LAS VEGAS – The Rangers’ torrid play away from home this season is unlikely to continue throughout the entire season, but as they started a three-game road trip Tuesday in T-Mobile Arena against the Vegas Golden Knights, this was not the time for the Blueshirts’ incredible start on the road to be coming back to reality.
But that it did. With Rangers coach Mike Sullivan back behind the bench after missing Sunday’s game due to personal reasons, Vegas controlled play for most of the game, and scored two power play goals on the way to beating the Rangers, 3-2, snapping the Blueshirts’ six-game road winning streak.
Braeden Bowman and Shea Theodore scored on the man advantage and defenseman Ben Hutton also scored for Vegas, which improved to 9-4-6. Bowman scored the game’s first goal, in the first period, while Theodore scored in the third to put the hosts up, 3-1, and provide much-needed insurance. That goal became the winner when Vincent Trocheck tipped in Artemi Panarin’s shot with 2:43 remaining to pull the Rangers within a goal.
Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves for the Rangers, who were outshot 26-19.
“Special teams was the difference. Simple as that,’’ Rangers captain J.T. Miller said. “We have one (goal) called off (and it was a) very tight, tight game… If our special teams can be a little better, It’s a different outcome.’’
Jonny Brodzinski scored the Rangers’ first goal, in the second period, and it looked as though he added a second to pull the visitors within 3-2 with 7:22 remaining in the third, but Vegas challenged the play and the goal was overturned on video review because Mika Zibanejad was offside entering the zone on the play.
“It just feels like we’re a step behind sometimes,’’ Trocheck said when asked about the offensive struggles. “In the ‘O’ zone, where we could be on top of guys a little bit quicker and create turnovers and get chances off of that… we’re just not there.’’
Sullivan was a late scratch for Sunday’s game, which the Rangers lost to Detroit, 2-1, and he did not travel with the team Monday to Las Vegas. Instead, he flew in Tuesday morning, arriving just in time for the morning skate.
“Obviously, I had to leave the team for a family circumstance,’’ Sullivan said, in addressing his absence at the skate. “I’d rather not get into the details, but I appreciate everybody’s support. I’m grateful to Mr. (James) Dolan and (GM Chris Drury) for their understanding. Obviously, family means everything to all of us… I appreciate everybody’s support through a little bit of a trying circumstance.’’
Sullivan made two changes to the lineup from Sunday, re-inserting defenseman Will Borgen, who missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, and dressing forward Juuso Parssinen, who’d been scratched the last four games, in favor of Adam Edstrom.
In a low-event first period, the Golden Knights took the lead on Bowman’s goal at 11:40. Artemi Panarin was in the box, serving a tripping penalty, and Vegas cashed in after only 26 seconds, when Tomas Hertl fired a shot from the point that Shesterkin kicked out. But Bowman collected the rebound and fired it into the top of the net for his second goal of the season.
Vegas doubled its lead at 3:23 of the second, when the Golden Knights had the Rangers pinned in their end and Zibanejad failed to get the puck out near the right point. Vegas kept the puck in and defenseman Hutton ended up driving in from the left and firing a shot that Shesterkin got a big piece, but not enough. The puck trickled through his pads for the goal that made it 2-0. It was a rare goal Shesterkin would like to have back, and it was Hutton’s first goal since the 2023-24 season.
But Sullivan tweaked his lines after that, swapping Brodzinski and Will Cuylle. Brodzinski bumped up to the top line, with Zibanejad and J.T. Miller, while Cuylle dropped down to the third line, with Noah Laba and Conor Sheary. And the change paid off, as, during a line change, Cuylle and Brodzinski combined to get the Rangers on the board.
Carson Soucy forced Ivan Barbashev to turn the puck over in the Rangers zone, Cuylle picked it up and went away on a two-on-one with Brodzinski. Vegas goalie Akira Schmid, the ex-Devil, saved Cuylle’s shot, but Brodzinski cleaned up the rebound, cutting the Rangers’ deficit to 2-1 at 8:56.
Early in the third, though, Soucy was called for interference and Theodore made the Rangers pay, lifting a shot through traffic and over Shesterkin’s glove at 7:18 to make it 3-1.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.