Recap: Rangers Rally to Force Overtime, Fall 3–2 to Avalanche on MacKinnon's Winner

Today, at a Saturday afternoon matinee, the New York Rangers face off against the top NHL team, the Colorado Avalanche. Having won five of their last six games, with some wins more earned than others, this rematch against the powerhouse Avalanche will serve as a great litmus test for the Rangers, who are now refocused, according to Captain J.T. Miller, and playing with intention.

Jonathan Quick returned to the roster but will be on the bench as Shesterkin starts his seventh consecutive game. Aside from that, the only lineup change from their previous win against the Ottawa Senators is Sheary and Brodzinski swapping spots, with Sheary getting reps on the team's top line after finishing the last game there.

First Period

Throughout the first half of the opening period, the two teams traded chances, with the Avalanche showing off their speed and ability to turn something out of nothing. Landeskog had a high-danger chance in the Rangers' zone, where he corralled the puck, subtly changed his shot direction, and put it through the New York defender's legs, forcing Shesterkin to fend off a sneaky chance.

The Rangers' fourth line was disrupting play and winning individual battles to maintain possession in the Avalanche zone. Scott Morrow, in particular, physically knocked multiple Colorado players off the puck and kept it in the zone, leading to numerous shots on net.

Shortly after this, Cale Makar was called for interference as he got in the way of Miller while Miller was pursuing the puck. The Rangers would get the game's first power play. The Avalanche ultimately killed off the penalty, but the Rangers had several excellent scoring opportunities as their power play was firing on all cylinders. Miller feigned a shot and slid the puck over to Panarin, who rang a one-timer off the crossbar. Shortly after, Will Cuylle hit a post of his own, but Makar came out of the box, and the score remained tied at zero.

When the top line featuring MacKinnon and Necas is out on the ice with Makar, regardless of who is out there for the opposing team, it feels like a man advantage for the Avalanche. The way they move the puck and cycle around the zone is both intimidating and impressive to watch. However, the Rangers ramped up the physicality, finishing their checks and doing everything they could to keep the high-octane Avalanche offense to the perimeter. Going into the first intermission, both teams were unable to get on the board, and it was a reasonably balanced period; the Rangers not only kept up but also maintained short periods of dominance throughout.

Second Period

The middle period started much like the first, both teams trading big chances. Shesterkin was forced to stand tall and fend off a snap shot from MacKinnon that more than likely would have beaten most other NHL goaltenders. The Rangers had an excellent following shift, where we saw the defense activate and jump into the puck's offensive cycling. It ended with Panarin setting up Robertson for a shot from the top of the circle that was close to beating Blackwood.

The Rangers would get their first big test when Brodzinski was called for holding, and the Avalanche would get their first power play of the game. The Blueshirts did an excellent job gaining control of the puck and skating it out of their zone, and Shesterkin stood tall on the few shots he faced. The two dicier moments were when backchecking, Zibanejad lost his stick as the Avalanche broke into the Rangers' zone, and in the final seconds of the power play, when the ice opened up for the Avalanche, but it was broken up by an excellent defensive play by Gavrikov.

Despite killing off the penalty and surviving a scramble in front of their net, where Carson Soucy kept the puck out, the Avalanche would strike first. Necas broke into the Rangers' zone and wrapped around the net. He pushed the puck back to Malinski at the point, who sent it on net. Parker Kelly, down on his knees, deflected the puck right in front, sending it past Shesterkin's outstretched glove to give the Avalanche the lead.

For most of the second period, the Avalanche were outplaying the Rangers, but fifteen minutes in, New York forechecked and kept the puck alive, throwing the puck at the net, getting multiple attempts to tie the game. Panarin picked MacKinnon's pocket and got the puck to Morrow, who sent it at the net. Zibanejad scooped up the rebound and made a play on his knees, getting the puck to Morrow at the point again. This was a promising shift, especially as it came against the top Avalanche line. The same players had great puck movement at the end of the period, with Morrow setting up yet another great chance. Still, the Blueshirts were unable to break through and went into the intermission now down a goal.

Morrow and Robertson were having themselves a physical, offensively engaging game. With all the reports about the Rangers looking for a short-term PP QB replacement, they should look no further than Scott Morrow.

Third Period

The Avalanche were flying out of the gate, but the Rangers were able to hold wave after wave off when, just over four minutes in, the unfathomable happened. Deep in the Rangers' zone, Miller found Trocheck in the middle and hit him with a pass. Trocheck cleared the puck out of the zone, and it was grabbed by Conor Sheary, who was skating hard. He beat both Makar and Necas as he cut into the Avalanche zone alone. He angled toward the corner as Makar skated hard to push him to the outside, but it didn't matter as Sheary roofed the puck past Blackwood for his first goal of the year. After a great individual effort, skating past two of the best skaters in the league, Sheary tied the game at one.

The two teams traded power play opportunities, but neither the Avalanche nor the Rangers were able to capitalize on their man advantage. There was a scary moment during the Colorado power play where Trocheck tried to lift the puck out of the zone, and it hit Makar in the face. He went right to the bench and, after being seen by the trainer, returned to the ice a short while later. A reminder on how vital visors are for player safety.

After the Rangers scored, the Avalanche grabbed the reins and continued to outshoot and outattempt New York. Fifteen minutes into the game, the Avalanche had possession of the puck in the Rangers' zone. Necas ripped a shot that rebounded off of Shesterkin and MacKinnon to the side of the net, batted it out of mid air into the net to give the Avalanche their second lead of the game. There was discussion amongst the referees and Mike Sullivan, but it was ultimately ruled a good goal. A minute later, the Avalanche continued pressing. After Landeskog slid into Shesterkin, pushing him into the net, the Avalanche celebrated as if they scored a goal. The officials convened and reviewed the play. They ruled that the puck never crossed the line, and it remained a one-goal game.

With two minutes left in the game, the Rangers pulled Shesterkin for the extra attacker. With five forwards on the ice, the Rangers barraged Blackwood and the Avalanche. Several players were getting great looks, and Panarin hustled to keep a puck in. Their possession continued with Panarin once again batting the puck down out of midair to maintain their offensive-zone attack. The puck was cycled around Lafrenière, who passed it back to Zibanejad at the point. Zibanejad put it right into Panarin's wheelhouse, who blasted the puck on net past Blackwood for the tying goal with less than a minute left in the game.

Overtime

The Rangers were able to hold onto the puck for the first two minutes in the extra period. J.T. Miller specifically skated around stickhandling, looking for an opening in the Avalanche coverage. Both Scott Morrow and Matthew Robertson received overtime shifts, reflecting the trust they've built with Sullivan throughout the game. Morrow had a good look when he drove to the net and put the puck through the slot that the Rangers were unable to grab. However, the Avalanche were off to the races after that miscue, but with Morrow's hard backcheck, the play was whistled as offside.

After an Avalanche face-off win, it was Colorado's time to shine. MacKinnon, Necas, and Makar were fluidly cycling and skating with the puck throughout the Rangers' zone. MacKinnon, using his excellent edgework, was able to gain some space from Borgen and rushed to the net, going to his backhand and roofing the game-winner past Shesterkin's blocker.

Despite the outcome, the Rangers had a better showing against the Avalanche this time around. Colorado still outplayed the Rangers, but the gap between the two teams felt as if it shrank when comparing the loss in Colorado to today's overtime loss.