“I thought we played a pretty good game tonight against a real good team,” Sullivan stated after the game, via NHL.com. “We didn’t get the result, but when you look at how the game was played, we felt really good about our overall team game. We had a lot of scoring opportunities. We passed up [a lot of opportunities] But I really like our team game.”

Although Sullivan recently explained the reasoning behind the recent boom of Rangers’ prospects in the 2025-26 NHL season, that young flame wasn’t enough to propel New York past Buffalo—currently first in the Atlantic Division. The Rangers put up a great fight, but in the end, the better team prevailed.

Disaster averted for Rangers

The Rangers know they lost to one strong candidate for the Stanley Cup. Still, the fact they couldn’t get one last win in their home closer may sting. Regardless, the tide has changed in New York. What was once on track to be the worst season in franchise history can finish on—somewhat of—a strong note. It won’t be enough to call it a good year—whatsoever—but it’s far from the disaster it could have been.

Just barely, the Blueshirts avoided setting a new franchise record for the fewest home wins in an 82-game season. New York’s 14-20-7 record on home ice in the 2025–26 campaign was just enough to surpass its 13-21-3-4 (W-L-T-OT) record in the 2003–04 season. Still, that record came before stalemates were eliminated in the NHL. Perhaps the win total would’ve been higher for that Rangers squad.

Rangers’ final games of the season

As their 7-game homestand came to an end with the defeat against the Sabres, the Rangers must hit the road for their last three games of the season. New York is headed south. First, it will take on the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.

The Blueshirts will follow that up with a trip to The Sunshine State. On April 13, the Rangers will face the Florida Panthers, before waving the season goodbye in a tough matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Fans in New York may frown upon some of Sullivan’s decisions. Mainly, the appointment of J.T. Miller as team captain is one that hasn’t made Sullivan many friends around town. Still, the head coach’s hits should be shouted out just as loudly as his mistakes—if naming Miller captain was even one of them. And thus, the two-time Stanley Cup champion deserves credit for the blooming of young players into key roles in Manhattan.

Obviously, the youngsters themselves deserve their flowers, but the head coach and the organization’s role can’t be taken for granted. As Sullivan voiced an honest comment on how he handles prospects, it becomes clear why the Rangers’ 2025–26 NHL campaign has been saved from being the worst in history by a group of guys in their early 20s.

“One of the things that we look for all the time is whether a player is being challenged versus whether a player is being overwhelmed,” Sullivan admitted in dialogue with The Athletic. “If they can’t have a certain level of success, then it affects their confidence, their self-esteem. We’re always trying to find that sweet spot.”

New York City waits for no one, not even the Rangers

New York City is the most cosmopolitan place in the USA. Still, as different and diverse as its inhabitants may be, there is a common trait shared by all of the 8 million citizens in the Big Apple: everybody lives a fast-paced life. The anxiety around town is felt everywhere, and it’s no different inside Madison Square Garden and around the Rangers.

Fans demand results, and they can hardly wait. That helps explain why the Rangers have struggled to develop high draft picks in recent years. The expectations are set so high they lack realism, and if the front office and coaching staff don’t handle them responsibly, it can lead to players feeling burnt out early in their careers. At the end of the day, it drives them out of town. Naming examples of this scenario could fill books by themselves.

New era of NY Rangers hockey

Still, with Sullivan behind the bench, something’s clicked in New York. The Rangers have shown patience in developing exciting prospects like Gabe Perreault, Drew Fortescue, and Adam Sykora. In the home stretch of the season, it paid off. Obviously, not even close to the extent of success the Blueshirts hope to achieve with their young core. But right now, small steps are all they care about.

New York’s five wins in its last six outings might be just that—or even better—and that’s the best-case scenario for Sullivan. Otherwise, the tune heading into the NHL offseason would’ve been unbearable, with some even calling for him to be fired.

The job’s not finished. It barely even started for the Rangers, but it seems the worst is over. Fans and critics may not salute them with a standing ovation as the closing act is done and the curtain closes, but it seems the Blueshirts won’t be pelted with rotten tomatoes on Broadway.

“Does [Garand] get one more start? Does he get two more starts? Is that going to significantly influence where we stand as far as assessing his overall game? Probably not,” Sullivan stated, per Newsday Sports’ Colin Stephenson.

With his message, Sullivan made it clear the Rangers have already formed an opinion on Garand. Whether he plays more games in the 2025-26 NHL season matters little to them, they are quite set on what they think of the 23-year-old netminder. However, he may be shut down for the remainder of the campaign.

