HC Peter Laviolette makes feelings known about NY Rangers' first back-to-back wins since November 2024

The New York Rangers had been struggling after after a good start to the season with a 12-4-1 record. They went on a rough patch, winning only four games out of the next nineteen. Several high-profile trade rumors surfaced, and head coach Peter Laviolette's job was on the line. Given these circumstances, they were certainly underdogs heading into their game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

In a spirited performance on the road at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Rangers clinched a 2-1 win, marking their first back-to-back victories in the last 54 days. These wins were even more significant as they came against two of the league's best teams at the halfway stage: the New Jersey Devils and the Golden Knights. Overall, the Rangers are 4-1-1 following their nineteen-game skid.

Head coach Peter Laviolette praised his team's efforts, acknowledging the change in attitude with which they have approached their previous six games.

"It's two wins. But I do think that the guys we're playing a better brand of hockey right now. I have said this before, in some of the games we weren't winning, we were doing the right things to win games. And I think when you do that more consistently, your chances of being successful go up."

"And so, like I said, going back to the New Jersey game, it was a lot of good things defensively that we did tonight, especially through the first 50 minutes of the game, where we're exactly where we needed to be, and that if you lead with that, you get a chance to win hockey games. And that was for me, that was probably the thing that I noticed most of it," Laviolette said.

Goalie Igor Shesterkin was in peak form, saving 29 shots, including crucial power play attempts in the third period. The Rangers' depth also played a pivotal role, with Adam Edstrom scoring the game-winner in the third period.

Ryan Lindgren hopes the team can continue the momentum

Defenseman Ryan Lindgren also acknowledged the significance of their back-to-back wins. The Rangers are hoping to continue their momentum as they face the Avalanche in their next assignment.

“It’s obviously big, it’s a real good team over there,” Ryan Lindgren said. “Two in a row. We’re going to play a real good Colorado team [on Tuesday], so just got to keep building off of it. Just try and play better and better every game.”

The Rangers are now five points away from a playoff spot after climbing back to a .500 win percentage. With 40 games left to play, they have five teams standing between them and the second wild card playoff position.