
The biggest question facing every WNBA team in training camp
WNBA training camps open with key questions for each team.
The New York Rangers lost 2-0 to the Dallas Stars despite a strong defensive effort and goaltending. Jason Robertson scored both goals, including an empty-netter, while Jake Oettinger made 22 saves.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Dallas Starsâ combination of forward Jason Robertson and goaltender Jake Oettinger was too much for the New York Rangers on Saturday night.
Robertson broke a scoreless tie at 12:49 of the third period and added an empty-net goal to support Oettingerâs 22-save performance in a 2-0 victory that assured the Stars of home ice against the Minnesota Wild when the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin next week.
The Rangers limited one of the NHLâs most potent offenses to 18 shots before Robertsonâs empty-netter, and Igor Shesterkin was far sharper than he was in New Yorkâs 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in the home finale three days earlier.
But for the NHL-worst 10th time this season, the offense failed to deliver. The power play, which had been among the Leagueâs best since the Olympic break, went 0-for-5 and managed just three shots on goal.
The Stars werenât much better, but they made the last of their four power plays count when Robertson took the rebound of Matt Ducheneâs shot in the lower left circle, took a step to his right and roofed a backhander to put Dallas up 1-0.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Robertson, who can become a restricted free agent this summer, tied Wyatt Johnston for the team lead with his 44th of the season when he hit the empty net at 19:01.
It was a game that didnât see either team generate much offense â high-danger chances in all situations were 8-5 for the Stars. The Rangers will try to rediscover the scoring touch theyâd shown since the Olympic break when they visit the Florida Panthers on Monday night in the second of their three-game, season-ending road trip. They finish their season Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning
The Rangers had the better of play in a boring first period that saw neither team manage a shot on goal for the first eight minutes. The Rangers outshot Dallas 5-3, out-attempted the Stars 13-7, outhit them 10-5 and earned the only two power plays. New York spent most of the period controlling the puck in the offensive zone, but the Stars largely kept the Blueshirts to the outside.
The Rangersâ best chance came with less than five minutes left when J.T. Miller got the puck alone in the slot and fired, but Oettinger was in the right spot to make the save and prevent a rebound. The Stars mounted little pressure on Shesterkin, who spent most of the period watching the action at the other end of the ice on the video board.
The action picked up in the second period, largely because of the plethora of power plays. They had three, including a 5-on-3 advantage for 58 seconds in the final two minutes that was cut short by a double-minor for high-sticking assessed to Vincent Trocheck at 19:51.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Dallas had nearly three minutes of power-play time early in the third period, but the Rangersâ penalty kill kept the Stars at bay. But that wasnât the case after Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson was called for holding at 11:39.
Jason Robertsonâs slick move broke the scoreless tie, and the Rangers managed just one shot on goal until his empty-netter put the game away.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Rangers lead the NHL in times being shut out, though Saturdayâs loss was just the third time they were blanked on the road.
There wasnât much offense generated by either team all night. Most distressing was the fact that the Rangers never put any pressure on the Stars from the time Robertson put Dallas ahead to his game-sealing empty-netter.
Coach Mike Sullivan had no complaints about his teamâs play when asked about the fact that one of every eight games this season ended up with a â0â on the Rangersâ side of the scoreboard.
âThe teams played really good. Iâm really happy with how weâve played here down the stretch,â he said. âWeâve competed hard.â
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Rangers canât say they didnât have opportunities with the extra man. They spent eight minutes on the power play, which was 5-for-9 in the previous three games but did nothing with all that time on the man-advantage.
How futile were they?
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blueshirts did not have a single high-danger scoring chance on the power play. For a team thatâs been relying on extra-man goals for a big part of its offense, this kind of production was a one-way ticket to losing.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The loss kept the Rangers last in the Eastern Conference and fourth from the bottom in the overall NHL standings. According to Tankathon, they have a 9.5 percent chance of winning the NHL Draft Lottery next month.
Beating the Panthers and Lightning to end the season might make Rangers fans feel good. But for a team that lacks premium young talent, the better the chance of winning the lottery, the brighter the future for the Blueshirts.
Rangers fans should ask themselves this question: Would they rather have swept the Islanders last season and finished ahead of their local rival â or lost a couple of those games, ended up behind them and picked Matthew Schaefer?
Related Headlines
Jason Robertson broke the scoreless tie in the third period, followed by an empty-net goal, leading to the Stars' 2-0 victory.
The Rangers limited the Stars to just 18 shots on goal, showcasing a strong defensive effort throughout the game.
The victory secured home ice for the Dallas Stars against the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Igor Shesterkin had a sharp performance, making 22 saves, significantly improving from his previous game against the Buffalo Sabres.

WNBA training camps open with key questions for each team.

Check out the top 10 plays from Victor Wembanyama's record-setting season!

NBA 2026 Awards: Key Ballot Insights from Bontemps

10 NFL draft prospects to watch for fantasy football this year!

Get ready for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs with our mega-preview of all 16 teams!

Spring football games feature 23 Power 4 matchups this weekend, with the ACC hosting eight and the SEC seven. Notable teams include Virginia Tech under new coach James Franklin and Michigan led by Kyle Whittingham.
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.