The New York Rangers secured a 5–0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, extending their point streak to nine games (6-0-3) without having suffered a regulation loss since Jan. 4.
The game featured a strong team performance from the Rangers and from Matt Rempe in particular, who delivered both a goal and a fight in New York's effort.
Rempe scored his second NHL goal this season in the third period, putting a backhand shot past goalie Leevi Merilainen to make it 3–0 after linking up with Adam Edstrom, who set up the chance.
“I screamed for (the puck), got back to it, and just went for (the goal),” Rempe said after the game. “It’s pretty exciting, especially to connect like that with Eddy—one of my best buddies.”
MATT REMPE WITH AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTY pic.twitter.com/5BbB4OkLkQ
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 22, 2025
Later in the period, Rempe dropped the gloves with Brady Tkachuk in defense of goaltender Igor Shesterkin after Tkachuk made contact with him in the crease.
The scuffle saw Shesterkin briefly confront Tkachuk himself before referees intervened, with Rempe taking over the fighting duties.
“I was a little nervous because I don’t want anything to happen to him,” Rempe said of Shesterkin. “But I love it because he’s a competitor. Igor’s the man.”
Shesterkin earned his second consecutive shutout, stopping all 20 shots he faced.
A breakdown:
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 22, 2025
Shane Pinto 2 for roughing
Brady Tkachuk 2 for roughing, 2 for interference
Igor Shesterkin 2 for leaving the crease
Matt Rempe 4 for roughing pic.twitter.com/YXvPfYcASg
Tuesday marked Rempe’s seventh straight appearance since returning from an eight-game suspension, with the Rangers going 5–0-2 during that stretch.
The win positioned the Rangers just two points behind the top-3 teams in the Eastern Conference wild-card race with 50 points in 47 games and a 23-20-4 record good for fifth in the Metropolitan Division.
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Through much of his time with the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has been too good to be a second-line center, yet not quite a top liner for a contender. Now aging out of his prime, his play has dropped off the past two seasons, only rebounding when moved to the wing next to midseason acquisition J.T. Miller. That presents a problem for New York. The Rangers are not deep down the middle. Moving Zibanejad back to center provides that depth, putting Vincent Trochek back in his appropriate 3C role. But does Zibanejad again suffer without Miller? It also leaves the Blueshirts thin on the right side. Zibanejad can’t play two positions at once and the Rangers cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. There is a solution, however: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. Anaheim and New York already have strong front office ties, with a pair of trades in the past eight months. The cross-continental line should be open. McTavish is precisely the player archetype that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has sought in this past year. The 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) and plays with a grit that Drury adores. An old-fashioned power forward in the making, McTavish hunts bodies, making life miserable for defenders on the forecheck and finds pockets of space when off the puck, where he unloads a cannon of a shot. An all-situations player, McTavish digs in the corners and is developing nicely as an offensive driver. McTavish is a hard worker who shows leadership traits. New Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan loves to play with speed and relentless pressure, a mantra that suits McTavish down to the ground. For a second-line center, McTavish’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but 52 points (22 goals) in 76 games for a bad Ducks team is nothing to sneeze at. In New York, he would also presumably get to play with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Given the playmaking ability of those wingers and McTavish’s heavy shot, 30-plus goals could be on the cards. Bleacher Report has stated that the Ducks are unlikely to extend McTavish an offer sheet, instead willing to match whatever offer comes his way. Does that mean he is on the trade block? At the very least it means that Anaheim will likely be willing to listen to offers. That said, it would take an almighty package to pry the former No. 3 pick out of Orange County. The Ducks would rightly command a first-round pick — if not two — and a highly-rated prospect. New York has its own first-rounders in store, as well as a, likely, late first-rounder next year, with second-round picks each year except 2027. Would New York part with a first, a second and a pair of its top prospects? The Rangers are loaded with left wing prospects. Whilst Gabe Perrault is likely off the table, Brennan Othmann, Adam Sykora and Brett Berard should be discussed, as should defenseman E.J. Emery. Would picks and a pair of prospects be enough for Anaheim, though? Here’s a thought experiment: a deal centered around Will Cuylle. As mentioned, the Rangers have a raft of left wingers coming through and Lafreniere is also a natural left winger. Would trading Cuylle for McTavish solve the Rangers' issues at the pivot, allowing Zibanejad to help fix the right-hand side and give the team room to develop more youngsters on the left? Could this solve three issues in one swoop? It would be a, potentially, seismic move, but it might just make sense for both teams, especially if the Ducks are not looking to keep McTavish around long-term. It would complete a remarkable offseason for Drury.
Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is likely to miss the entire 2025 season as he continues his recovery from last year’s brutal knee injury, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Dell dislocated his knee and tore his ACL, MCL and LCL in a Week 16 loss to the Chiefs in December. With such a severe injury, Houston’s focus is on Dell’s health and long-term career outlook. The team wants him to get healthy rather than rushing back to play this year. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said (via Wilson) that Dell is “crushing the rehab,” but declined to offer a specific timeline. His comments hinted that the team is not counting on Dell to return this season. Injuries were always the biggest concern surrounding Dell. His 5-foot-7, 165-pound frame was already undersized by college standards; in the NFL, it’s minuscule. Sitting out this season will set up a major contract year in 2026. Dell will need to prove that he is back at full health and can remain there for an entire season while maintaining his production. Dell was placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, along with teammates Trent Brown and Jimmie Ward.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, in back-to-back offseasons, traded away a talented wide receiver. Heading into the 2024 NFL season, the team made the surprising decision to move on from Diontae Johnson, sending him to the Carolina Panthers. It was a bold move that left questions about depth behind George Pickens, but the Steelers appeared to have a long-term plan in mind. This week, fans got a clearer picture. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky had told Louis Riddick a story and Riddick exposed it on Get Up on Wednesday and shared a never-before-told story about Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s relationship with Pickens. According to Riddick, Tomlin once passionately defended his coaching approach to Orlovsky when questioned about how he handled Pickens, offering a glimpse into the challenges the Steelers faced behind closed doors. "I sat in a TV production meeting where Mike Tomlin chastised Dan Orlovsky for asking about George Pickens and why George Pickens wasn't maybe being reprimanded a little bit harsher," Riddick said. "And Mike in no uncertain terms, said, 'Look, you don't give up on talent like this at this point.' So trust me, he knew what he had on his hands, too. As far as the upside of this young man." While the full story behind Pickens’ departure may never be known, it’s becoming increasingly clear that off-field concerns weighed heavily on Tomlin’s mind. The Steelers knew Pickens was a rare talent, and that’s why Tomlin didn’t punish him as much as he probably could have. It wasn’t because he thought Pickens was good enough to get away with it, but because his coaching style is different for every player. In Tomlin’s mind, he still had faith that Pickens would mature, but it appears that growth just didn’t happen fast enough. "We were all, were like, whoa," Riddick said of the panels reaction to Tomlin's secret comments in that production meeting. "Mike was not playing around. He was like, 'Y'all know how this business works now.'" Riddick described the moment as tense, and as the quotes are now being shared, Steelers fans are likely picturing exactly how that meeting went down. Tomlin is known for being a direct, no-nonsense leader. If something bothers him, he speaks up, and it appears he did not appreciate being questioned by Orlovsky about his coaching style when it came to Pickens. Steelers Fans Starting To Understand More Details Behind The George Pickens Trade According to Riddick, Tomlin firmly defended his approach during the exchange. He explained that his coaching style depends on the individual player, and with Pickens, he chose to be patient rather than overly critical. Tomlin believed Pickens could grow with time and guidance. In his mind, treating every player the same does not always produce the best results, and he trusted that Pickens would eventually mature. Despite Tomlin’s belief in his potential, that growth never fully happened. As a result, the Steelers chose to make a change. With Pickens now gone and Metcalf brought in to lead the wide receiver room, Pittsburgh is turning the page. Still, the story behind Pickens’ exit is one that will stick with fans, especially as more behind-the-scenes details continue to surface.
On Tuesday, the Chicago Bears announced they were signing veteran cornerback Tre Flowers ahead of their first day of practice for training camp. On Wednesday, the Bears announced they were parting ways with a veteran cornerback following Wednesday’s practice at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois. Per a post on X by the Bears, the team released cornerback Tarvarius Moore. Chicago extended Moore’s contract in March. He’s appeared in 72 games and started in 13 games. The San Francisco 49ers selected the Southern Miss standout in the third round of the 2018 draft. He played with the 49ers through 2022 before spending time with the Green Bay Packers in 2023. Tarvarius Moore played 11 games for the Chicago Bears Moore appeared in 11 games for the Bears in 2024. He was used primarily as a special teams player for Chicago and made seven tackles for the unit last season. Moore, 28, has recorded 115 tackles, one tackle for loss, six passes defensed, and two forced fumbles in his career. He had a notable moment in Super Bowl LIV when he picked off Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Following the release of Moore, the Bears have eight cornerbacks on the 91-man roster: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Zah Frazier, Josh Blackwell, Nahshon Wright, Nick McCloud, Shaun Wade, and Flowers.
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