Postgame takeaways: NY Rangers capture OT win in Gabe Perreault's debut

Yahoo

19-04-2025

NEW YORK – Gabe Perreault got the full New York Rangers experience on Wednesday.
Just 72 hours after playing his final NCAA game for Boston College, the freshly signed 19-year-old made his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden.
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It was an eventful occasion, for a variety of reasons.
Perreault had moments that reminded everyone why he's considered one of the best playmaking prospects in the game, including a nifty no-look pass on his second shift that even caught linemate Alexis Lafrenière off guard. And then there were hiccups, most notably an accidental tip for an own goal toward the end of the first period.
It seemed like a perfect fit for the up-and-down Rangers, who continued this season's roller-coaster ride with a winding 5-4 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild.
"It was super fun," said Perreault, who had several BC teams make the trip and find their way right up against the glass for his rookie lap during warmups. "Playing in this building is something I've never done before, and to finally get to be able to do it was unreal."
Vincent Trocheck scored the winner 24 seconds into the extra period, giving the Rangers (36-32-7) only their third OT win in 10 tries this season.
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Artemi Panarin set it up with a slick pass for his team-leading third point of the night, despite the Garden crowd pleading for No. 10 to take it himself.
"The whole rink said, 'Shoot!'" he said with a smirk. "They know better."
It wasn't always pretty, complete with the usual self-inflicted wounds that always seem to crop up for these Rangers. But after losing nine out of 12 during an ugly stretch last month, they've swung the possession pendulum back in their favor the last two games − both wins − and found a way to dig deep after folding in similar situations earlier this season.
"I can't say we didn't compete in games before," Panarin said. "It's just a little harder everything for us this season. Everyone is trying hard, it's just sometimes when you hit the wall every time and can't win it, you lose confidence, too, and then maybe it looks like no one's trying. But I promise you, everyone tried 100% every game."
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 02: Gabe Perreault #94 of the New York Rangers skates in his first NHL game against the Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on April 02, 2025 in New York City.
Ultimately, the results are what matter at this time of year.
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The victory moved New York into a tie with Montreal for the Eastern Conference's second and final wild card. The Canadiens have a game in hand, though, and could retake sole possession Thursday when they host the bumbling Bruins.
"I'd like to clean up a couple things, but overall, we came out on the attack," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "I thought we defended okay. It was just some puck decisions at times. But we needed a win and guys found a way to do that."
Ups and downs for Perreault
Perreault has areas to clean up, as well, particularly on the defensive end. But he mostly looked like he belonged.
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"I thought he played a solid game, jumping into a big situation like that," Laviolette said. "I'm sure the next one and the one after that, they'll be a little bit more natural for him, as opposed to the first one. But I thought he played really well."
The pass to Lafrenière encapsulated everything we've been hearing about the 2023 first-round pick − patience, vision and skill.
Gabe Perreault: Rangers top prospect debuts in prominent lineup spot
Perreault came flying on for his second shift and attacked the middle of the ice. He deked Mats Zuccarello and cut to the left, leaving the former Ranger twisting as he fell to the ice. A desperate stick wave from Zuccarello just barely deflected the pass, and while it still made it through, the slight change in direction caused Lafrenière to slip and fall as he was attempting to get the wide-open shot off.
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"Last second, I think the guy got a stick on it," Perreault said. "But it was a good try. (Lafrenière) almost got it. It would have been pretty cool to get that one."
While the play didn't result in points, Perreault noted, "It definitely made me feel comfortable and helped me feel the puck a little bit."
There were a few other passes that showed his savvy with the puck, with his placement on a line with Lafrenière and J.T. Miller putting him in the familiar offensive situations he's been asked to play his entire life.
The 5-foot-11, 178-pounder didn't look overwhelmed by the physicality of the NHL game, either, which was a concern some scouts had expressed. Of course, it will take time to find the balance between taking risks and avoiding costly mistakes.
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"I think as the game went on, I got better," he said. "It's definitely a lot faster, and not as much time and space. But that was, for sure, expected."
Perreault recorded three shots on four attempts while finishing with a pair of giveaways in 13:38 time on ice. He also had an own goal, which occurred when he tipped a Brock Faber shot past goalie Igor Shesterkin to put the Wild ahead, 2-1, with five minutes remaining in the first period.
It was a starting point, with seven regular-season games left for Perreault to build on it.