“[Shesterkin] has a desire to play because he loves hockey, and that’s important, from my standpoint, and so he’s going to play games,” Sullivan concluded. The Russian netminder has earned that benefit with his incredible recent form. Especially after his goalie fight, which captain J.T. Miller called a “leadership moment”.

Rangers fans don’t love this decision

Sullivan’s confession on Garand isn’t exactly what fans on Broadway want to hear. Of course, Shesterkin gives the team a better chance to win games, but that’s not too important for Rangers fans right now. Many are calling for the Blueshirts to tank and bolster their odds of securing the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The Rangers have shown that is not an option, though.

Regardless, the fanbase in the Big Apple would like to see the young goalie and find out what he’s really made of. The Rangers seem to differ in their thinking. With Jonathan Quick trending closer to a return from injury, it seems the veteran goalie will get the nod in net whenever Shesterkin gets the night off.

Rangers must keep one

Both Garand and Quick are playing on expiring contracts ahead of the offseason. However, they are in completely opposite stages of their careers, which makes the decision much easier for the Rangers. Quick, 40, will become an unrestricted free agent. The jury is still out on whether he will retire or play another season in the NHL.

Most likely, if he runs it back in 2026–27, he will look to sign with a team that gives him a shot at his fourth Stanley Cup. That would put the Blueshirts out of contention—if they even consider re-signing Quick in the first place.

As for Garand, he is a pending restricted free agent (RFA). Barring an unexpected turn of events, Garand will be signed to an extension and become New York’s primary backup to Shesterkin, while Quick will test free agency and consider all his options. Those include hanging up the pads.

“I don’t think anybody inside of our dressing room or inside of our organization takes [Shesterkin] for granted,” Sullivan said after the game, per NHL.com. “He’s a superstar goaltender in this league and he gives us a chance to win each and every night with the timely saves that he makes.”

Against the Panthers, Shesterkin did just that. Less than two years ago, these two sides were competing in an Eastern Conference Final. In 2026, they squared off in an authentic tank bowl in the NHL. In the end, New York’s goalie simply wanted the win more.

In addition to a 15-save performance in the first period, Shesterkin came up with clutch stops to stop any attempt of a comeback from Florida in its tracks. New York struck at the right times, but it was Shesterkin who put the Rangers in a position to even be in the game. Hadn’t it been for a fluke goal with less than a minute left in regulation, Shesterkin would have secured his second shutout of the campaign. Still, New York has no complaints about its goalie’s masterclass on home ice.

Rangers start Shesterkin night in and night out

With Jonathan Quick still sidelined with an upper-body injury and rookie Dylan Garand as the secondary option, Sullivan and the Rangers have barely given Shesterkin time to catch his breath in the 2025-26 NHL season. Shesterkin has missed some time of his own throughout the year, though.

As Shesterkin is fully healthy again and on a heater, it makes sense why New York wants to ride out the hot hand. The Russian netminder has been between the pipes in 7 of the Rangers’ last 10 outings. Shesterkin is 3-4-0 in his last seven starts.

What NY Rangers play for in last games of the season

The Rangers are gearing up for their last eight games of the season. The 2025–26 campaign has been a nightmare, and New York can finally see the finish line. With nothing left to play for and fans actually hoping for losses to improve their odds in the NHL Draft Lottery, Sullivan and the team’s mantra are quite the opposite. New York hopes to turn the tide—or at least start to do so—by stringing together strong outings and wins.

The Blueshirts are currently on a two-game winning streak and have won consecutive home games for the first time this season. Perhaps the sun is indeed coming out over the Manhattan skyline for the Rangers, but it’s all still a work in progress.

Sullivan praised the contribution of the young players after the win: “I thought the guys played great. You could see the energy the young kids bring to the lineup. It’s contagious with our veteran guys. There were some milestones … I am happy for the players,” he said according to NHL.com.

The three rookies were named the three stars of the game, helping the Rangers reverse momentum and bring fresh energy to a lineup that had struggled in recent weeks. Garand’s strong performance in goal, combined with first-time NHL contributions from Sykora and Fortescue, gave the team a lift on both ends of the ice.

Young players spark energy shift for the Rangers

Garand made several critical saves, including stops on Connor Bedard and Landon Slaggert in the first period. Sullivan noted his consistency: “That’s two really good starts in a row for him, and I’m happy because I know how hard he’s worked to get here.”

