Preview: Blues at Rangers

After a dramatic 5-4 comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, the St. Louis Blues will visit Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers in the second stop on their four-game road trip.

This is the first of two regular season meetings between these teams. The Rangers swept the 2025-26 season series with a 3-2 regulation win in game one and a 2-1 overtime victory in the rematch. 

What: Blues at Rangers
When: Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. CT
Where: Madison Square Garden in New York, NY
Watch: Blue Note+
Listen: 101 ESPN

QUICK HITS

BLUES On Saturday the Blues had just 11 shots on goal and a two-goal deficit with under 12 minutes left in regulation. They won anyway. 

The Blues scored three unanswered goals in the span of just 4:38 to pull off a stunning comeback win over Detroit. Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Barron scored in the third period to tie the game, before Aleksanteri Kaskimaki scored his first career NHL goal - the game-winning goal - with 6:45 remaining in the game.

"It's a pretty good feeling," Kaskimaki said. "I had chances and looks in the previous games and now to get in on this game and the game-winning goal, it's pretty unreal."

Barron and Jimmy Snuggerud both scored a goal and recorded multi-point games, 11 different Blues players recorded a point and Joel Hofer made 24 saves on 28 shots.

"This was a game where we didn't have our game, and we found a way to find it," said Head Coach Jim Montgomery. "That's something good teams have to do and the feeling in that locker room is special. We have to carry on this momentum."

RANGERS In January, following a disappointing start to the Rangers' season, General Manager Chris Drury published an open letter to fans outlining a strategic shift toward a retool built around core players and prospects. This offseason was Drury's first step towards constructing a younger, faster and competitive roster. 

During the 2026 NHL Draft, the Rangers acquired forward Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for three draft picks. Dorofeyev had 37 goals and 64 points for Vegas last season, and signed a seven-year contract extension with the Rangers. Defenseman Marcus Pettersson and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo were also acquired this offseason via trade. 

Additionally the Rangers had their own top-10 draft pick, selecting defenseman Alberts Smits at No. 5 overall. Smits, the highest drafted Latvian player in NHL history, appeared in 38 games in the Finnish elite league "Liiga" last season, recording six goals and 13 points. He has played in all 15 games for the Rangers to begin the year.

Forward Tye Kartye, who was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Kraken in February, has four goals and 10 points to begin the season. Forwards Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand, who played in 80 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, signed with the Rangers as a free agents.

As part of the retool, the Rangers parted ways with veteran forward Vincent Trocheck, who spent four seasons in New York, trading him to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Sean Durzi, prospect Cole Beaudoin and a draft pick. 

New York has been riddled with injuries on the goaltending front, losing star Igor Shesterkin who suffered a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 9. Korpisalo was also reported to be out at least four more weeks on Oct. 10 after suffering a lower-body injury at the beginning of the season. Dylan Garand, who spent last season with the Hartford Wolfpack in the AHL, and James Reimer, who signed a league-minimum one-year contract, are currently manning the Rangers' crease. 

Led by Head Coach Mike Sullivan and captain J.T. Miller, the Rangers have begun the season with a 7-7-1 record. Defenseman Adam Fox leads the team with 17 points, followed closely by forward Alexis Lafreniere. Lafreniere, the 2020 first-overall pick, seems to be on the cusp of a breakout season, with nine goals and 16 points in the team's first 15 games. 

The Rangers are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday and are currently on a four-game losing streak.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

BLUES Jimmy Snuggerud has goals in back-to-back games, one of which came on the power play, and continues to contribute to the Blues offense with a team-leading eight tallies on the season. He will look to carry his momentum into Madison Square Garden against a struggling Rangers team that has allowed 17 goals in their past three games. 

RANGERS Will Cuylle has recorded at least one point in each of his past five matchups against the Blues, recording three goals and two assists in that span. Cuylle uses his 6-foot-3, 216 pound frame to establish the Rangers' forecheck, create a net-front presence in front of opposing goaltenders and win puck battles. Along with being a physical forward, he has established himself as a consistent goal scorer in his young career, recording back-to-back 20 goal seasons. According to New York media, Cuylle centered a line with Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen on his wings during the team's Monday practice. Traditionally a winger and having never played center, it will be worth watching how he adjusts to the position.

BLUE NOTES

• The Blues are 4-2-1 in their last seven games against the Rangers and are 1-1-0 in their last two games at Madison Square Garden.
• Since being traded to the Blues from the Rangers in the 2021 offseason, Pavel Buchnevich has recorded seven points (four goals, three assists) with a +7 rating in nine games against his former team.