NY Rangers (18-15-4) at Nashville Predators (14-16-4)
• 21 December 2025 19:00 EST
• Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
• TV: MSG2, FDSNSO •
The Rangers play the second half of a back to back, this one on the road against the Predators in Nashville. Over the course of the season, the Rangers have not done well in the second game and this is compounded by their woes against bottom ranked teams (Nashville is tied with three teams at #29). Add in the loss of their captain, JT Miller, for an UBI described as ‘week to week’ and who knows what will be on display tonight.
The two teams have similar last tens: 6-4-0 for the Preds and 5-3-2 for the NYR. Statistically, the only real difference between them is in goals allowed, where Nashville has struggled at 3.47 GA/GP.
Both teams played yesterday so back up goalies are expected in net. Annunen (1-5-1, 3.73 GAA, 0.865 SV%) for Nashville and Quick (3-4-1, 1.88 GAA, 0.932 SV%) for NY. The loss of Miller means one of the two forward healty scratches will be back in – our guess is Brodzinski as he’s been out a few games. Tough call on Morrow – he and Vaakanainen have been in and out the past week or so. Morrow had a mostly tough game yesterday defensively, perhaps the coaches will want him to watch a game? The Nashville wounded include Ozzy Wiesblatt (upper body), Justin Barron (lower body), Jonathan Marchessault (lower body).
UPDATE: Perreault and Rempe are out (illness) in addition to Miller.
The zebras are still roaming the plains at this time, no indication which will be sent to Nashville.
Keys to a Ranger victory: Attention to detail and grind it out.
On this date in history: Former NYR Joe Kocur turns 61.
Speculative NYR lineup:
Forwards
1st line ⊳ Panarin ⋄ Zibanejad ⋄ Lafreniere
2nd line ⊳ Sheary ⋄ Trocheck ⋄ Cuylle
3rd line ⊳ Perreault ⋄ Laba ⋄ Brodzinski
4th line ⊳ Othmann ⋄ Carrick ⋄ Rempe
Defensemen
1st pair ⊳ Gavrikov ⋄ Schneider
2nd pair ⊳ Soucy ⋄ Borgen
3rd pair ⊳ Vaakanainen ⋄ Robertson
Goalies
Starter ⊳ Quick
Backup ⊳ Shesterkin
Healthy scratch: D Morrow F Raddysh
Injured: F Miller (UBI)
In the Cooler: none
Long-term IR: D Fox (UBI) F Edstrom (LBI)
207 responses to “It’s Go Time!”
FIRST
I just heard Perreault may be out with flu
Overtime #12?
Rempe too. Only 17 tonight
11 forwards. Othie on the 3rd line. 4th line rotation..
2 points tonight will go a long way in the standings.
The key this game is to score more goals than the predators.
Just got back from G-men game. Why am I here for more torture
That was some AWFUL passing. 🤦🏻♂️
Headzo, why did you even bother with the Giants? At least the Rangers have a non-zero chance of winning.
Gmen win out and they make the playoffs
First 4-13 to make playoffs in NFL history
So, the team that has trouble scoring goals sat an offensive forward and, instead, are playing an extra defenseman. Smfh
This is a great Nashville power play
Otter with a hat trick tonight
Three rangers on top of the Nashville player with the puck. All poke checking. Dude gets a shot off. Maybe one should move their body closer to him and maybe do something with it? Just a suggestion.
Gmen win out & lose top pick. Same thing the skating organization we love would do – F up a tankathon
E3 is the voice of optimism always. Keeps me slightly sane and keeps me from going full-Craig. Lol
Ev – free ticky’s & a drunken Sunday funday are things not to be passed up.
Holy crap! Did you see that guy dive head-first into Quick after he lost the puck?!
How tf is that not a penalty?!!
Depends on who’s paying for the booze.
Friggin idiots. Their defensive acumen has been offensive for almost 10 minutes now and Smorgasborgen drops his brain on the ice.
Here comes a power play goal against Jamesgeau
Giant loss the best thing. Sets up the Loser bowl next week
Shorty coming up
Ev
Rempe and perreault out sick
Neither being sat to have a 7th d
I’m glad to be incorrect on that one
Wow. That could’ve been deadly.
Thanks for the correction, Alex. Much appreciated.
