Mike Sullivan Is ‘Disappointed For The Players’ After Rangers' Overtime Loss To Golden Knights

Story byMike Sullivan Is ‘Disappointed For The Players’ After Rangers' Overtime Loss To Golden KnightsRemy MasteyMon, December 8, 2025 at 5:08 AM UTC·4 min readIt was another overtime heartbreaker for the New York Rangers on Sunday night in their 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Going into this matchup, the Rangers were coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche, where they were happy with how they played and competed against the NHL’s best team. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat same effort level and momentum did not translate into the first period against Vegas, as the Blueshirts came out lackadaisical, giving up a goal less than one minute into the contest, while being bombarded with pressure from the Golden Knights.“We clearly didn't have our legs or energy in the first,” Mike Sullivan said. The Rangers flipped the script in the second period. The offensive charge was led by the line of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Alexis Lafrenière. While J. T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, and Conor Sheary have taken the shutdown-defensive role, it has been Panarin, Zibanejad, and Lafrenière who have transformed into the Rangers’ most dangerous offensive trio. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGoals from Zibanejad and Lafrenière in the middle frame gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead and newfound momentum. Lafrenière had two points on the night and his play caught the eye of Sullivan.“I thought it was one of his better games that he had all season for us, and that is what he’s capable of,” Sullivan said of Lafrenière.