In a high-scoring affair, the New York Rangers got a much-needed 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, taking the divisional matchup 5-3. The Blueshirts move to 28-25-4 on the season and are now two points out of a playoff spot.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 23, 2025
Here's five key takeaways from the matchup.
1. Defense
The Rangers’ defense continues to be a huge roadblock for this team. It was seen in the previous game against the Sabres and it was seen again versus the Penguins. Having trouble clearing the puck and allowing Pittsburgh to tee off the entire game led to three Pittsburgh goals. They allowed Ryan Shea, who entered the game with zero goals on the season and one in his career, to score twice in less than three minutes.
New York desperately needs to add another defenseman to the roster before the trade deadline. Will Borgen was a solid addition, but it simply won’t be enough moving forward.
2. Igor Shesterkin
Igor Shesterkin had the worst period of his career on Saturday against Buffalo, getting pulled after allowing five goals on 16 shots in the first period. He once again faced a bombardment of shots from Pittsburgh today, but this time he was his usual self. The Penguins had an abundance of high-quality chances but were denied by Shesterkin countless times.
The goals "Shesty" allowed were nothing to be upset about. The first one came after a whiff shot attempt from Cody Glass resulting in the puck falling into Malkin’s stick for an easy tap-in. The second goal was a poor defensive job by New York, allowing the Penguins to establish the zone despite the Rangers outnumbering the Pittsburgh rush. The third goal would have gone wide but hit off K’Andre Miller and found the back of the net.
3. J.T. Miller
J.T. Miller continues to shine in his return to New York. He scored two goals today, one a snipe in the second period and the other an empty netter to close out the game. He also had five hits and a block.
Since being traded to the Rangers, Miller has four goals and four assists, an even rating, 16 shots on goal, and 37 hits in seven games.
4. Special Teams
The special teams played a huge role in this game for the Rangers. They were able to kill off all three penalties they took. On the offensive side, Will Cuylle buried a power play goal on their first shot of the man advantage to tie the game at one in the final minute of the opening period.
5. Physicality
Maybe it was because they spent most of the game in their own zone, but the Rangers showed their physicality the entire game. They outhit Pittsburgh 29 to 11. Miller led the team with five hits. Coming into the contest Alexis Lafreniere averaged one hit per game, but today he racked up four hits. Borgen also tallied four hits and Cuylle and Matt Rempe — who received a two minute penalty for one of his hits — each had three.
Up Next
The Rangers will get a rest Monday before wrapping up their three-game road trip against the Islanders. It is the second of four matchups this season between the teams, the Rangers taking the first one 5-2 on November 3. Puck drop at 7:30 EST.