The New York Rangers hosted the Utah Mammoth on Sunday night and won 4-2. It was an emotional night with a big return from Vincent Trocheck, but it did not go as it usually does for returning Rangers.
There were some winners and losers, from an individual standpoint, in this contest. Let’s go over them here.
Losers
Vincent Trocheck
It was the return of Vincent Trocheck to Madison Square Garden. This is the first of many returns this season, and the long-standing tradition of players returning to the Blueshirts and having great games has ended.
Trocheck was a -3 on the scoresheet and was a non-factor in this game. Utah has a strong team, and this was a solid win by the Rangers to continue their strong start. Suddenly, the Rangers look like an exciting and growing team, much like the Mammoth looked last season.
Joe Veleno
#90 Veleno went down awkwardly, you can see he's in pain on the bench. #NYR pic.twitter.com/KgQ9aO0fT1
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) October 4, 2026
Joe Veleno went down with an injury in this game, and his absence could be a big deal moving forward. He has shown great ability on the penalty kill, which has helped give Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller some time away from that.
This could open the door for some prospects to get some ice time at the NHL level. Namely, Cole Beaudoin, who is off to a red-hot start with the Hartford Wolfpack in the early going of this season.
This will be a story to watch.
Winners
Gabe Perreault
The Rangers were very high on Gabe Perreault after last season, and it seems like it is already paying off by giving him those important first-line minutes. Notching his second goal of the season, he is quickly becoming a capable NHLer with each passing game.
Perreault is winning that spot over Pavel Dorofeyev, but it might come down to the two joining forces soon on the first line. Alexis Lafrenière has been solid thus far, but switching No. 16 for No. 13 might be the move eventually.
Igor Shesterkin
Igor Shesterkin is the "Shohei Ohtani" of the NHL world. He is saving shots, dishing out assists, and scoring goals. He can do it all, and he is doing it all to perfection.
There is nothing that this guy can’t do, and that’s why the Rangers paid him the biggest goaltender contract in NHL history. He was fantastic against Utah, allowing two goals on 30 shots.
The Blueshirts got a nice showing from backup Dylan Garand in his lone appearance, and now it looks like they have a solid goaltending tandem.
Add us as a preferred source on Google