Not all losses are the same. Sometimes a team can lose a game, but if everyone knows that they played well, they can live with it.
That’s what happened to the Rangers on Saturday afternoon against the high-flying Avalanche at Madison Square Garden.
Colorado, the league’s top team, was looking to bounce back after suffering only its second regulation loss of the season Thursday against the Islanders  and certainly presented the stiffest of challenges for the Blueshirts. But the Rangers entered having won two in a row and five of six and were playing some of their best hockey of the season. So if there was a good time for the Blueshirts to take on the challenge of facing the top team in the NHL, now was it.
And the Rangers stood up to Colorado, battling toe-to-toe all game, erasing a pair of deficits and forcing overtime on Artemi Panarin’s 10th goal of the season with 40.9 seconds left in regulation and goalie Igor Shesterkin pulled for an extra skater.
In the end, Nathan MacKinnon had two goals for the Avalanche (20-2-6) in their 3-2 victory, including the winner at 2:46 of overtime when he scored a highlight-reel goal on a backhander. But the Rangers (15-12-3) came away feeling relatively good about themselves after earning a standings point.
Absolutely NASTYYYYY pic.twitter.com/d0N3t8VX5G
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 6, 2025
“We feel not bad,’’ Panarin said after the Rangers scored with their goalie pulled to tie it for the second straight home game. “This game, I think we showed good hockey against that kind of team. They’re one of the top, probably, three teams in the league right now, right? So we have one point. We had a good game. We’ll try to build on that.’’
“Sometimes you lose and don’t feel good about it,’’ J.T. Miller said. “There’s other times you don’t get the result, but you can feel good and sleep tonight, knowing that you played a pretty good hockey game.’’
The Rangers battled Colorado gamely for two periods but trailed 1-0 entering the third period before forward Conor Sheary tied it with his first goal as a Ranger at 4:23.
It was a big goal for the Rangers and for Sheary, who has been a whipping boy for the fans on social media all season. It was his first NHL goal since April 2024 after he spent nearly all of last season in the minor leagues.
“It’s a relief to get one,’’ said Sheary, who made the Rangers in training camp after coming in on a tryout. “Hopefully I can build off that. But to contribute to the team and help the team gain a point, I think, is really important.’’
MacKinnon batted in a rebound with 4:34 left to put Colorado in front 2-1. The goal had to survive a check by the referees to make sure his stick wasn’t too high. Replays showed it was below the crossbar and thus was legal.
The Avalanche looked as if they’d made it 3-1 on a goal by former Islander Brock Nelson with 4:08 left. That one didn’t survive video review, however, as the officials in Toronto ruled the puck never crossed the goal line.
The Rangers tied it again when, with Shesterkin (39 saves) pulled for the extra skater, Panarin’s one-timer from the left point off a pass from Mika Zibanejad went through a crowd and past goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (24 saves) for his 901st career point.
Coming off two of their best games of the season in wins  over Dallas and Ottawa,  the Rangers started off well, including hitting the goalpost twice (on shots by Panarin and Will Cuylle) on their lone power play in the first period.
The first period ended scoreless and with the Rangers having a 10-9 edge in shots on goal. But Colorado got on the board on Parker Kelly’s goal at 7:06 of the second period.
Kelly, battling with Rangers defenseman Scott Morrow in front of the net, was down on one knee when he managed to get his stick up to deflect Sam Malinski’s right point shot past Shesterkin.
Notes & quotes: Goaltender Jonathan Quick, who missed six games with a lower-body injury, was activated off injured reserve and served as Shesterkin’s backup. Spencer Martin was returned to AHL Hartford. Quick figures to start Sunday night at home against Vegas . . . Fourth-line forward Adam Edstrom missed his third game with a lower-body injury . . . Defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and forward Brennan Othmann were the scratches. After the game, Othmann was assigned to Hartford and Jaroslav Chmelar was recalled.
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.