Recap: Rangers Shut Out at Home Again, Lose 3-0 to Vancouver

The Vancouver Canucks are in town, but unlike the game last night, there won't be any familiar faces in the lineup since Filip Chytil is still recovering from his injury in October. The Canucks are fresh off their major trade that sent superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first-round pick.

The Rangers' lines look a bit different from their game against the Anaheim Ducks. Zibanejad, who must have checked the traffic patterns ahead of time today, is back in the lineup. Mike Sullivan scratched Brett Berard and dressed Chmelar in his place, leading to a noticeable reshuffling of the lines to start the game. Jonathan Quick, who is leading the league in GAA and SV%, is getting the nod against the Vancouver Canucks once again.

First Period

Just over a minute into the game, the Canucks would strike first. Brock Boeser broke out of the Canucks zone and chipped the puck past Morrow. Evander Kane hustled hard to the puck and got there first. The linesman attempting to get out of the way set a pick and collided with Robertson to give Kane a clear line to the net. He skated through the crease and out waited Quick and put the puck into the back of the net. A fluke goal that would only happen to this team on home ice.

The Canucks would also get the first power play of the game as Trocheck was sent to the box for slashing. MSG replayed the moment when Trocheck reached out and tapped Kampf's stick. Maloney would go on to criticize the officials for assessing the penalty, as both Trocheck and Sullivan couldn't believe the referee made the call. Nothing came of it, however, as the Canucks eventually drew a penalty of their own, with Karlsson called for interference. Another bizarre call where Zibanejad lost his stick as Karlsson skated by, to Maloney's credit, he questioned the referee's decision-making process in calling this penalty as well.

The Rangers would get a few good chances, but the Canucks would ultimately kill off the penalty. However, they'd be back at it again minutes later, as once again a stick was knocked out of a Ranger's hand, and this time Myers would be going to the box for slashing.

The five forward top unit would play most of the two minutes. Although they generated several dangerous opportunities, especially for Miller, who missed a wide-open net, they were unable to tie the game. The Rangers maintained possession in the Canucks' zone for long stretches, and Zibanejad was effective at quarterbacking the man advantage, getting the puck through and on net multiple times. Just as the penalty expired, the Canucks took another one, and the Rangers ' five-forward unit was back at it with the same result: some good looks and puck movement, but ultimately nothing. The period would end with the Canucks up by one and with the officials playing the most significant role of the night thus far.

Second Period

Despite the Rangers having more pep in their step to start the second period, the Canucks would once again strike first. Just a few minutes into the period, the recently acquired Liam Ohgren would pick up the puck in the neutral zone and carry it into the Rangers' zone. He handled the puck a few times and shot it through Scheider, trying to use him as a screen. Quick got most of the puck, but it trickled through his legs and, at a snail's pace, crossed the red line to put the Canucks up by two.

The Rangers would go on to dominate the next few minutes of five-on-five hockey. Peppering Demko with shots from all angles, J.T. Miller was a menace, stickhandling through traffic and knocking players off the puck in the offensive zone. The Canucks got caught in an extra-long shift with Sherwood and co. out on the ice for two plus minutes, and although the Rangers continued pressuring, Demko's heroics kept them off the board. Quick was tested sporadically and kept the Rangers within two goals with several highlight-reel saves. One in particular stood out after Kiefer Sherwood followed up on his rebound, only to be stopped by Quick's diving glove.

Third Period

Down by two, the Rangers were getting outplayed early in the third period. Jonathan Quick continued to keep the Rangers within striking distance, this time stonewalling Drew O'Connor, who had a chance on Quick's doorstep. This gave the Rangers' life, and the next few minutes of play were solely in Vancouver's zone. The Rangers were rolling all four of their lines, with each pressuring and getting a chance to make some noise. Morrow stepped up and put a shot on net that Miller got a piece of, but Demko was able to track it and make the tough stop. A short while later, Robertson did the same, sending a wrist shot that Demko anticipated through a screen. The Rangers were still looking for their first goal.

The clock ticked down past the ten-minute marker of the final period, and to the Rangers' credit, they were pushing hard. Lafrenière made a tough pass to Borgen through double coverage. Borgen took two steps and rang a shot off the post. The next shift saw the team win battle after battle, but struggle to get the puck to the net as the Canucks collapsed, getting in front of both shots and cutting off passing lanes.

Panarin drew a penalty after grabbing the puck and skating behind the Canucks' net. Rossi would go to the box for hooking. With just over four minutes left in the game, this power play opportunity may be the Rangers' last big chance to get on the board.

The Rangers would pull Quick and have six forwards on the ice. After Demko fought off a Cuylle shot from the far side, Garland grabbed the puck and sent it the length of the ice for a short-handed empty net goal to give the Canucks a commanding three-goal lead with under three minutes left in the game. The Rangers resigned themselves to their fate, took a penalty in the last minute of the game, and limped to the end, shut out once again on home ice.