Overview
- New York sits 19-16-4 with 42 points, level with Florida for the East's second wild-card after a 7-3 comeback over Washington.
- The club has already played a league-high 39 games in an Olympic-year crunch that has limited practice time and increased workload.
- Sullivan’s North–South, defense-first shift has yielded more overall and high-danger chances than allowed, according to Natural Stat Trick.
- Scoring remains erratic, with 102 goals, only four double-digit scorers, an NHL-worst 5-10-3 at Madison Square Garden, and a league-leading 14 road wins in stark contrast.
- Adam Fox is eligible to return but his availability is uncertain, J. T. Miller is out week-to-week, and the roster freeze lifts Dec. 28 ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.