"His hands and his head are at a level that he can play and contribute," Laviolette said. "Those are things we'll talk about leaving the game. He's got his first game under his belt, and we get a chance to see it and what he's able to do out there. We'll get it set up for next game."
A role reversal
The game itself was a bit of role reversal for the Rangers.
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They've been outshot by wide margins on many occasions this season, yet somehow found ways to keep the score close. (They can mostly thank Shesterkin for that.) That's resulted in at least a few wins they frankly didn't deserve, but on Wednesday, it was the Blueshirts who controlled multiple stretches of play but couldn't pull away.
They outshot Minnesota, 39-24, including an 18-7 advantage in the first period. They also held a 13-9 edge in high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.
"That was nice to feel," Panarin said. "I think the San Jose game (on Saturday) affected us. We feel the confidence again with the puck, and then everyone tries to make it plays – not forcing the plays. That's when the results come."
That volume didn't always lead to enough quality, and the defensive breakdowns that have plagued them all season popped up at critical moments.
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The first instance came on a Wild power play nine minutes into the game, kicking off a night of highs and lows for K'Andre Miller.
The defenseman's stick broke, and when he went to retrieve a new one from the bench, it left one side of the ice completely unattended. Marcus Johansson took advantage by finding a wide open Gustav Nyquist at the far post, staking Minnesota with a 1-0 lead.
The two teams would trade goals from there, with Braden Schneider scoring on a rebound to get the Rangers on the board before Perreault tipped Faber's shot in later in the period.
"We've been talking about it – just more of a direct approach; a north approach," Laviolette said. "I think the guys came out with that mindset. I like the way we played the first period. Yet, it may not be where you want it to be."
Artemi Panarin leads
K'Andre Miller tied the score early in the second by roofing a tremendous wrist shot from a tough angle, then Chris Kreider − who was dropped to the fourth line to begin the game − gave New York a 3-2 lead with a backhander at the 7:21 mark.
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Johansson tied it for the third time with a shorthanded goal following a brutal neutral-zone turnover from Trocheck, but Panarin responded swiftly. He was buzzing all over the ice again on Wednesday and put the Rangers back on top, 4-3, with a breakaway to end the second period.
The 33-year-old has been New York's most reliable source of offense in a year when that's been fleeting − and he's been heating up as the playoff drama rises, with 23 points (11 goals and 12 assists) in his last 16 games.
"It feels like he scores every game," said Will Cuylle, who was named the 2024-25 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award winner prior to the game. "If he's playing well, we're all following."
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Panarin will fall well short of last season's career-high 120 points, but Wednesday's standout performance secured his fifth 80-point season with the Rangers, tying Mark Messier for the most in team history.
K'Andre Miller's eventful night
The dizzying pace continued in the third, where Marco Rossi intercepted a D-zone pass from K'Andre Miller and turned it into the fourth tie of the evening 22 seconds in.
Miller, who looks like an all-star at times but continues battle inconsistency in a contract year, would atone by drawing two penalties in the final period and assisting on Trocheck's game winner. He finished with two points (one goal and one assist) while tying Panarin with a team-high 11 shot attempts. The 25-year-old also dished out three hits and blocked two shots in 22:04 TOI.
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"There's always a thing or two that you'd like to take back in the game," Laviolette said of Miller. "If we could take back five things tonight, we would. It wasn't like we overloaded with things that we could have done better or should have done better, but we made mistakes, and they cost us. Conversely, he's figuring into that last goal, as well. And so he does a lot of really good things for us out there."
Power play funk continues
Miller drew two of three Minnesota penalties in the third period, but the Rangers failed to cash in on any of the ensuing power plays.
They finished 0-for-4 and are now just two for their last 43 attempts.
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It's become one of the most troubling trends in recent weeks, with Laviolette making yet another tweak on Wednesday by swapping out Kreider for J.T. Miller on the top unit. None of the moves seem to be helping, though.
"It's moved around quite a bit," Laviolette said. "It's not like we're sitting here stuck on one thing. We're moving it around. We're trying different options, and we work on it in practice. It's an opportunity to make a difference in a game like tonight. We'll continue to look at it and look at the personnel that we have and what we can do to make that effective inside of a game like tonight. There's no question that special teams can always factor into a game. They've been a real positive for us for a long time, but we're in a little bit of the funk right now with it."
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Postgame takeaways: NY Rangers capture OT win in Gabe Perreault's debut