The metrics under the hood tell a curious story centered on one basic fact: Kakko and his linemates are on a shooting hot streak while Lafreniere and his linemates are in a shooting slump.

Marshall backed out of the game because so many players entered the transfer portal after coach Charles Huff's departure. Despite being decades removed from their last Super Bowl victory, the Dallas Cowboys remain the top dog when it comes to value, ratings and branding.

The Rangers have been consistently getting the results they want since the calendar flipped to 2025. The point streak began Jan. 5 with a 6-2 win at the Chicago Blackhawks. In the past 10 days, they're 4-0-1 with victories against the Devils, Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Hockey Club and Columbus Blue Jackets.

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.

He has been a solid fit in the Rangers defense corps since coming to New York in the Kaapo Kakko trade on Dec. 18.

The New York Rangers are looking a lot more like the team most expected them to be this season amid a seven-game point streak, and the mood in the locker room has drastically improved following a tumultuous first half of the campaign.

Since being traded away by the New York Rangers, forward Kaapo Kakko has found a new home with the Seattle Kraken. Amid a hot streak, the 23-year-old Finn dropped a bold message, aiming at Peter Laviolette and his former team.

The hope when the Seattle Kraken acquired forward Kaapo Kakko from the New York Rangers was that the former second-overall pick could reignite his stale career.

The New York Rangers traded Kakko to the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 18 and he has taken off ever since. In 10 games with the Kraken, the 23-year-old forward has recorded three goals, four assists and seven points. He is also averaging 15:59 minutes per game compared to his 13:17 minutes with the Rangers, which is a substantial increase.

Last night, the New York Rangers bested the Columbus Blue Jackets in a defensive battle that reached a shootout after a scoreless game. The shootout went three rounds, with Vincent Trocheck scoring the only goal.

Here are three things to watch for when the New York Rangers visit the Montreal Canadiens in an important Eastern Conference clash.

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).