Rangers Finding Ways to Win Despite Injuries

The New York Rangers are off to a 12-8-1 start despite injuries to many of their key players. A few healthy stars have stepped up, and replacements have provided steady, reliable play. Though it is still early in the season, they look to have more depth than they did in 2025-26, and they have handled adversity well.

Goaltending

The Rangers lost star goalie Igor Shesterkin for the season when his skate blade jammed into the goalpost on Oct. 9 against the Washington Capitals. In addition to his crushing injury, backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo missed the first 17 games of the season with a lower-body injury.

Dylan Garand, who was waived on Sept. 27 but cleared waivers, became the Rangers’ starting goalie. He did not allow many soft goals, showed lateral quickness, fought through screens, and made clutch saves on the penalty kill and late in close games. Though the 24-year-old had only played in three NHL games before this season, he was poised and stepped up consistently to give the team a chance to win games.

After Shesterkin’s injury, Garand played in 11 consecutive games for the Rangers until Korpisalo returned. He won five of those games, stopping 19 of 21 shots in a 6-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 11 and 25 of 26 shots in a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning to give the team a boost in their first two games after Shesterkin’s injury. He is 7-7-1 with a .910 save percentage and a 2.37 goals-against average.

Korpisalo made his debut with the Rangers on Nov. 7 and stopped 25 of 28 shots in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken. He played his second game of the season against the Calgary Flames on Nov. 11 and stopped 29 of 30 shots, including an incredible diving save, in a 3-1 victory.

As a team, the Rangers have done a good job defensively, limiting chances from the slot and odd-man rushes. They are not afraid to block shots and have committed to defending to help their goalies, who have responded by playing well.

Forwards and Defensemen

The Rangers are missing two of their fourth-line forwards as winger Adam Sykora was injured in the preseason and center Joe Veleno got hurt in a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 4. Both are out long-term with lower-body injuries.

The Rangers have tried using a few different forwards on their fourth line, but Jaroslav Chmelar has established himself by getting in on the forecheck and driving to the front of the net. He has two goals, one assist, and 23 hits in 13 games, and he has three points in his last four games.

Additionally, the Rangers called up 29-year-old center Glenn Gawdin from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). In his second game, he scored on a quick wrist shot and then scored again as a shot from the point deflected off him in New York’s 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 13.

This season, the Rangers have been strong defensively, but second-pair defenseman Sean Durzi is out, as is rookie defenseman Alberts Smits, who has played on the third pair.

In their absence, Scott Morrow and Matthew Robertson have stepped in, and they have both been reliable defensively. Morrow has generated some scoring chances, using his quickness to create space and making nice passes and smart decisions. As a team, they have continued to limit opportunities from the slot and odd-man rushes despite the injuries to defensemen and defensive forwards.

Improvement From Last Season

The Rangers finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference last season, but despite numerous injuries, they have continued to find ways to win games this season. Many players have stepped up, and New York has responded well to adversity. Now, the hope is that they can maintain this level of play for the entire season and compete for a playoff spot.