of the team's best in the dot, sitting second on the team in win percentage at just over 54 percent.