It’s counterproductive to put stock in a win over the last-place team in the NHL, but there’s significance to a much-needed blowout victory.

Back on scoresheet in victory

The New York Rangers conclude the weekend back-to-back, Chicago on Sunday afternoon (3:00 PM ET - TV: ABC - Radio: ESPN 880 AM). New York will play five of its next six games against Western Conference teams.

In the second period, the Rangers truly started to dominate. Goals from Filip Chytil, Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck essentially put the game out of reach for Chicago. Throughout the entirety of the afternoon, the Rangers played a fast-paste style of ...

When Drury tried to trade former captain Jacob Trouba in the offseason and the latter refused waive his contract's no-trade clause, there was an effect on the locker room and it could have been the genesis of why the Rangers — the same team that came six wins away from a Stanley Cup within the last 12 months — began to break down.

Vincent Trocheck put the Rangers ahead 4-3 with a power-play goal ... The Rangers, coming off a 6-2 victory Sunday in Chicago, haven’t won consecutive games since Nov. 17 and 19. New York led 3-0 less than 12 minutes in, but Dallas tied it on goals ...

(AP Photo/Paul Beaty) Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom (40 ... Capitals left wing Pierre-Luc Dubois is defended by New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck, left, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Washington.

Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck scored twice, but goalie Jonathan Quick fell short in his bid to get career win No. 400.

So the Rangers will happily accept Sunday afternoon’s 6-2 win over Chicago in the United Center, especially given that this is a team that beat them in Madison Square Garden Dec. 9, and considering the victory was just the Blueshirts’ seventh in the last 22 games.

When Chris Drury traded Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, the Rangers lost their leader and captain. Elliotte Friedman has suggested in his latest 32 Thoughts

The Avalanche kick off their first road trip of 2025 with a Central Division matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks. This is the second of four meetings between the teams, as the Blackhawks won 5-2 in Denver on October 28, and they’ll play in Denver on March 10 and in Chicago on April 2.