WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Rangers are playing some of their best hockey at the worst time.
Development and draft lottery odds should be the name of the Rangers’ game with just 17 contests remaining on the 2025-26 season schedule, but the meaningless matchups — like their 6-3 win over the Jets Thursday night — have seemingly done wonders for the team psyche.
Despite a tight 60-minute affair at Canada Life Centre, the Rangers pulled away with a three-goal third period to pick up their fifth win in their last seven games and their third in a row for the first time since November.
Gabe Perreault extended his point streak to three games with the game-winning goal.
Adam Edstrom scored his first goal since returning from a 33-game absence due to injury to add insurance.
The Rangers haven’t felt this good about their game maybe all season long.
For the second time in the last three games, the Rangers were the team to strike early.
A hooking call on Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi brought a relatively hot Rangers power play out onto the ice less than a minute into the game.
Adam Fox then opened the scoring with a shot from the top of the zone, marking his first power-play goal since Dec. 31.
The Rangers went on to finish 1-for-2 with the man-advantage on the night.
One of the newest Jets players, Isak Rosen, responded for Winnipeg early in the second period.
After landing in Winnipeg as part of the deal that sent Luke Schenn to the Sabres, Rosen scored his first as a Jet on Thursday to even up the score against the Rangers.
Alexis Lafrenière continued on the heater he’s been on since Artemi Panarin was first scratched before his eventual trade to Los Angeles.
Tipping in a Will Borgen shot for the 2-1 lead, Lafrenière notched his sixth goal in the last five games, as well as his ninth in the last 10.
The Rangers had a third one-goal lead squandered early in the third period.
Tye Kartye redirected a feed from Matthew Robertson for his fifth goal of the season and second as a Ranger, but the advantage only lasted just over three minutes.
Vilardi made up for the power-play goal that was scored on his team when he was in the box earlier in the game, burying a rebound past Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin for the 3-3 score.
