Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves and three more in the shootout as the host New York Rangers earned a crucial 1-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. Vincent Trocheck scored in the second round of the shootout for the lone goal of the skills competition as the Rangers improved to 5-0-2 in their past seven games after dropping 15 of 19 (4-15-0).

"That's the frustrating part about it: to play so well for 58 minutes and not to capitalize," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said.

Falling just short, 3-2 in overtime, to a strong Avalanche team Tuesday night at Ball Arena, the Rangers felt like they had the game in hand for 58 minutes before Colorado forced overtime with a late score in the third period and ultimately won on a goal from Devon Toews in the extra period.

The New York Rangers have perked up their play since the start of 2025, going 4-1-2 in the new year, including 3-0-2 in their past five games, after finishing 2024 on a 4-15-0 slide. That’s helped them hang around in the Eastern Conference Turtle Derby for the two wild card spots, where Wednesday began with eight teams are separated by six points.

With the Avs' goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Lehkonen scored his 16th goal of the season and tied the game from the right doorstep at 18:47 of the third period. That goal marked Colorado's league-leading ninth goal at six-on-five this season.

Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar had a blunt, one-word summation after his team rallied for a 3-2 overtime win against the New York Rangers, calling it “unimpressive.”

DENVER – Devon Toews scored at 4:23 of overtime to help the Colorado Avalanche rally for a 3-2 win against the New York Rangers at Ball ... work on that one.” “[Lehkonen] doesn't score ...

Devon Toews scored with 37 seconds left in overtime, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 in Denver on Tuesday night. Artturi Lehkonen and Parker Kelly also scored, Nathan MacKinnon had two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves for Colorado.

Artturi Lehkonen (Colorado Avalanche) with a Goal vs. New York Rangers, 01/14/2025

We are firmly into the second half with a neck-and-neck-and-neck race for the top of the fantasy podium. Connor Hellebuyck will surely start getting some additional rest later in the season, so the race at the top right now is between Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon.

Amid a brutal stretch of play, the New York Rangers shook up their roster in December with a pair of major trades. The Rangers dealt their captain, defenseman Jacob Trouba, to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6 for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.