Story by
4 Biggest Takeaways From Rangers’ Win Over Blues
- Story by
- 4 Biggest Takeaways From Rangers’ Win Over Blues
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The New York Rangers secured a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, snapping a four-game losing streak in the process.
Here are some of the main takeaways from the Rangers' victory:
Dylan Garand Bounces Back:
Advertisement
Leading into Tuesday night, Garand had started eight of the Rangers' nine games in the wake of Igor Shesterkin's season-ending injury, and the cracks in his game were beginning to show as his workload continued to mount and fatigue set in.
After the team's 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night, Garand was critical of himself, putting the blame solely on his shoulders.
"Honestly, inexcusable," Garand said of his performance on Sunday night. "Let the guys down. Pretty disappointing, put that loss on me. And yeah, it sucks."
The 24-year-old goaltender bounced back in a big way against the Blues, making 32 saves on 33 shots.
Advertisement
Over the course of the night, Garand made some timely stops whenever the Blues gained offensive momentum, and he appeared to be steadier and more composed in his crease.
"I just felt good," Garand said. "I just really tried not to think out there. I think I've been doing too much of that lately in my game, so I just tried to go out there and battle and stop pucks."
Going into the night, Garand was facing scrutiny, with his game beginning to go in the wrong direction after a strong start to the season. However, his near-shutout performance helped keep the Rangers afloat throughout the contest and ultimately helped propel them to a much-needed victory.
Mike Sullivan has been most impressed with Garand's mental toughness and resilience through difficult times.
Advertisement
"I think this game was an important one for him," Sullivan said of Garand. "He wanted to bounce back and have a solid night for the group, and he did. I think his resilience, just his ability to move by circumstances and not not let it affect his performance or his game moving forward… I think that's a maturity that I've certainly witnessed in the short time that I've been around him. I think he's proven what he's capable of."
Will Cuylle Thrives At Center:
Sullivan decided to tweak his lines going into Tuesday night's matchup, with the biggest change revolving around putting Cuylle at the center position.
Cuylle had never played center at any level of hockey, but Sullivan believed his skills translated well to playing down the middle.
Advertisement
"I just feel like where we're at, we need to affect a little bit of change," Sullivan said. "Will has a lot of qualities or the attributes that I think would allow him to be effective at that position. He can skate, he has good size, he can lean on people down low."
Anchoring the Rangers' third line alongside Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen, Cuylle looked natural at center while continuing to play the same physical, hard-forechecking game we've grown accustomed to seeing from him.
"I was excited before the game," Cuylle said. "Obviously, a challenge for me, something I've never done. Kind of felt a little nervous before the game, but after first couple shifts, settled in and just felt like myself."
Cuylle created an offensive-zone turnover in the third period, which helped lead to a goal from Bjorkstrand, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead.
Advertisement
Playing on both the power play and penalty kill, Cuylle logged a total of 18:19, the third-most among all Rangers forwards.
The switch to center, on top of his usage in critical situations, shows Sullivan's evolving trust in Cuylle as he continues to develop his game.
"I thought he played real well. I thought he had a comfort level there. I liked what I saw," Sullivan said of Cuylle's performance playing center.
Rangers' New-Look Fourth Line Provides Energy:
The Blueshirts came into this game with quite a few line changes, including forming a new-look fourth line featuring Jaroslav Chmelař, Noah Laba, and Matt Rempe.
Advertisement
All three players had a lot to prove. Chmelař was called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League just one day before, hungry to etch his mark in the NHL. Laba was moved down to the fourth line after Sullivan called his overall game a "mixed bag," and Rempe had only been in the lineup for two of the Rangers' previous 15 games.
The newly assembled trio provided the Rangers with energy that the team has not gotten from its fourth line for much of the season.
They were able to spend a large chunk of their shifts in the offensive zone, generating offense in the process while using their physicality well at both ends of the ice.
"I thought they had a really solid game for us," Sullivan said of the fourth line. "Labs and Jaro can really skate. I think they add a lot of pace to that line, and Remps obviously with his size and his reach and his and his aggressiveness.
Advertisement
"I thought they had some really good momentum shifts for us. They spent a significant amount of time in the offensive zone. They had a couple of scoring opportunities, but the biggest thing that that line can bring to the team I think is just helping us create momentum with their physical play."
Since Joe Veleno went down with a lower-body injury, Sullivan has kept his fourth line on a short leash. However, he seemed to find a rhythm on Tuesday night, deploying the fourth line more frequently, with both Chmelař and Rempe playing over eight minutes despite not seeing any time on special teams.
Scott Morrow Showing Improvement:
Despite making the Rangers' opening-night roster out of training camp, Scott Morrow served as a healthy scratch over the team's first 14 games of the season.
Advertisement
"I wouldn't call it difficult necessarily," Morrow said on not playing at all to start the season. "I feel blessed to be here, be a part of this group. Just trying to stay ready, have a positive attitude, and be ready for my chance to play."
A lower-body injury to Sean Durzi has given Morrow a chance to step into the lineup, and he's been able to seize this opportunity.
In two games, the 24-year-old defenseman has continued to flash his impressive puckhandling abilities, quick skating, and offensive instincts, skills we already knew were in his wheelhouse.
However, what's been a surprise is his improved defensive play.
Advertisement
Morrow struggled to defend at a consistent level last year, one of the biggest reasons he spent a large chunk of the 2025-26 season playing in the American Hockey League. However, he's shown heightened awareness from a defensive standpoint over this short two-game sample size.
"Scotty has played well," Sullivan said. "I think his pace is better. I think he's quicker. He's closing on people. I think his stick detail, just disrupting plays, getting his stick on the puck, things of that nature. I think that continues to evolve and improve and get better. I think he's making pretty good reads defensively. I know Scotty is making a real concerted effort on the defensive side of the puck to try to continue to evolve and improve."
