Overview
- Chris Kreider and former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba played their first game back at MSG on Monday after separate trades sent them to Anaheim.
- Kreider has 13 goals in 28 games and was credited by Ducks coach Joel Quenneville with jump‑starting Anaheim’s power play.
- Trouba has rebounded in a top‑pair role for the Ducks, producing five goals with a strong plus/minus while logging heavy minutes.
- Since Drury’s November 2024 memo made core veterans available, the Rangers have played to roughly a .500 pace after previously ranking among the league’s elite.
- Rangers coach Mike Sullivan scratched Mika Zibanejad for missing a team meeting, altering New York’s lineup on the night of the homecoming.