In what was their last game of 2025, the New York Rangers suffered a 6-3 loss at the hands of the Washington Capitals.
To start with the good news for the Rangers, Adam Fox returned after missing the past 14 games due to a shoulder injury.
The 27-year-old defenseman made an immediate impact, recording one goal, one assist, and two points, while posting a total of 21:13 minutes.
Fox’s presence was specifically felt from an offensive standpoint, as he helped elevate the power play, with the Rangers’ moving the puck well, which eventually led to a goal from Fox. He was crisp in his return, and he did not seem to miss a beat or shake off any rust.
“I thought he had a strong game,” Mike Sullivan said of Fox. “I thought he played real well. I think you can see the impact that he has on our team.”
With the score tied 1-1 in the second period, Tom Wilson delivered a big-time body check to Noah Laba, and seconds later, Wilson scored with Laba riving in pain on the ice, taking him out of the play.
Laba made his way to the locker room after taking the hit from Wilson, and he ultimately did not return due to an apparent upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Conor Sheary suffered a lower-body injury later in the period. He also left the game and ultimately did not return.
After Laba and Sheary left the game, the Rangers were forced to play with 10 forwards instead of 12, putting Sullivan in a position where he had to shuffle the lines.
“It just taxes guys when you lose two guys early like that to injury,” Sullivan said. “You're down to short numbers, so that's just the reality of the way the game played out.”
Sullivan confirmed that both Laba and Sheary are being evaluated, but he did not provide any further details on their current status.
Despite a strong push from the Rangers in the third period down 3-2, two goals from Aliaksei Protas and Wilson late in the final frame put this game to rest.
Mike Sullivan Credits Gabe Perreault For Improved Play Upon Return To Rangers We are beginning to see flashes of Gabe Perreault’s offensive potential at the NHL level with the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a>.
The Rangers have now lost three consecutive games, but the team now heads to the Sunshine State to play in the Winter Classic on Friday night against the Florida Panthers.
A game of this magnitude, flat in the middle of the season, can serve as a bit of a refresher and a turning point for a Blueshirts team that is sitting just above a .500 record, while finding itself outside the playoffs.
“We need a game where we play well and we win,” Mika Zibanejad said. “Winning solves a lot of it. We just have to find a way. We have to be better.”
