Daily Report – 10/17/25
Rangers
Well… at least they scored a goal.
Last night in Toronto, the Rangers lost 2-1 in overtime to the Maple Leafs. New York continued to defend well throughout regulation time, especially in their own zone, but when it came to scoring goals, they looked sloppy. They couldn’t light the lamp until the third period.
Earlier today, Rangers beat writer Peter Baugh posted on X that in today’s practice, the Rangers attempted 35 two-on-one odd-man rush plays, and they only scored on three. In their last three games against Washington, Edmonton, and Toronto – all top NHL teams – the Rangers have outshot and out-chanced each opponent, but they only scored one combined goal.
This is a difficult, unique case, because it’s so rare to see a team as talented as the Rangers are on paper defend so well for so long, and not get rewarded. While Igor Shesterkin can sustain Vezina-quality goaltending for an entire season, the level of defense the Rangers’ skaters have shown will not last forever. In fact, last night’s game made it clear it won’t last much longer. The Rangers are preparing to play a tough Canadiens team tomorrow, and things never get easier in Montreal.
Therefore, as important as it is for the Rangers to “stay the course,” as head coach Mike Sullivan put it, the “course” will eventually run its course if the Rangers don’t alter their goal-scoring approach. Thank goodness for Sullivan, because without his steady hand, the Blueshirts would be on the brink of falling apart. Last year’s Rangers would not have been able to handle this kind of scoring drought.
“If you’re mentally weak, you’re going to go off the rails,” said Rangers captain JT Miller. “To me, it’s about getting the look. It’s not about if it goes in. Over time, you get the looks, they’re going to go in. It’s just easy to go the other way right now, and that’s why we’re going to be mentally tough in here.”
Tough words from Miller, but this is why the Rangers named him captain. He and Sullivan understand that if the team sustains this approach, it will win them plenty of games down the stretch. However, it is impossible for any hockey player, even in the NHL, to maintain a high level of defense for an extended period if it doesn’t yield goals.
“The key for me right now is that we’ve got to make sure we don’t get discouraged,” Sullivan said. “It was a big point for us. It’s an important point for us. We’ve got to make sure that we control our own mindsets here moving forward.”
Miller and Artemi Panarin, two of the biggest stars on this team, suffered injuries during training camp, the impacts of which are probably still lingering. Without Miller operating at full capacity, and because of Vincent Trocheck’s absence, the Rangers are struggling mightily to crash the net-front area. Clogging the slot significantly raises the chance of an ordinary shot crossing the goal line, but it is not easy to do this, and a lot of these Rangers players might not know how.
Chris Kreider was the best on this team at setting screens and making deflections, and it seems the Rangers haven’t found a way to compensate for his absence. This is not a criticism of the organization’s decision to trade Kreider, but there should be enough pieces on this team to find more ways to score.
Crashing the net isn’t the only solution, though. Many players on this team, namely Alexis Lafrenière, who is receiving increased power-play time, need to work on their one-timers. These players aren’t elevating their shots either.
Mika Zibanejad, despite looking much healthier this season than he did a year ago, needs to figure out how to fix his shot. Too often, he doesn’t handle the puck cleanly while in shooting position. No blunder was more obvious than his whiff on an easy one-timer in overtime that led directly to Toronto’s game-winning goal yesterday.
Zibanejad’s issue is one example – albeit the most prominent – of the issues the Rangers are having. Simply put, they aren’t following through on their scoring chances. Again, they generated plenty of chances last night, including 17 high-danger chances, and they outshot Toronto 29-24. It’s another game where, if you looked at those statistics, including the two goals allowed, you would probably assume the Rangers won. But they didn’t, and it’s because they couldn’t finish.
The Rangers’ inability to finish has led to three straight losses. But the team’s losing streak pales in comparison to the concern that their backbone could be traumatized from last season’s collapse. The length of this scoring drought negatively impacts the players’ abilities to respond, and the longer it continues, the more likely a collapse will become.
Giants
As great as the emergence of youth in Week 6 was, Week 7 will help determine whether the Jaxson Dart effect is a fad or a long-term solution. It’s very difficult, especially for a young quarterback, to play at Mile High, but something tells me that, no matter the result of this game, the altitude won’t faze Dart and Cam Skattebo.
But the story of this game will not be Dart vs. Bo Nix. It will be Brian Burns vs. Nik Bonitto. Burns’ seven sacks rank second in the NFL while Bonitto’s eight lead the league, and while the defensive advantage at Mile High almost always goes to the home team, the attitude inside the Giants’ locker room will not quiver at the sight of Denver’s defense.
“We’re going to try to win the game up front and affect the quarterback,” said Giants pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. “I would say, from an identity perspective, [the Broncos are] a team that when people come here, they’re going to have to win it up front.”
Like many teams that come to Denver, the Giants will probably try to run the ball a lot, and I can’t think of anyone who will perform better on the ground in high altitude than Cam Skattebo. The rookie is fearless, and he’ll run through anything.
“We don’t play cute ball,” Thibodeaux said. “We play smashmouth football in New York.”
Sunday Funday Injury Report – 10/17:
LB Swayze Bozeman (ankle) did not practice this week and has been ruled OUT to play on Sunday.
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (hamstring) did not practice this week and has been ruled OUT to play on Sunday.
C John Michael Schmitz (concussion) did not practice this week and has been ruled OUT to play on Sunday.
WR Darius Slayton (hamstring) did not practice this week and has been ruled DOUBTFUL to play on Sunday.
DL Chauncey Golston (neck) did not practice today and has been ruled DOUBTFUL to play on Sunday.
OL Jermaine Eluemunor (shoulder/back) practiced in a limited capacity today and has been ruled QUESTIONABLE to play on Sunday.
WR Jalin Hyatt (ankle) practiced in a limited capacity today and has been ruled QUESTIONABLE to play on Sunday.
DT Roy Robertson-Harris (knee) practiced in a limited capacity today and has been ruled QUESTIONABLE to play on Sunday.
DL DJ Davidson (knee) practiced in a limited capacity today and has been ruled QUESTIONABLE to play on Sunday.
CB Paulson Adebo (shoulder) practiced in a limited capacity today and has been ruled QUESTIONABLE to play on Sunday.
S Dane Belton (neck) practiced in a limited capacity today and has been ruled QUESTIONABLE to play on Sunday.
LB Abdul Carter (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity today and has been ruled QUESTIONABLE to play on Sunday.
Schedule
Tonight 10/17:
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CDT): 2025 NBA Preseason, NYK vs. CHA; MSG
Saturday 10/18:
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): NYR at MTL; MSG
Sunday 10/19:
1:00 PM (12:00 PM CDT): NFL on FOX, Week 7 – New York Jets (0-6) vs. Carolina Panthers (3-3); FOX, FOXONE
4:05 PM (3:05 PM CDT): NFL on CBS, Week 7 – New York Giants (2-4) at Denver Broncos (4-2); CBS, Paramount+
8:20 PM (7:20 PM CDT): Sunday Night Football (SNF), Week 7 – Atlanta Falcons (3-2) at San Francisco 49ers (4-2); NBC, Peacock
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): Football Night in America (FNIA); NBC
8:00 PM (7:00 PM CDT): Hyundai Sunday Night Kickoff; NBC, Peacock
8:10 PM (7:10 PM CDT): GEICO Sunday Night Anthem; NBC, Peacock
