Rangers rally past Flyers in shootout after Othmann-Deslauriers clash at MSG

New York on Tuesday night hosted a dramatic showdown between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers that featured a midgame fight and a late rally. Brennan Othmann, the Rangers' 22-year-old rookie winger with fewer than 30 NHL games, defended himself after a hard check into the boards by Flyers enforcer Nic Deslauriers. Deslauriers, a 34-year-old veteran with 692 career NHL games and 778 penalty minutes, immediately squared up and delivered a sequence of rights that left Othmann briefly crumpled on the ice. Officials stepped in, and both players were assessed five-minute penalties for fighting as they headed to the box for a brief halt in the high-intensity Metro Division showdown.

The bout set the tone for a game that became one of the most physical meetings between the clubs this season. Philadelphia took advantage of the momentous tilt to press the pace and build a 3-1 lead, testing the Rangers’ resolve at home inside Madison Square Garden. New York responded with urgency, tightening its forecheck and cycling the puck with greater purpose. The momentum shift culminated in a dramatic comeback as the Rangers chipped away at the deficit, drawing even by the late stages of regulation and forcing overtime after a prolonged stretch of 3-on-3 play.

In the five minutes of 3-on-3 overtime, both teams traded chances as the pace intensified. The game eventually moved to a shootout, where the Rangers seized control with their two-time 2021-22 MVP-caliber performers, Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, converting on their attempts. New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who had to be sharp all night to keep the Flyers at bay, stopped a shot from Trevor Zegras and watched Travis Konecny’s attempt glance off the crossbar, preserving the tense, back-and-forth finish. Panarin and Trocheck found the back of the net in the shootout to seal the win for the Rangers, who remained hopeful about their standing in a tightly packed division.

The result extended New York’s home-winning streak to five games, underscoring the club’s resolve after an early deficit. The victory kept the Rangers sixth in the Metropolitan Division, but within two points of second place, keeping a crucial margin in a crowded race for playoff positioning. For the Flyers, the loss was a tough one to swallow in a game that featured a high-risk, high-reward style of play and a reminder that every point matters in a division where rivals collide repeatedly.

The incident involving Othmann and Deslauriers will likely be a talking point in the wake of the game, as both teams will review the sequence and its impact on the course of a contest that swung on a single moment of aggression and a subsequent collective effort to overturn the scoreboard. For Rangers fans, the night delivered on multiple fronts: a fierce response to physicality, a comeback from a two-goal deficit, and a victory that kept the club in the playoff hunt in a season that has demanded resilience from a young yet talented roster.