Bantering Points: 1/1/25

Here are today's news and links:

Rangers News:

Mollie Walker notes that even in the midst of one of Filip Chytil's best games of the season, Peter Laviolette opted against sending the young forward onto the ice as an extra attacker in the waning moments of the game (NY Post)

Walker also discusses what comes next in the wake of Igor Shesterkin's placement on injured reserve with an upper-body injury (NY Post)

Colin Stephenson offers his takeaways from a December to forget as the Blueshirts leave 2024 behind with an ugly 3-10-0 record in its final month (Newsday)

Neil Best details how to watch any and all MSG properties, of which the Rangers are on, as MSG and Altice enter a contract dispute that will take the MSG family of networks off the air for the time being (Newsday)

Anthony Russo argues that with Brennan Othmann returning to the lineup in AHL Hartford after an early season injury, the former first round pick should be up with the big club sooner rather than later (The Hockey Writers)

Stan Fischler calls on Chytil to be the player to spark the Blueshirts out of their slump (The Hockey News)

Remy Mastey makes the case for why Vincent Trocheck should fill the vacancy New York's captaincy currently has (The Hockey News)

Peter Baugh rank$ the most embara$$ing lo$$e$ that have helped the Blue$hirt$ tumble all the down to the NHL'$ bottom five in the $tanding$ (The Athletic)

Around the NHL:

The Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago was a lopsided affair as the St. Louis Blues dominated to the tune of a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks (TSN)

Avry Lewis-McDougall reminisced on the top five jerseys the Winter Classic as brought hockey fans over the years (The Hockey News)