Nashville has the last 9 shots
12
Back to being embarrassed by a non-quality opponent.
Someone needs to teach Radish how to friggin pass. That was awful. Otter should’ve just had his first NHL goal.
Do we get to play in their end in the 2nd?
Rangers think they’re on Gsrden ice
Holy broke the blog, Batman!
Woohoo! We got a shot!
E3 – that’s what she said
Two straight failed attempts to clear the zone.
They added a shot for the Rangers that they never actually got.
Preds are my west team. Trotz is a good man.
The players owe Quick a steak dinner for that period alone.
So Vaaka9n is Brendan Smith tonight?
Per-O sick > LaFraid at her best
Lucky to get out of there alive.
Not much fire power from the clown show. Sheary looks unstoppable.
Raddysh belongs in a salad.
So much for catching up to the derbils
Hope that wasn’t their good period.
Beezle, I hope he plays better as a forward than he does as a defenseman.
I love oatmeal stout
Half in the bag
Sherry is so bad
Was that Strome shooting at the Rangers empty net?
Panarin saw Carrick all alone in front and said NOPE, I’m going around the net. Then he passed it to a Nashville stick.
That was a horrible pinch by Schneider
Othello no worse than Sherry & Radish. Keep him up.
Gotta love the drop-pass, pick play.
Wish the rangers would learn it
The Rangers have probably had more offensive zone time in this period so far, but they’re still doubled up in shots in it. When tf are they going to learn that you can’t pass, dump, shot-pass, or any other thing other than a shot, into the net.
The beginning of the end
If the Rangers have to get to 21 shots to get their first goal tonight, they’re getting shutout.
Rangers about to lose to another schnitty team Jamesgeau
Ev
They should get to 10 first.
Zika just tried to make the first hit of his career and knocked himself to the ice
Preds should pull the goalie.
3 on 2 and they closed the whistle …idiots
If that didn’t go in, then every official totally fooked up by blowing the whistle
That’s a post. Fook these guys
They think it’s rodeo
Too bad we don’t okay Nashville again at home. Next year MSG should put on the horn and ref light when they get close but don’t score.
Sully with some eff bombs
Whistle was blown with the puck in Nashville’s zone. Face-off outside. What TF is wrong with these fooking officials?!
And rightfully so, Bobby
Woohoo!! Double digit shots!!! Time to celebrate!
Second straight game that the opponent reached 20 shots before the Rangers hit double digits.
Looking forward to the day LaFraid plays his first alumni game.
How come the goal light didn’t go on for either of the Ranger goal posts?
Headzo, hopefully he doesn’t show up for any of those
What are the odds on the rangers getting a shot during this power play?
Lookin’ good…. Lookin’ good. On the heels of yesterday’s comeback win, this is the kind of effort you want to see….
That’s New York Rangers hockey, baby!!! Yeah!
PP for the rangers stands for putrid play, not power play.
WHAT THE FOOK IS WRONG WITH THE GUYS?! HOW THE FOOK DO YOU HAVE MORE SHORT-HANDED GUYS IN YOUR ZONE THAN YOUR OWN PLAYERS??!!!
These guys are fookin awful
Rangers were outshot 1+post to zippo on that pp.
Great. The Rangers are falling apart now.
Josi grabs his stick and Bread gets penalties ..total incompetence
If Nashville scores here, it’s another game shut off early. Why do I feel like I’ve shut off more games early this season than they’ve actually played?
That’s the second straight penalty that Panarin has been called for that he didn’t do.
Forsberg – great porn mustache
EV, you didn’t get the memo? This team is mediocre at best and there special teams suck all year and that is not going to change, same old, same old my rangers hockey.
Bread = the new machine
There is just not enough skill on this traveling clown show.
No goals
Trocheck just had to wait for the defenseman to get his stick in before he decided to shoot. Story of the friggin season for these bums
Shutout number 8?
Maybe skill but more likely slow as….. Laba and Brodz are the only forwards that can move
Rangers don’t have any top end talent, hence, mediocre win some, lose some. The new york boring rangers.
And yes, this team skates like there skating on slush. I watch other teams and when I was the rangers I think I’m watching a pick up game on a slushy pond outdoors.
