The New York Rangers earned a well-deserved 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks last night, delivering one of their most complete performances of the season. By heavily out-chancing their opponent and limiting opportunities against, the Rangers demonstrated a strong two-way game. Their depth was on full display with even-strength goals from Will Cuylle, Kaapo Kakko, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider.
Rangers vs. Canucks Game Recap
Just 34 seconds into the game, Quinn Hughes set the tone for the Canucks, collecting the puck at the point, weaving through the Rangers’ defense, and beating Igor Shesterkin with a backhand to give his team a 1-0 lead, marking yet another early goal conceded by the Rangers—a potentially worrying trend.
The Rangers responded quickly, as Zibanejad tipped K’Andre Miller’s point shot past Arturs Silovs less than two minutes later to tie the game at one. Midway through the period, the Rangers earned a power play after Dakota Joshua hooked Adam Fox, but despite generating quality chances, they couldn’t solve Silovs. With just over five minutes remaining, Cuylle snuck behind the Canucks’ defense, took a perfectly placed stretch pass from Fox, and scored on the breakaway to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
However, Kiefer Sherwood responded three minutes later with a goal off the rush to tie the game again. The Rangers had another chance late in the period when Sam Carrick was penalized with a minute remaining, but the Canucks held firm, keeping the score tied 2-2 after the first.
The Rangers began the second period by successfully killing off the remainder of Carrick’s penalty. Both teams traded power play opportunities in the early minutes, but neither could capitalize. Shortly after the Rangers killed off the Canucks’ power play, Cuylle set up Kakko with a cross-crease pass, and Kakko beat Silovs to restore the Rangers’ lead.
However, the Canucks quickly responded as Conor Garland scored on yet another rush chance, tying the game at 3-3 just five minutes later. Filip Hronek was sent to the penalty box for elbowing Vincent Trocheck, while Zac Jones joined him shortly after for roughing against Garland, creating a four-on-four situation. Despite the open ice, neither team managed to find the back of the net, and the second period ended in a 3-3 deadlock.
Related: How Will Cuylle’s Growth Impacts the Rangers’ Future
Midway through the third period, Zibanejad lifted Elias Pettersson’s stick and stole the puck at the Canucks’ blue line. After a beautiful passing play by Zibanejad, Reilly Smith, and Kreider, Kreider beat Silovs to give the Rangers back the lead, 4-3. Trocheck took a high-sticking penalty, but the Rangers killed that off and then killed off the 6-on-5 situation after the Canucks pulled Silovs, culminating in a 4-3 win and improving their record to 12-4-1 while the Canucks fell to 9-6-3.
Rangers Takeaways
- The Rangers’ third line continued to shine in Filip Chytil’s absence. Chytil suffered an injury against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 14, and Jonny Brodzinski has stepped into the center role between Cuylle and Kakko. He is set to rejoin the team in Calgary tomorrow after it was confirmed that he didn’t suffer a concussion, though his status for the game against the Flames remains uncertain. Brodzinski contributed an assist on Kakko’s goal last night, while Cuylle and Kakko each had two-point performances. This trio has emerged as the Rangers’ most effective line at even strength, with Cuylle now leading the team with 13 five-on-five points.
- After a slow start to the season, Zibanejad is finding his stride, particularly at even strength—a key concern earlier in the year. Following a disappointing performance during the Rangers’ 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 12, he has rebounded with strong all-around play in the last few games. This improvement has bolstered the Kreider-Zibanejad-Smith line, which looks more cohesive and dangerous. If this continues, the Rangers will have three lines capable of consistent offensive production, giving the team a formidable attack.
- Head coach Peter Laviolette leaned more on the Rangers’ second power-play unit last night, which features Cuylle in Chytil’s absence. Although the team went 0-for-2, the second unit generated several high-danger chances, suggesting it could provide valuable support moving forward. By distributing ice time more evenly between the two units, Laviolette can preserve the top unit’s energy for crucial moments—a strategy that could help avoid the power play stagnation that has plagued the Rangers in past playoff runs. On the penalty kill, the team was stellar, successfully neutralizing all three Canucks’ power plays, including one late in the third period, to secure the win. If both special teams can maintain this balance, the Rangers will be even more dangerous as the season progresses.
- Next Game: Thursday, Nov. 21, 9 p.m. EST vs. Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome
