Daily Report – 12/31/25
Rangers
At least the Rangers managed to score a goal. And secure a point. Because Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss in Carolina was nothing short of disappointing.
The final 13 seconds of overtime. That’s when Jackson Blake scored a game-winning power play goal. For a second straight overtime period, the Rangers were flagged for a costly penalty. This time, it was Matthew Robertson who went to the box for tripping Taylor Hall. The Rangers managed to kill off 1:46 of the two-minute power play, but their defense couldn’t hold Blake back from tipping the puck in front of Shesterkin’s net.
The Rangers have reached the midpoint of the 2025-26 season. Through 41 games, they hold a 19-17-5 record, and their 43 points are tied with Pittsburgh for fifth place in the Metropolitan Division. They currently sit two points out of a Wild Card spot.
When asked about his assessment of his team this season, head coach Mike Sullivan stated, “I think it’s been a mixed bag. We’re right in the thick of it. I think we’re capable of being better. I think there’s another level. We’ve got to push ourselves to try to get there.”
Igor Shesterkin watched another grade-A performance go to waste. He made 33 saves, and the only even-strength goal he allowed came with some untimely contact in the goal crease. Nine minutes into the third period, Jordan Martinook tied the game as a rebound deflected off his skate and traveled between Shesterkin’s legs. Martinook knocked Shesterkin to the ice, but he touched the puck beforehand.
“I mean, the [third-period] goal that goes in is just a battle in front,” Vincent Trocheck said. “It goes off a leg. It’s the kind of goals that you’ve got to be willing to score against [Carolina]. They’re definitely willing to score those types of goals against most teams. It’s just a battle in the trench areas, and they won that battle.”
For at least the last five years, the Hurricanes have taken pride in their ability to generate consistent net-front offense by winning physical matchups. It has provided them with years of success, and this year, it has helped them maintain the pole position in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers have never been able to match Carolina’s offensive tactics because, simply put, the skaters in Carolina are larger than those in New York.
Now, physicality is not the only way to achieve offense. Not at all. The Rangers generated plenty of scoring chances in this game, scoring two goals. Ultimately, the game came down to special teams play, especially in overtime, and the Rangers were not as composed as Carolina.
“Obviously, the difference in the game, we give up a five-on-three and a four-on-three,” Sullivan said. “You can’t put yourself down in those circumstances. That puts us all in tough spots.”
The Rangers took an early lead in the first period, as Gavrikov cashed in at 1:39 into regulation, 30 seconds into a power play. It was his first career power play point and his career-high seventh goal of the season. 14 minutes later, Carolina tied the game on a five-on-three power play. A tripping penalty to Jonny Brodzinski and a delaying game call against Braden Schneider yielded a two-man advantage for 1:40, and it didn’t take long for Sebastian Aho to tie the game.
The Rangers regained the lead 13 minutes into the second frame as Jonny Brodzinski shoved a loose, deflected puck through for the lone goal of the period. Matt Rempe carried the puck below the goal line and passed it to Matthew Robertson at the left point for a shot. Sam Carrick deflected the puck from the slot, leaving an open net behind Brandon Bussi for Brodzinski to stuff it into.
In the third period, Martinook scored that game-tying goal as the puck deflected off his skate, and the Rangers were losing momentum. They finished the third period with a 5-10 shots on goal deficit, despite recovering from a 5-13 shooting disadvantage in the opening frame.
In overtime, the Rangers couldn’t defend Carolina’s man advantage. As the final seconds of the power play approached, it felt like the Rangers might extend this game to a shootout. But Sebastian Aho’s shot was perfect, and Jackson Blake’s deflection even better.
The Rangers are back in action in Washington, DC, this afternoon. They scored seven goals against the Capitals last week, so anything is possible today. Adam Fox will return to the lineup, and he’ll be quarterbacking the Rangers’ power play.
Knicks
In clutch time, bottom-feeding teams like the 8-26 New Orleans Pelicans are no match for Jalen Brunson and the Knicks. Brunson finished the game with just 28 points, but his fourth-quarter heroics helped the Knicks deliver a 130-125 win on Monday night. The Knicks have now won 15 of their last 18 games.
In every game, the reigning Clutch Player of the Year outshines his competition. Jalen Brunson is a leading candidate for MVP. He knows how to manipulate defenders and spook their minds late in games.
“You’ve got to have a guy,” said head coach Mike Brown. “And when I’m talking about a guy, I’m talking about a league MVP, and we have a guy! He definitely makes the game easier for everybody.”
Brunson combined with Miles McBride, who returned after missing nine games with an injury, for 11 of the Knicks’ 13 points in the final 2.5 minutes of regulation. McBride went four-for-four from the free-throw line in the final 16 seconds. He established a five-point lead with 5.5 seconds left, sealing the game for New York.
“We find a way to win,” Brunson remarked. “I think we have a growing confidence as a team, not necessarily just in fourth quarters. We understand how we started was unacceptable, and we’ve got to figure out how to win a game from where we are. So, we’ve got a lot of confidence in each other.”
Brunson scored 11 of his 28 points in six minutes of the fourth quarter. McBride finished the game with a team-high 14 points off the bench, and 12 of his tallies came in the final frame. But the Knicks need to continue working on starting games the way they finish them, because it becomes difficult to sustain cinematic endings in the long run.
“We’ve got to start better,” said Brunson. “We’ve got to play better, honestly, throughout the whole game. But we found a way to win.”
With four minutes remaining in regulation, the Knicks faced another hurdle. Karl-Anthony Towns and Yves Missi were fighting for a rebound when the ball slipped out of play. The initial ruling on the court stated the Pelicans had turned the ball over, but the horn at Smoothie King Center supposedly malfunctioned, giving New Orleans extra time to watch the replay.
They watched it, on the Jumbotron no less, and seemingly received as much time as they needed to call a timeout and challenge the call. The ruling on the court was ultimately overturned.
“That horn malfunction happened at the right time for them,” Brown said. “Very, very, very suspicious.”
The Knicks struggled defensively all night. They allowed 75 first-half points, including 41 in the first quarter. They let Zion Williamson break loose for 32 points, and Saddiq Bey had 26 after the first half.
But the Knicks only trailed by seven points entering the fourth quarter. Overcoming that deficit was like Kindergarten for Jalen Brunson.
Schedule
12:30 PM: NYR at WSH; MSG, Gotham Sports
7:00 PM: NYK at SA; MSG, Gotham Sports
7:30 PM: 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP), First Quarterfinal – Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic – Miami (10) vs. Ohio State (2); ESPN
