COLUMBUS \u2014 As Sam Carrick and Mathieu Olivier stalked each other with gloves dropped and fists drawn on Saturday at Nationwide Arena, Carrick felt a sense of calm wash over him.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a learned habit that the New York Rangers veteran center has developed over the course of 58 career fights.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems to help,\u201d Carrick said following New York\u2019s 2-1 shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. \u201cThe more experienced you get, the better you feel and the more confidence you have.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are very few opponents, if any, who bring the level of ferocity and danger that Olivier does to a tilt. But as Rangers captain J.T. Miller proudly proclaimed, \u201cSam is showing that he\u2019s right in that group of fighters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both combatants landed heavy blows, with each drawing a reaction from the crowd. And while Olivier eventually won a narrow decision on a right hand that knocked Carrick down to one knee, the result was less meaningful than the act itself.<\/p>\n
Sam Carrick and Mathieu Olivier exchange punches \ud83d\udc4a pic.twitter.com\/1CSWk6C7WK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Carrick watched intently as Olivier crunched defenseman Matthew Robertson from behind, then went after Braden Schneider on the same shift earlier in the second period. He decided something needed to be done about it.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime there\u2019s borderline hits that the refs seem to be letting go, and then there\u2019s a scrum right after where a guy ragdolls our guy, throws him down, and refs have no problem letting that go, then I think that\u2019s when the temperature of the game starts to rise,\u201d Carrick said. \u201cThat\u2019s when I start to \u2014 I don\u2019t know if you call it anger or whatever \u2014 but I\u2019m just looking to stick up for teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n With Matt Rempe on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury suffered in an Oct. 23 fight with San Jose Sharks brawler Ryan Reaves, the responsibility to answer the bell has fallen squarely on Carrick\u2019s shoulders. He\u2019s embraced it with three spirited fights this season, which hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed.<\/p>\n It\u2019s often galvanized the group, with coach Mike Sullivan calling out Carrick as \u201ccourageous\u201d following Saturday\u2019s win while multiple teammates directed attention toward him in the visiting locker room.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has since Remps has been out, and Sam\u2019s tough as nails,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cHe\u2019s a good fighter. He\u2019s brave. He\u2019s a tough kid, and he plays the game hard, and he plays an honest game. That\u2019s a thankless job, but I know he commands so much respect from his teammates, his coaching staff. \u2026 It\u2019s an element that he adds to his game that makes him that much more valuable to our group.\u201d<\/p>\n Miller put it more succinctly: \u201cHe\u2019s got some balls.\u201d<\/p>\n Carrick\u2019s impact goes well beyond a few timely fights. He\u2019s been the anchor of a fourth line Sullivan uses to create momentum<\/a>, with the 33-year-old posting a solid 54.25 percent expected goals-for rate, according to Natural Stat Trick. He\u2019s also winning 50.7 percent of his faceoffs while serving as an effective penalty killer. But it doesn\u2019t hurt that he\u2019s become the player the Rangers look to when tempers flare and order needs to be restored.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not really much different than what I\u2019ve done my whole career,\u201d Carrick said. \u201cIt\u2019s basically what got me to this level was playing that role. Obviously, I\u2019m not the biggest guy, so it\u2019s not always easy. When you\u2019re looking to spark your team a lot, it\u2019s a tough job. \u2026 I\u2019m used to just having to do that here and there. I enjoy it. I enjoy the buzz you get from the teammates after. It seems to spark guys, so it\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Eight more observations from Rangers\u2019 third straight win<\/p>\n 1. The Rangers (10-7-2) returned to their lockdown defensive ways following Wednesday\u2019s 7-3 win in Tampa Bay<\/a>, which Sullivan described as too \u201cloose.\u201d They limited the Blue Jackets to 24 shots on goal over 65 minutes while controlling their transition game, which was an issue against the Lightning. Neither team scored at five-on-five, but that low-event style has suited New York well while compiling an NHL-best 9-1-1 record on the road. \u201cIt\u2019s evidence that we can win different ways,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cI think a sign of a good team is when they have a comfort level playing in a one-goal game and a low-scoring game, and I believe that we\u2019re developing that comfort level.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. There was a lengthy feeling-out period to begin the game, with neither team generating a whole lot in the opening 15 minutes. The turning point came when Jackets forward Miles Wood split the Rangers\u2019 defense off the rush and got hooked from behind by Taylor Raddysh before he could complete the partial breakaway. You could argue it only warranted a two-minute minor, but the officials signaled for a penalty shot as Wood crashed into the back boards.<\/p>\n A hooking call may have sufficed here but #NYR<\/a> get the save from Igor on the penalty shot so they\u2019ll take it. pic.twitter.com\/COwACZd0Gu<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) November 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Are the Rangers crazy to prefer a penalty shot from a fourth-liner vs. giving the other team a power play? It worked out in their favor, with Igor Shesterkin calmly making a left-pad save on Wood\u2019s attempt to keep the game scoreless with 3:41 remaining in the period.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call them critical moments,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cThere are moments in a game that have the potential to change outcomes, and that\u2019s one of them. We get a great save from Shesty in that instance, and I think our team gets life from it.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. The Rangers dominated from there and put together one of their sharpest stretches in the last several games. They began the second period by registering the first 11 shots on goal, including two from Mika Zibanejad that led to a power-play goal at the 5:42 mark \u2014 the first resulting in a rebound that he converted for his sixth goal of the season. New York now has four PP goals in its last five games after scoring the same number in its first 14, with the recent uptick coming in the aftermath of moving Will Cuylle to the net-front position<\/a> on the top unit.<\/p>\n STUCK WITH IT. pic.twitter.com\/mwxEVfM0us<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhen you have that net presence and you make the goalie sight lines difficult and you force defensemen to have to pay attention and defend you there, opportunity presents itself,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cI thought for a lot of the season, the power play has generated a lot of offense. We went through that stretch of games where it was just a struggle for us to score \u2014 five-on-five, the power play, every circumstance. But I feel like as the season\u2019s gone on here, we\u2019re starting to climb our way out of that.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. The Rangers\u2019 momentum was disrupted once penalties began flying midway through the second period. There were six called in total, including for too many men on the ice, that led to Columbus forward Dmitri Voronkov netting a PP goal that knotted the score at 1-1 with 4:40 to play in the period.<\/p>\n 5. Neither team could break through in a tight-checking third period, which led to overtime and then the Rangers\u2019 first shootout of the season. Sullivan went with Artemi Panarin first, who was stopped by Jackets goalie Jet Greaves, but Vincent Trocheck and Miller followed by each converting their attempts to secure the win. Miller calmly approached from the left wing and finished with a forehand over Greaves\u2019 shoulder. It was a predetermined move that he claimed came from having limited choices in his bag. \u201cI just have basically two shots and a move,\u201d the captain said. \u201cYou kind of have your mind made up (before you go).\u201d<\/p>\n THE CAPTAIN ENDS IT! \ud83d\udea8 #NYR<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/tlzBmCNo28<\/a><\/p>\n