3 major takeaways from New York Rangers' 5-4 preseason win vs New Jersey Devils 

The New York Rangers continued to roll in preseason, besting their rivals New Jersey Devils on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden with a 5-4 win to improve to 4-1 through five exhibition games while the Devils dropped to 1-5.

Kaapo Kakko opened the scoring for the Rangers in the first period, deflecting a shot past goaltender Isaac Poulter.

Jakub Zboril responded for the Devils, knotting the score at 1-1.

Adam Edstrom put the Rangers back on top, taking a cross-ice pass from Brennan Othmann and beating Poulter with a backhand attempt.

After Kevin Lebanc tied the game for the Devils, the Rangers took a two-goal lead thanks to tallies from Victor Mancini and Connor Mackey.

A third-period power-play goal from Vincent Trocheck then gave the Rangers a seemingly insurmountable lead, but the Devils staged a comeback attempt thanks to Lebanc's second tally of the game followed by Brian Halonen's goal with 35 seconds remaining in regulation. Despite the late push, the Rangers held on for a 5-4 win.

Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin played the first two periods and made 16 saves on the 18 shots he faced; while Dylan Garand allowed two goals on 16 shots in the third period.

Here's a closer look at three major takeaways from the New York Rangers' preseason win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.

3 major takeaways from Rangers' 5-4 preseason win over Devils

#1. Game was overshadowed by Artemi Panarin's injury

For the second time in exhibition play, the Rangers announced that star forward Artemi Panarin would not be returning to action after departing due to injury.

He played just four shifts during the game before it was announced that his night was over, and there wasn't much information regarding his status afterward.

“Players leave the game, there’s always concern,” head coach Peter Laviolette said via New York Post. “He’s being evaluated.”

Panarin was New York's leading scorer last season, registering a career-best 49 goals and 71 assists in 2023-24, and helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three years.

#2. New York's young players are emerging

The Rangers got multiple contributions from players hoping to earn full-time spots on the roster, with Zac Jones, Brennan Othmann and Bo Groulx each picking up a pair of assists.

Othmann, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, appeared in three games for the Rangers last season, while Jones is hoping to play his first full NHL season after appearing in 31 games last season.

Meanwhile, Groulx is hoping to win a roster spot after agreeing to a two-way contract with the Rangers in the offseason after playing in 45 games for the Anaheim Ducks in 2023-24.

#3. Rivalry remained fierce with multiple fights

Overall, three fights broke out during the game despite it not counting for anything in the standings.

Midway through the first period, Groulx took on Devils blue liner Jackson van de Leest in a bout that saw both players land several solid punches.

Known for playing with an edge, Mackey dropped the gloves not once; but twice, with the first fight coming against Sam Carrick.

His second fight saw him square off against Nathan Legare and delivered a few solid punches before wrestling him to the ice.

It may only be preseason hockey, but the historic rivalry between the two close-proximity foes remains as heated as ever.

The Rangers have one game remaining on their preseason schedule, a matchup against in-state rivals New York Islanders on Friday, before opening their regular season on Oct. 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.