The Rangers demonstrated that youth can drive tangible results, boosting veteran performance and helping the team regain confidence in a crucial stretch of the season. This win could mark the beginning of a turnaround fueled by emerging talent.

“I don’t think anybody thought we’d be where we are right now eliminated with this many games left, but that’s not where my mindset is now,” Miller admitted, via NHL.com. “We failed in reaching our goal this year. Right now we are just worried about playing good hockey games to end the season.”

Out of the race on March 25, the Rangers hadn’t been eliminated from playoff contention this early in an 82-game season since the 2018–19 NHL campaign. With Sullivan behind the bench, the Broadway Blueshirts are reaching historic lows. However, the two-time Stanley Cup champion sent a positive message to Miller and the rest of the team.

“I told them after the game if we play like that with those intentions and that type of intensity, we are going to win games,” Sullivan stated. “I thought we deserved a better fate tonight. It didn’t happen, but I thought we played a pretty good game.”

NY Rangers’ losing streak

Although Sullivan reignited Rangers fans’ hopes with the debut of Adam Sykora, New York fell again. Following the 4–3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, the Rangers dropped their sixth straight in the 2025-26 NHL campaign. It’s the longest losing streak of the season for them, and they are now entering dangerous territory.

Considering the fact that New York will play its next seven games at Madison Square Garden—where the Rangers are 9–18–7 on the season—there’s a good chance the Blueshirts set a new franchise record for the longest winning drought in the same season. At the moment, the record is held by the 1962 Blueshirts, who lost 10 games in a row.

The Rangers better snap the streak fast, or they could be entering a mental battle against themselves. The weight of history is now on New York’s shoulders, and Sullivan’s side hasn’t been particularly successful at handling such pressure recently.

In hopes of turning the tide, the Blueshirts have now called up forward Adam Sykora from AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, while sending Connor Mackey down to the minors, as announced by the Rangers‘ PR account on X (@NYR_PR).

Mackey has appeared in 45 games throughout his NHL career, which includes stints with the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes, prior to his arrival in Manhattan before the 2023-24 campaign. Mackey has only made 6 appearances for the Rangers, though, whereas Sykora has yet to make his career debut. Perhaps, his rookie lap helps bring winds of change into an organization that deeply needs to find calm.

Moreover, for a fanbase that has grown accustomed to disappointing outings night in and night out in the 2025–26 campaign, at least promoting rookies into the lineup provides an element of intrigue. If they are going to lose consistently, at least fans can see new faces take to the ice. Who knows? Maybe one of them is the franchise savior.

What this move could mean for NY Rangers

Not only does this roster move signal that Sykora is trending to make his first appearance in an NHL game, but it carries more meaning. After Sullivan held rookie Drew Fortescue out of his career debut with the Rangers, Mackey’s demotion could signal that Fortescue is up for his first start.

With Mackey out of the lineup, there is now a glaring hole on the bottom defensive pairing. That may very well be filled by Fortescue, the former third-round pick by the Blueshirts in 2023. All in all, New York could be killing two birds with one stone as Sykora joins the team and Mackey is sent down to the AHL.

Rangers have nothing left to play for

The Rangers are one loss and one Boston Bruins win away from being mathematically eliminated from the playoff race. Fans in the city know they’ve been out of the race since before Christmas, though.

With nothing left to play for, it’s time for Sullivan and the Blueshirts to go to the prospect pipeline and examine the players of the future. Sykora and Fortescue are set to have their first league experience, as a veteran player like Mackey—a pending UFA who’s only played six games in three seasons with the Blueshirts—is sent down and has likely played his last game for the organization.

As reported by The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano, Fortescue won’t make his NHL debut on March 23‘s matchup with the Ottawa Senators. Sullivan noted the Rangers are looking for the rookie defenseman to get some practices with the team before making his career debut.

Drafted with the 90th overall pick (3rd round) in the 2023 NHL entry Draft, Fortescue has spent the past seasons in college with the Boston College Eagles. With the program in Chestnut Hill out of the NCAA Tournament, the Rangers called their highly-touted prospect up to the big leagues.

Rangers are taking notes

Although Fortescue won’t be on the ice when the Blueshirts host the Sens at Madison Square Garden, he is making sure to put himself on the map and Sullivan’s radar. New York held an optional morning skate before the game, and the product out of Boston College was on the ice, wearing #45 on the back of his jersey.

Sullivan and the Rangers are certainly taking notes of Fortescue’s work ethic. While he won’t be dressing against Ottawa, Sullivan made it clear he will have his rookie lap soon in the 2025-26 NHL season. “I would envision him playing some games moving forward,” Sullivan commented, via Daily Faceoff’s Jonny Lazarus.

