Rangers vs. Canucks: Lineups, storylines trying to win 2nd of back-to-back

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Rangers vs. Canucks: Lineups, storylines trying to win 2nd of back-to-back

Rangers vs. Canucks: Lineups, storylines trying to win 2nd of back-to-back — Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Jim Cerny · Forever Blueshirts

Tue, Dec 16, 2025 ·

5 min read

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With fewer distractions, perhaps the New York Rangers will produce a better result Tuesday night, when they host the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden.

It's the second game of a back-to-back set for the Rangers (16-14-4), who lost 4-1 to the Anaheim Ducks at home Monday. That contest featured the return of former Rangers Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba , complete with the video tributes, standing ovations, and mixed emotions that come with these kind of homecomings.

It also included an unexpected distraction. The Rangers scratched alternate captain Mika Zibanejad for missing a team meeting. That ended up being punishment for the proud veteran, and for the team, which could've used its leading goal scorer (11) when firing blanks most of the night against Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal .

The loss was New York's fourth in the past five games (1-2-2). It ended a four-game points streak (2-0-2) on home ice, where the Rangers are 4-9-3 at MSG this season.

In the opinion of coach Mike Sullivan, it wasn't all bad for the Rangers on Monday.

"I thought we played pretty well, certainly for the first two periods we liked our game a lot 5-on-5," Sullivan said postgame . "I thought we defended hard. I thought we did a really good job playing on top of them."

The Rangers did allow a short-handed goal and a power-play goal, and that was largely the difference in a one-goal game, where the final score was abetted by two goals in the final minute, including an empty-netter.

This game Tuesday feels like a real must-win for the Rangers. They face a Canucks team that is 12-17-3 and last in the NHL standings with 27 points and a .422 points percentage. The Canucks come off a 2-1 win in New Jersey over the Devils to begin a five-game road trip. But they haven't won consecutive games since a three-game winning streak Oct. 16-19.

No strangers to controversy and distractions, as evidenced by trading J.T. Miller to the Rangers last season on Jan. 31 after he and Elias Pettersson failed to co-exist as teammates, the Canucks swung another monster trade last week. They dealt captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild for center Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium , forward Liam Ohgren , and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Buium had a goal and assist against the Devils.

The Rangers are 6-2-1 in their past nine games against the Canucks, including a 2-0 win in Vancouver on Oct. 28.

3 storylines when Rangers host Canucks

NHL: Vancouver Canucks at New York Rangers — Danny Wild-Imagn Images

1. Back-to-back hex

This is the fifth back-to-back set played by the Rangers so far this season. They've lost the second game in each of the first four back-to-back sets, scoring a grand total of two goals — shut out twice and held to one goal twice.

After their loss Monday, the Rangers are 4-1-0 in the first game of back to backs. Since they won the first game four times previously and followed up with a loss, perhaps they will flip the script by following a loss with a win Tuesday.

The Rangers schedule features another back-to-back set this weekend, when they host the Philadelphia Flyers in a Saturday matinee Saturday before traveling to Nashville for a tilt against the Predators on Sunday night.

2. Quick fix

NHL: New York Rangers at Vancouver Canucks — Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Expect Jonathan Quick to get the start in goal for New York. This is a busy stretch of seven games in 11 days for the Rangers, and the second game in consecutive nights after Igor Shesterkin made the start against the Ducks.

Quick made 23 saves in that 2-0 win against the Canucks earlier this season for his 64th career shutout, and is 21-20-4 with a 2.05 goals-against average, .905 save percentage, and six shutouts all-time against them.

Despite playing extremely well, Quick is without a win since Nov. 7. He's 0-2-1 in three starts since, and missed two weeks in there with a lower-body injury. The 39-year-old is 3-3-1 with a sterling 1.86 GAA and .937 save percentage in seven starts this season.

Thatcher Demko is expected to be the Canucks starting goalie, making his third straight start after missing a month due to injury.

3. Keeping Vancouver Red Cross busy

The Canucks have four players on injured reserve, including former Rangers center Filip Chytil who's been sidelined since Oct. 19 with another suspected concussion. Pettersson misses his fifth straight game Tuesday. And center Teddy Blueger and defenseman Derek Forbort are also on IR.

The his keep coming, though. Brock Boeser , who's tied for second on the Canucks with nine goals, didn't take part in the morning skate and likely won't play against the Rangers.

That's another big blow to the 27th-ranked offense in the NHL. Combine that with the Canucks allowing 3.50 goals against per game, second most in the NHL , and this feels like a game the Rangers absolutely must win.