I just went back and looked at the Panarin “penalty”. How the fook does Dave Maloney not see or mention that Josi grabbed his stick and pulled it across his own body?! It’s fookin ridiculously obvious in the replay.
EV 20:28 … the ref light 🤣
Roxanne…
You don’t have to put on the ref light
Rangers just need a good 20 minutes.
E3 you drinking some Sam Smith’s?
Panarin is sometimes great and sometimes bad.
Alexis – what will you do for the Rangers this year? Alexis: No goals
They haven’t got much talent so the Miller injury could end any hope they had of sneaking into the playoffs. The flu bug doesn’t help tonight either. They need everyone healthy to stand a chance.
Tasty stout Beeze – tasty smitty’s
Third period is otter’s period
I bet the Ranger fans in the crowd are booing them
Quick taking a book out of the Igor giveaways.
Maybe they can get more shots than Nashville on this power play.
Here comes the putrid play.
Morrow sux; cut him
Nashville gets at least one shot on goal when they get the puck in the their offensive zone. The Rangers could spend ten minutes straight in the offensive zone and not get a single shot.
Wtf was that pass by Morrow?!
Ok boys and girls, have fun watching this team, I’m done, time to switch to the football game.
Love Panarin not going to the boards to block the puck from going around the boards and coming out of the zone. He just stood his ground, about 10 feet away from the dude with the puck, and waved his stick at him.
We should’ve known that Morrow would suck when we learned that Drury wanted him. He also wanted Parssinen.
You give me 5 sherrys on the PP and I’ll give you 4 shorties
Do the Rangers have the flu that makes you puke? Watching them has that effect on me. No one on the PP even looking at the net.
Doesn’t look like they will get into bonus tonight.
Whenever the Rangers play the second game of a back-to-back against a team that’s also playing the second game of a back-to-back, the other team always looks refreshed while they look like senior citizens.
Whenever the Rangers aren’t playing the second game of a back-to-back against a team that IS playing the second game of a back-to-back, the other team always looks refreshed while they look like senior citizens.
Panarin get 30 minutes tonight? Does he ever get off the ice?
Probably too much Ranger blue in the crowd. Rangers think they’re playing at MSG.
Put Laba on PP he can move his feet
ORF, he should be allowed to be out there as much as he can when the rest of the team is playing like this
If only we could have that slug Fox back in the lineup, we could be even more slow and deliberate…
Does LaCoast have the flu? Haven’t heard his name tonight
35-50% AHL roster
Anyone else feel like every high percentage shot they take doesn’t hit the net?
Othmann doesn’t play a mean pinball
The only problem with Panarin tonight is that the rest of the team has been so pathetic that he’s trying to do everything by himself when he gets the puck. They just triple-team him and that takes care of that.
Time to pull quickie
EV 10 SOG 8 BS 10 MS
SN, watching his hockey game, I’m guessing he’s better at pinball.
Otter doesn’t have supple wrists
ENG Josi tonight?
Otter is the man triple shift him
Zika has been 2024-25 Zika tonight.
LMAO
Two games in a row with a late puck over the glass call.
PP =shorty if they pull quick.
Rangers just need a good 2 minutes.
De-Klein that shiite
Wonder if anybody playing who has a bit of flu just not as bad as the guys who are out
Couldn’t get an emergency recall to Hartford if the flu hit late due to distance and time involved
I’m guessing Forsberg jack-in-the-box
Classic Laughy 🤦🏻♂️
One shot on three power plays
There’s zero chance of no empty net goal
Stamkos
They got one shot on the PPs?
Like I said
Shutout number 8.
Double the amount of times they were shutout in the entire 2024-25 season.
Just a teaser.
First the Gmen now this 🤮🤬
Garbage team, garbage game. I’ve seen enough- If Dolan had any balls, he’d can Drury… but, he knows dik about hockey. As long as they’re filling the seats, Drury’s safe.
God forbid LaCoast ever do a move like Brodzinski just did
Timeout rest Johnny B !
How many shutouts
Forget that we scored
Brodz
Nobody stops jbro for an entire game
Lacoast is a frigging mutt
Of course. After the empty netter. At least it’s not a shutout. Smh
Maybe it’s the flu, but that is the weakest performance I have seen in a while. How many times did they whip the puck around the boards and miss it?
