After facing three of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference coming out of the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off — the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders — the Rangers play a true heavyweight in the League in the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Here are two keys Blueshirt fans should look out for at Madison Square Garden on February 28th.
1. Lineup Updates
Not only is defenseman Adam Fox out of the lineup against the Maple Leafs but the Rangers could be without one, more or all of J.T. Miller, K’Andre Miller and Chris Kreider against Toronto. Each of those Rangers regulars took part in a the morning's optional skate, but head coach Peter Laviolette said the two forwards and one defenseman are game-time decisions.
Laviolette said K’Andre Miller and J.T. Miller are game-time decisions. https://t.co/zx53Km8hQ6
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) February 28, 2025
J.T. Miller missed practice Thursday with an illness. Since the Ohio native ranks first in goals and second in points on the Rangers since joining the club, it cannot be underestimated how much he’d be missed if unable to play. The other Miller, K’Andre sustained a lower-body injury Tuesday against the Islanders, but practiced Thursday and is expected to play against the Maple Leafs. But everything is up in the air and everything — playoff hopes included — hangs in the balance.
Although, some good news for Rangers fans is that Laviolette also revealed goaltender Igor Shesterkin will be starting in the crease tonight for the Blueshirts. He boasted a .973 save percentage along with 36 saves, stopping all but one in the most recent matchup for the Rangers.
2. The Debut of Matthew Robertson
As a result of defenseman Adam Fox being placed on injured reserve, Matthew Robertson has been recalled from the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. Robertson, at 23-years-old, has recorded 18 points (one goal, 17 assists) in 47 games with the Wolf Pack this season. His 17 assists are one away from his career-high of 18, set during the 2022-23 campaign. The native of Edmonton, AB, has scored 73 career points (11 goals, 62 assists) in 237 AHL games, all with the Wolf Pack. He has yet to make his NHL debut, but that could change against Toronto.
Robertson was selected in the second round, 49th overall, of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Rangers. The former 49th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft has been impressive for the Wolf Pack this year scoring one goal and 18 points in 47 contests with a +2 rating. The Rangers still carry six healthy defensemen on the roster outside of Fox but Robertson should likely debut given the length of Fox’s recovery timeline. Not to mention, this is the sixth time Robertson has been recalled over last two seasons.