What’s different about the Rangers this season?

The New York Rangers have started off the 2025-26 regular season with a 2-2-0 record and a plus-five goal differential, and while their opening game against the Pittsburgh Penguins was a 3-0 dud, the team has looked like a more complete squad with head coach Mike Sullivan behind the bench and J.T. Miller now wearing the “C.”

On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton are joined by DFO’s Morning Cuppa Hockey co-host Jonny Lazarus for another edition of “The All 32” to discuss the Rangers’

Tyler Yaremchuk: Everyone is throwing around the buzzword “culture,” but I guess my question is: With Miller and Sullivan “in charge” of the room, what’s different about the Rangers?

Jonny Lazarus: For me, the biggest thing is a little detail: When you look at that game in Pittsburgh a few nights ago, Mika Zibanejad getting in the mix threw me off. Between whistles, roughing it up a bit, I think that was missing last year, that sort of “Give an F” attitude.

The year they won the Presidents’ Trophy, the whole conversation around Matt Rempe was that he gave them some sort of scare tactic, because no one was afraid to play the Rangers and he was the one guy who could change that. This year, they want all skaters to have that ability.

After the first game, the home opener against the Penguins was rough, it didn’t seem like the execution or effort was there. But I think it was more so Pittsburgh playing a great game.

In the last three games, the effort and energy has been there. Maybe they hadn’t been able to finish as consistently as they like, but you could feel the excitement and energy back in the room.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…