NY Rangers See Encouraging Signs From Two Young Players in Loss to NJ Devils

While the New York Rangers might not have been able to win their preseason opener, there were some encouraging signs.

Apr 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand (33) looks on against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the offseason in the rearview mirror for the New York Rangers, they kicked off the preseason on the road against the New Jersey Devils. Even though it wasn’t likely NHL players for the Rangers playing, the team showed some encouraging things. 

After a very busy offseason, New York was back out on the ice on Monday night, and it was great to see the team back in action. This was a team that made a ton of changes and improvements this summer, and the franchise will have a much different look. 

On Monday, while it might not have been a lot of the guys that will be playing on Opening Night for the Rangers, there were some encouraging things to see. 

Rangers See Encouraging Things from Two Key Young Players

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Liam Greentree is selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

When the lineups were announced for this game, it was always going to be a bit of an uphill climb for New York to win this game. With it being the second preseason game for the Devils, they wanted to get some of their key players in the lineup to build chemistry and prepare for the regular season. 

However, while New Jersey might have had a lot of their NHL players, New York played them tough. One of the main reasons for the Rangers playing well was the performance of Dylan Garand in the net. 

There has been a lot of talk about what New York will do with Garand, and this performance makes it seem more likely that they will be carrying three goalies to start the season. 

Garand did really well despite the Devils controlling the game for the most part. While he might have gotten some help from the pipes on a couple of shots, he did really well in a game where the ice felt tilted at times. 

Furthermore, while the performance of Garand was great to see, so too was that of Liam Greentree. The talented prospect was a key piece in the Artemi Panarin trade, and the team is hopeful that he will be a big part of the franchise for years to come. 

In this game, he was able to record an assist on the first Rangers goal of the preseason, scored by Anton Blidh. The development of Greentree in the AHL will certainly be worth monitoring this year, and getting a chance in the NHL at some point this year is possible if he plays well. 

Even though the team might have lost by a score of 3-2, they played very hard in the opener.