Rangers Travel to Toronto – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

After being shutout for the third time in five games, the Rangers travel to Toronto as they look to find their offense while continuing their strong defensive play (7:00PM on MSG).

Rangers	Rankings	Leafs
2-3-0	Record	2-2-0
15th	League Rank	17th
30th	Goals For	3rd
2nd	Goals Against	2rd
23rd	Power play	31st
1st	Penalty Kill	15th

The Good

If you would have told any New York Rangers fan to start the season that their goalies would allow just four goals in five games – most fans would be doing backflips at how incredible that is.
- You would think they would be 4-1 if not 5-0 and you probably would think Mike Sullivan should be named the winner of the Jack Adam’s Trophy in the middle of October
The Blueshirts have also done a great job creating chances. Last game according to CSAHockey, the Rangers have won the expected goals matchup in four of their five games.
- According to Evolving Hockey – they rank fifth overall in expected goals for in the entire league. Alexis Lafreniere ranks sixth in the entire league for expected goals for
The line consisting of Matt Rempe, Sam Carrick, and Adam Edstrom have been a constant thorn in the sides of opposition. Their forecheck has been relentless and they have been creating plenty of chances of their own. In the previous game, Sullivan rewarded that trio with extra ice time.

The Bad

The puck is not going in the net. New York has been shut out in each of their three home games.
They are creating a ton of chances, but for one reason or another they aren’t beating the goalies. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other team’s netminders. Charlie Lindgren of Washington and Stuart Skinner of Edmonton each made their fair share of difficult saves at Madison Square Garden
The Blueshirts have played the past three games without Vincent Trocheck who has been placed on LTIR and will miss at least the next seven games including tonight. Trocheck is a big part of their offense manning the second line and a key player on the power play.

The Ugly

The Blueshirts hold the record among active teams of being shutout at home to open the season. Now at 180 minutes, with just 7:19 more minutes into their next home game – the Rangers would pass the now defunct Pittsburgh Pirates for the longest streak (187:19) in NHL history. But that will have to wait until after their two game road trip in Canada

Rangers vs Leafs

On the Road, the Rangers have scored ten goals in two games
Word is that Will Borgen is a game-time decision
- If Borgen can’t go – Scott Morrow will make his NHL debut in Toronto at 22-years-old. Morrow is a former early second-round selection and was acquired in the trade that sent K’Andre Miller to Carolina. The Connecticut native was very impressive in preseason and it was a surprise to some to see him not make the team
Rumors are being reported around the league that the Rangers are shopping former first-round selection Brennan Othmann. Othmann was slated to be a high-scoring winger in the league, but it just simply has not worked out for him in New York. Othmann is still just 22-years-old and if Sullivan doesn’t rate him, then it would only be fitting if the Rangers moved on from the young forward and give him a chance elsewhere to make a name for himself
- Othmann’s departure would just add to the number of prospects who have notably not had success for the Rangers. Is it a development or scouting problem?
- The only player since 2021 to be drafted by the Rangers and currently be in the lineup is Noah Laba who played less than eight minutes against Edmonton
Toronto enters the game as one of the highest scoring teams in the league despite the departure of Mitch Marner
- William Nylander leads the team in points with seven. Matthew Knies has recorded six points
- Notably – every single Leafs skater has recorded at least one point for them on the season except for defensive defenseman Brendan Carlo.
Anthony Stolarz will be in the net for Toronto. Stolarz is 1-2-0 with an .886 save percentage and a 3.05 goals-against average
Igor Shesterkin will be back in goal for New York after sitting out of the second game of a back-to-back. Shesterkin is 2-2-0 with a .972 save percentage and a 0.76 goals-against average
The Blueshirts will need offense from their superstars and the man they will look for is Artemi Panarin. Panarin has just two assists in five games – very disappointing for his standards.
- Other notable Panarin news is from another rumor which says Panarin was asked if he would take a deal with a discount similar to what Anze Kopitar took in Los Angeles. (Kopitar is making seven million a year as he plays out his final year in the NHL.) Panarin allegedly told the Rangers he would not be willing to do that. The Russian forward is in the last year of his contract with the Blueshirts