NEW YORK — Maybe you don’t call it a laugher since the Nashville Predators held a 19-6 edge in shots during the third period. But it was close to that for the New York Rangers, who haven’t dominated too many games this season but were in complete control after 40 minutes on the way to a 4-0 win over hapless Nashville.
The win, coming a day after the Rangers sent Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Avalanche, pushed the Rangers back to the edge of the East playoff picture, two points back of the Red Wings for the final wild-card spot. J.T. Miller (goal, assist) and K’Andre Miller (goal) did some of the damage and Jonathan Quick did the rest, especially during the third when he made 19 of his 34 saves.
The new Rangers acquitted themselves well. Calvin de Haan had an assist and played a capable 16:26 on the third pair with Zac Jones. Juuso Parssinen didn’t get on the score sheet save for six hits, something that’s not normally part of his game; he and de Haan each had six to lead the Rangers, clearly ready to make a good impression in their first appearances.
With Reilly Smith sitting out due to roster management and awaiting a trade, it was a younger lineup on Sunday. Brett Berard jumped back in, playing his first Rangers game since Jan. 9, and he played with some fire in his belly, scoring his fourth goal of the season in the third.
A closer look at Quick’s acrobatics, K’Andre Miller’s step up as the last remaining top-four defenseman from the start of the season, the J.T. Miller effect and another questionable Matt Rempe hit:
Quick shines
Quick recorded his third shutout in 16 starts this season and 63rd of his career, one behind Henrik Lundqvist on the all-time goalie list. As usual, the 39-year-old flopped and spun like a guy half his age, denying chance after chance for the Preds in a lopsided third period. The best was this scorpion save on Jonathan Marchessault:
JONATHAN QUICK AGAIN 😱
Scorpion save at 39 years old?!
📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/AH7OlZkw1Z
— NHL (@NHL) March 3, 2025
Quick is the last of the great improvisors in net, a throwback to the days of Dominik Hasek and the reactive, instinctual goalie. You have to be in sick shape to do that, whether you’re 19 or 29 or 39, and Quick earned win No. 402 in career game No. 800 by being the same goalie who rose to prominence in Los Angeles over a decade ago.
“He’s one guy that just never stops battling in there,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “When he needs to be in control, he’s in control. But sometimes it gets scrambled in there and he’s able to find it, read it and come up with it.”
You wonder whether this is it for Quick or whether he wants to play into his 40s as Igor Shesterkin’s backup. Games like Sunday show it would be a pretty good bet to give Quick another year if he wants it to keep the continuity going.
K’Andre Miller embracing the new responsibility
We’ll start with the Miller that’s been here all year. K’Andre Miller scored a highlight-reel goal to make it 3-0, racing up his off side to collect a J.T. Miller pass and whipping a backhand past Justus Annunen. It’s remarkable to note the Rangers’ top four on defense from the first weeks of the season was Lindgren-Adam Fox and Miller-Jacob Trouba.
Miller is the last one standing with Trouba and Lindgren traded and Fox out injured. Miller has solidified his game alongside Will Borgen, but solid isn’t going to be enough with Fox absent. Miller has to drive play at both ends of the ice and he did that on Sunday.
“Sometimes the opportunity comes in different ways,” Laviolette said. “You could be a new player on the team, you might not have been playing. Sometimes you’re in the lineup and this opportunity presents itself where you’re now taking all of the big minutes. I think he’s handled it really well.”
The moments ahead are not lost on Miller, whose game was hit or miss — mostly miss — for the first 45 games of the season. Borgen’s arrival has settled Miller’s game down and now he understands what the team needs from him.
“It starts with being good in our zone,” he said. “Any time we can force the opposition’s hand and it’s something we’re pretty good at, limiting the other team’s chances and not really allowing them to generate anything … I’m just trying to be consistent. It’s a little more responsibility now and I’m trying to run with it.”
J.T. Miller raising the bar
Yes, that was Mika Zibanejad throwing a pretty decent-sized hit on the forecheck in the second period. Call that the J.T. Miller effect — not only is Miller producing (now with 6-6-12 in his 10 games), there are Rangers rediscovering how important it is to finish checks and be physical with him leading the charge.
“He does everything the right way,” Laviolette said. “Even more to the point, he’s added something to (Will Cuylle) and Mika as well. His impact is not only just from himself but what he’s brought to the team.”
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Miller plugged in alongside a disengaged Rangers forward here and there through the rest of this season and beyond, just to reinforce what needs to be done.
Rempe scrutinized again
Rempe had a long conversation with NHL Player Safety head George Parros on the occasion of his eight-game suspension on Dec. 20. He was told in pretty clear terms that the way to avoid drawing the wrong kind of attention for his hits was to keep his arms as low as possible — when Rempe raises his arms to his own chest height, he’s already at other players’ head height, so any slight deviation or movement could cause him to crack someone’s head with his elbow even though his arms aren’t high on his own 6-foot-8 frame.
He’s drawn the Department of Player Safety’s attention again after an elbowing minor on Sunday. He didn’t hit Nashville’s Nick Blankenburg hard or flush, but enough of Rempe’s elbow caught Blankenburg’s head to have Player Safety ready to decide whether Rempe needs to have another call.
Rempe with the big hit and an even BIGGER scrap with Andreas Englund 😳 pic.twitter.com/aJNpoxA1se
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 3, 2025
He’s a very recent repeat offender so this hit, even a relatively minor one — Blankenburg stayed in the game — could bring a short suspension. Or it could just be another chat with Parros about what Rempe needs to do to avoid further calls from Player Safety.
“I think it was more of a miss,” Laviolette said. “Everybody keeps a close eye on Remps. It’s something we talk about with him all the time.”
With the Islanders coming to the Garden on Monday, we’ll know quickly whether Rempe will have a hearing.
(Photo of Jonathan Quick and Calvin de Haan: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
