The joy in the locker room was palpable after the New York Rangers narrowly defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, marking their second consecutive victory for the first time since their three-win streak from November 14-19.
The Rangers triumphed over the NHL’s top team by points percentage, just days after overcoming the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in overtime, a team that had embarrassed them twice the previous month. As the Rangers prepare for a Tuesday night matchup against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, they hold a 4-1-1 record since the last calendar change. With a current record of 20-20-2, they officially reached .500 and sit four points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and five points behind a struggling Boston Bruins team currently holding the first wild card.
After a troubling stretch that saw them go 4-15-0 in their last 19 games, the Rangers are smiling again as they string together some wins, enhancing their playoff hopes.
“I feel like we’ve discovered something, particularly with our defense,” noted fourth-line forward Adam Edstrom, who scored the decisive goal in the third period. “We just need to continue building on that and keep going.”
The Rangers found themselves trailing 1-0 after Mark Stone’s power-play goal early in the second period. Unlike in previous games where they struggled to recover from an early deficit, they equalized less than four minutes later. The power play, which had recently improved by going 2-for-3 against New Jersey, converted its only chance of the game when Vincent Trocheck scored at 9:54.
Edstrom secured the victory by redirecting Jonny Brodzinski’s shot past Ilya Samsonov, following a smart play initiated by teammate Matt Rempe. Coach Peter Laviolette expressed his pleasure with how his team built on their previous win against a top-tier opponent.
“I thought we started strong and maintained that for the full game,” Laviolette said. “It showed a solid follow-up from our solid effort against the Devils.”
Edstrom’s goal, his third this season, exemplified the grit that the Rangers need more frequently — one that involved going hard to the net.
“We talked about crashing the net, so I focused on getting in there,” he explained. “I got a tip on it, and it went in. Practicing tips from various angles is something I’ll invest effort into.”
Igor Shesterkin supported the effort with a strong performance, making 12 of his 29 saves in the third period alone. Returning from a four-game absence due to an upper-body injury, he looked sharp, especially during later moments when the Golden Knights had a late power play and pulled their goalie for a 6-on-4 advantage. After facing countless high-quality chances recently, Shesterkin resembled the goaltender who led the Rangers to 55 wins and the Presidents’ Trophy last season.
His renewed confidence has a positive effect on his teammates, who displayed a tenacious style of play not seen in weeks.
“We focused on being defensively solid, and that was something we wanted to improve,” said defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who made a crucial block in the third period that helped maintain their one-goal lead. “That’s essential for winning games.”
With half the season remaining, the Rangers find themselves among seven teams vying for a wild-card spot, starting with a challenging series of four games in six days across four cities, including a critical match against the Blue Jackets next Saturday. However, they enter the week with the confidence that had been lacking previously.
Brodzinski noted that the team’s recent surge has reinvigorated their locker room as they gear up for a playoff push.
“We’re getting our energy back in the locker room … We’re going into each game expecting to win, and even if we fall behind, it doesn’t faze us anymore,” he said. “We have faith in each other, and everyone is playing with a lot of confidence.”
