Rangers End Season On High Note, But Uncertainty Around The Team's Future Still Remains
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The New York Rangers ended the 2025-26 season with a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. With one game remaining of the season and not much to play for, Mike Sullivan decided to give Dylan Garand another look to close out the year. It was Garand’s first start since he played on March 27 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 23-year-old goaltender put on a strong display, making 29 saves on 31 shots, en route to his second NHL victory. “I thought he was solid again,” Sullivan said of Garand. “He swallows a lot of pucks.
What really impressed me was his rebound control. I thought he did a great job swallowing pucks. There were whistles and faceoffs, and it just settles everything down when the goaltender has that type of rebound control, and he certainly had it tonight.
” This start comes just a couple of days after Jonathan Quick announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, leaving the backup goaltending job vacant for next season. Since being called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League on March 20, Garand has gotten a little taste of NHL action. Garand is well-positioned to replace Quick, and this recent stint with the Rangers has certainly helped his case.
“A lot,” Garand said when asked how much this taste will push him moving forward. “I never want to go back to the American League, honestly. I'm so hungry to be here.