Tell me – why don’t you put those guys right back out? Instead of the same losers who did nothing for 59 minutes?
Another embarrassment
Absolute a.ss.
Johnny Brod Holmes
Somebody on a Nashville board just jinxed their shutout
Dreary not going to let this ruin his break
This team must hate Quick. They never come to play in the games that he dominates in net.
Bottom dwellers must love seeing the Rangers on their schedule.
At some point Sully has to take some blame too.
Anyone else have an NHL app that hasn’t wanted to update itself since the second intermission of this one?
Beezle don’t waste your time on the post game. Just post “We suck again.” Sell, Sell, Sell!
LaFugg
Beezle, he’ll take just as much blame as Drury and Dolan. It resembles a donut.
I’ve seen Forsberg in a short film…suck my deke
Knicks are winning. Dolan doesn’t give a sh!t about the Rangers. Drury ain’t going anywhere.
St. Pete, do you really want to acquire a whole bunch of prospects on Drury’s watch?
This team is screwed if they don’t rebuild and this team is screwed if they do rebuild.
7 consec back to back losses, out scored 20-5
I hope they don’t rebuild and ruin the careers of another bunch of prospects before they trade them for pennies on the dollar.
Beezle, the frucked up part of that is the ridiculous number of those that they’ve played to this point.
Thank the lord that I don’t believe in that the Winter classic isn’t the second game of a back-to-back.
They aren’t prospects if they can’t skate
At least the Sabres beat the derbils
6 more back to backs after Olympic break
We need to start looking at this bunch of clueless clowns as bottom dwellers.
Ev
Yes if we are stuck with Butt Stupid Drury what choice do we have as fans.
Man a lifetime is just rolling along isn’t it? Thanks Sam!
2 of those in January others after break
Wow we finally get the 1OA pick and he ends up being a slug. You can’t make this stuff up.
Jonathon Quick gave up 1 goal on 31 shots. Many high danger chances. Not a star of the game.
Tutannkamunen have up 1 goal on 17 shots. Almost none of which were high danger chances. Second star of the game.
Gotta love homer sports writers from little cities.
St. Pete, at least Kakko played defensively. So we got rid of him instead of Laughreniere. Can’t be having that.
Why do I watch this crap?
You watch because Rangers fans are masochistic by nature?
We can start by firing Sather.
I don’t normally engage in trade proposals, but is there any chance we could swap #13 for Rico Fata?
So Quicky has a 1.88 ga and has a loosing record. On amy real team he would be 6 and 2
Oh to be a Ranger. Had to make a tough decision, watch the 3rd period or go out into the cold and pick up dim sum. Very good Chinese food. Like the rest of you masochist’s I will watch Tuesdays game. I know we all enjoy the pain
Merry Christmas to all.
Otter will never get 40 goals in a season at this rate.
Otter is slow also
Otter just being coy, waiting for his chance, lying in wait if you will. He will strike when the time calls for it but no sooner. Sheary taught him hat.
SN – When otter wins the conn smythe, lifts the cup, skates around the garden, those that say he’s scoreless now will be scorned…
Hearing Sherry for Brady Kachook trade rumors…
If dreary is smart he’ll ask for more…
Frenchy for Sam Bennett and a #1
It’s times like this that you really miss Brooks. He would be calling out players, coaches and the GM.
The only reason I would go to MSG to see this team is so I could start a Fire Drury chant.
The best return for LAF would be another change of scenery player. Who has a candidate?
JBytes
We already have Rico Fata. Conor Sheary. I just can’t take watching Lafreniere anymore. The culture favors the core, the younger players have an added fear of failure. I don’t know how much more I can’t handle at my age. I’m demoralized!
Rumor heard on the interwebs
Otter is in consideration for Canadien Olympic team
As all of you have said this team is very hard to watch. Adding Miller last year and the crazy contract they gave the goalie are not going to help. A tear down has to be done. The only problem with that is the amount of good young players does not exist in our farm system. Even if you fire Drury what can a new GM really do to make this team better. Our best chance to win anything was two or three years ago.
The truth is we are screwed.
For all of you guys who write the review’s of these games THAN YOU. It has to be hard as hell. LGR
NEW POST. ALL COMPLAINTS THERE.
That guy that Kayoed Otter could have taken down our entire tough guy fourth line all at once.