When could Fortescue make NHL debut?

After the matchup against the Senators, the Rangers will go on a short trip over the Canadian border to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Afterwards, they will be back for a seven-game homestand at “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

If the Blueshirts truly want to make Fortescue’s NHL debut feel like a movie, they could have him make his first appearance at home. It’d be a dream come true for the 20-year-old hometown kid, born in New York, New York.

Fortescue and Adam Fox are the only New Yorkers on the roster, though the latter isn’t from “The City”. Fortescue is a true born-and-bred New Yorker. Perhaps he can help the Rangers reconnect with the Big Apple’s idiosyncrasy and take the Blueshirts back to the top.

“I think Mika has been arguably our best forward all year,” Sullivan admitted, via NHL.com. “Not just with how he’s scoring goals, but with how he’s playing the game.”

Sullivan also stated he often wishes Zibanejad would shoot the puck more often. “The puck comes off his stick differently than most,” Sullivan concluded. Against the Jets, Zibanejad found the back of the net to tie the game at two apiece. However, it wasn’t enough as the Blueshirts lost in a shootout in Dylan Garand’s debut as an NHL goalie.

Zibanejad scores 30th goal of the season

With his tally against the Jets, Zibanejad netted his 30th goal of the 2025-26 NHL campaign. The Swede has now reached the 30-goal mark on a season for the fourth time in his career (first since 2022-23 season).

In addition to his personal records, Zibanejad is also making franchise history with his strong season. He has now tied Adam Graves for the fourth-most goals in Rangers history, as reported by @NYR_PR on X. Zibanejad is 46 goals behind Chris Kreider (326 goals) for the third-most in franchise history.

Signed for the next four seasons to a contract that includes a full no-movement clause (M-NTC in 2029–30), all signs indicate that, should Zibanejad stay on Broadway, he will surpass Kreider. He might take Jean Ratelle’s (336 G) second place as well. However, dethroning Rod Gilbert (406) may be out of reach.

What truly matters for the Rangers

Still, that’s not very important right now. What Zibanejad and the Rangers care about is setting the foundation for the future, as New York is spiraling out of control once again. The immediate effect from the youth is no longer doing the trick, and Sullivan must find answers.

After positive signs following the Olympic break and even before the NHL trade deadline, the Rangers seem to have returned to the wrong path, confirming that their season is disappointing.

In recent weeks, rumors about a Vincent Trocheck trade and the departure of players like Sam Carrick have brought a lot of noise to a team that, with general manager Chris Drury, will face an offseason full of controversy.

Rangers make roster move

The New York Rangers confirmed that Connor Mackey has been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack. The move aims to provide depth to a roster that has had to navigate many complications, with injuries and trades.

Did the Rangers lose today to Columbus?

Yes. The New York Rangers lost 6-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, keeping them at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with no chance of reaching the NHL playoffs.

“We weren’t good enough all night long,” Sullivan admitted, per NHL.com. “We pushed in the third period, but it’s hard to win games when you only play a period.”

The Rangers lost 6-3 to the Devils at Madison Square Garden, where home fans have been treated to rough outings night in and night out in the 2025-26 NHL season. New York is now 9-17-6 when playing on home ice—only the Vancouver Canucks have a worse home record, and that’s far from a reason for celebration in The Big Apple.

Rangers remain winless against Tri-state area rivals

As if losing wasn’t painful enough in the NHL, doing so against fierce opponents stings even more. For Rangers fans in “The City,” there’s nothing worse than dropping games to their neighbors in Long Island and Newark. Still, so far this season, the Blueshirts have yet to defeat the Devils or Islanders.

The Isles have swept the season series (4-0), outscoring the Blueshirts 14-3 over those four games. The Rangers–Islanders rivalry has been anything but an even fight this campaign. It’s no wonder the Islanders are third in the Metropolitan Division while the Rangers are dead last.

Rangers can make history of the wrong kind

The Devils are seventh in the division, though, and yet they are still blowing New York out of the water. The Devils and Rangers are scheduled for their final regular-season matchup on March 31. If New York is unable to secure a win, then it will finish the campaign 0-3 against New Jersey.

Moreover, it would be the first time in franchise history that the Rangers fail to register a single regular-season victory over their Tri-State area neighbors. With nothing else left to play for, the Blueshirts must play for the pride of Manhattan on March 31 and avoid making embarrassing history.