Gabe Perreault’s Debut for the Rangers
Gabe Perreault made his much-anticipated season debut against the Predators on Monday as the Rangers celebrated their first win at Madison Square Garden.
Earlier that week, the Rangers called him up from Hartford after a rough patch, having lost seven games straight at home. Perreault had been finding his stride with the Wolfpack, scoring in four consecutive games and racking up a total of eight points during that stretch.
“I think I played well,” the 20-year-old reflected after the morning skate on Monday. “I’m really glad I went there, played lots of minutes, and worked on the little things. I hope it translates to my game.”
In the 6-3 victory over Nashville, Perreault skated on the top line alongside Mika Zibanejad and JT Miller.
Further, head coach Mike Sullivan decided to place Perreault on the second power play unit, joining Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck, Taylor Radish, and Braden Schneider. It was during this time that he recorded his first NHL point, assisting Lafreniere’s goal during the second period power play.
“I think it gives us more depth,” Sullivan commented about adding Perreault to the roster. “That gives us more balance. Gabe has been off to a pretty good start, especially recently in Hartford. He’s an offensive player with solid instincts. Our focus is to set him up for success so that he can utilize his strengths effectively.”
Sullivan added, “If we can see the best version of him, it could be beneficial for our team. This opportunity is exciting, and we’re eager to see what he can do.”
Perreault, who missed some games for the Wolfpack recently due to what seemed to be an upper-body injury, reassured everyone that it was just a precaution. He feels physically fine.
Now, he joins four other rookies this season with the Rangers: Noah Laba, Matthew Robertson, Brennan Osman, and Jaroslav Schmeral.
“We want to position our players for success,” Sullivan explained. “The goal was to allow Gabe to develop his skills while preparing him for a call-up. After discussing with Chris [Drury] the other night, we made the decision yesterday.”
According to Sullivan, this move was influenced by both Perreault’s performance and the team’s current needs.
In other news, Matt Lempe, who has been sidelined with an upper-body injury, was moved to long-term injured reserve on Monday. He’s missed the last eight games since an injury he sustained against the Sharks on October 23. Being on LTIR means he must miss at least 10 games and 24 days, so he could return after the November 16 game against the Red Wings.
In the meantime, Igor Shesterkin secured his fifth victory of the season, saving 27 of 30 shots during the game.
