Rangers Can Use Emotional Win Over Stars As A Turning Point

The New York Rangers showed a side of themselves that we had not seen all season in their 3-2 overtime win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.

Going into this matchup, the Rangers were coming off of a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in what Mike Sullivan described as one of the team’s worst performances of the season.

Adam Fox also suffered a shoulder injury during Sunday’s game, which landed him on long-term injured reserve, as the Rangers entered their first full game without their star defenseman.

The Rangers fared well through the first 40 minutes of play, generating high-quality scoring chances while containing the Stars’ potent offense.

The score was tied going into the third period after goals from Carson Soucy and Kyle Capobianco.

Disaster struck about midway through the final frame when J.T. Miller’s turnover led to an odd-man rush and a Mikko Rantanen goal, which put the Rangers in a 2-1 hole.

Given the Rangers’ lack of success at home and overall struggles when down late in games, it was safe to assume that they would be rattled by Rantanen’s goal and let their game unravel.

However, the Blueshirts continued to dominate the pace of play and generated offense at a high rate, eventually leading to Will Cuylle finding the back of the net, breathing life and energy into Madison Square Garden.

In overtime, Vladislav Gavrikov quickly scored the game-winning goal, capping off a gutsy come-from-behind victory.

It wasn’t just that the Rangers won, but it was the way they stuck to their identity and didn’t get overwhelmed trailing late in the game that was truly impressive.

“It certainly reinforces the game we're trying to play when you have success,” Sullivan said. “I thought we competed hard against a really good team. Given the fact that it's been a bit of a struggle to find wins here in this building, that could have affected the group in a negative way, and I give the players a lot of credit, because I think there was a certain determination and their mindset tonight, that wasn't gonna beat us.

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“I love the response to continue to push and look for that next goal. I'm happy for the players, because obviously they care a lot about winning, but they care in particular, a lot about winning at home, so I couldn't be happier for the guys. I think they worked hard and I think they earned it.”

It was only fitting that Gavrikov scored the game-winning goal.

The Rangers brought him in this offseason to help stabilize the defense and form a strong one-two punch alongside Fox.

Without Fox, Gavrikov played a team-high 22:29 minutes, as he stepped into the No. 1 defenseman role.

Gavrikov has also made a surprising impact offensively, recording five goals, seven assists, and 12 points on the season thus far.

“We think he's a very good defenseman,” Sullivan said of Gavrikov. “We thought he was a good defenseman when we signed him, and he's been everything we had hoped he'd be, and then some. He defends hard. We rely on him in these situations. He's helped us on the offensive side, maybe a little bit more than we had expected, which is great.”

This win could be used as a turning point for the Rangers.

The start to the 2025-26 campaign has been plagued by their struggles at home and an overall lack of mental confidence.

Things seemed to always spiral out of control for the Rangers over the course of a game, largely due to frustration boiling over the surface.

The Rangers showed mental toughness on Tuesday night, maybe turning the page on their early-season woes at the world's most famous arena.

“It's good to get that, especially on home ice in front of our fans and after a poor performance on Saturday,” Cuylle said. “I think it shows some resilience in here, just bouncing back and being able to reset. Being proud of the way we play in front of our fans is really important to all of us, so I'm glad we could put out a good effort today and get the win.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators.