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Mike Sullivan left ruing ‘concerning’ Rangers infractions even as penalty kill dominates
The New York Rangers beat the St Louis Blues 3-1, killing all six penalties and moving to first in the NHL with a 90.4 per cent penalty-kill rate. Coach Mike Sullivan praised the unit but said repeated stick infractions were concerning because they kept giving opponents chances to change the game’s momentum.
Dylan Garand made 32 saves, while the Rangers have conceded only five power-play goals this season. Five stick penalties came while the teams were level or the Rangers led by one. The article also reports that Matt Rempe is ignoring trade speculation linking him with Edmonton, Sean Durzi remains day to day with an undisclosed injury, and Adam Fox has 19 points in 16 games.
In short
- Rangers beat St Louis 3-1 and rose to first in penalty-kill success.
- Sullivan warned that repeated stick penalties are concerning.
- Rempe says he is focused on earning a regular place.
Explained simply
In ice hockey, a penalty can send a player to the penalty box and leave their team short-handed. The other team then has a power play, with more players on the ice and a chance to score; the short-handed team tries to kill the penalty by keeping the puck out until play returns to full strength.
The New York Rangers play in the NHL, North America’s top professional ice hockey league. Mike Sullivan is their head coach, and the penalty kill is the part of the team responsible for defending during an opponent’s power play.
Penalty killing can help decide close games, but repeated penalties also give opponents extra scoring chances and can shift momentum. A team’s penalty-kill rate measures how often it prevents a goal while short-handed.