It was a wild Wednesday on the ice at Benchmark International Arena. As the Lightning and Rangers got under way in the first period of the match, the two clubs combined to score seven goal in the first 15 shots of the game.
The Rangers went back-to-back to take a quick 2-0 lead over Tampa Bay less than four minutes in. The first goal was a wrist shot on a power play by Will Cuyelle that was assisted by Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin.
They then followed it up with a deflected shot by J.T. Miller that was assisted by Mika Zibanejad.
The Lightning then broke through in the second period! In his Tampa Bay Lightning debut the forward Scott Sabourin scored his first goal of his Lightning tenure and just the third of his NHL career. It was assisted by a pair of centers in Curtis Douglas and Jack Finley, each with the first assist of their careers to make it a 2-1 Rangers lead.
Just 7:08 into the period, the fourth goal of the game was scored by the Rangers, their third of the match. It was a wrist shot by Alexis Lafreniere to extend the Rangers’ lead to 3-1. He was assisted by Panarin and Carson Soucy.
But then the Lightning once again struck back. Zemgus Girgensons sent his third goal of the season between the pipes to make it a 3-2 game. He was assisted by Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjordkstrand.
Will Borgen then struck again for the Rangers. It was an unassisted wrist shot that extended New York’s lead to 4-2.
But Jake Guentzel kept the chaos going. His backhand shot that was assisted by J.J. Moser made it 4-3.
That’s where the wild period ended as both sides went to the locker room to regroup for the second period.
The second period was a much more defensive battle. Only one goal was scored in the period and it was by the Rangers.
Vincent Trocheck scored his first goal of the season to make it a 5-3 New York lead over Tampa Bay. His wrist shot was assisted by Panarin who had his third assist of the day, and Vladislav Gavrikov.
The lone goal of the period sent the game to a third and final period of regulation with the Rangers on top 5-3.
As the third period got under way, six minutes in Trocheck scored his second goal of the season to extend New York’s lead to 6-3 over Tampa Bay. He was assisted on the wrist shot by Urho Vaakanainen and Paranin who was having a heck of a game on his fourth assist of the season.
The Rangers then extended their lead over Tampa Bay even more late in the third as they took advantage of a power play goal to make it a 7-3 game. Cuylle had his second power play goal of the game. It was an unassisted wrist shot.
That’s where this game ended as the Rangers went on to defeat the Lightning 7-3 at Benchmark International Arena despite being out-shot 34-21. But the Rangers were able to make the most of more of their shots as their goalie, Igor Shesterkin shut down the Lightning offense after the first period.
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be back on the ice for perhaps their biggest matchup of the regular season this far on Saturday at 5:00PM EST when they take on the Florida Panthers down south in Sunrise, Florida.
While the jury remains out on the what Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will ultimately become in the NFL, it’s fair to say the organization overestimated how quickly he could lead it to consistent winning, which means it’s also fair to say the franchise made mistakes letting Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones walk.
However, Minnesota will have a chance to rectify those wrongs come the offseason, as Jones will be a free agent following a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts. ESPN currently ranks him the No. 3 free agent in the 2026 class.
“Jones has a chance to become the biggest earner in the free-agency class,” Jeremy Fowler wrote Wednesday. “The Colts appear all-in on keeping Jones long term, and they have comps for former top-10 picks who thrived when quarterbacking a new team: Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, who each earned three-year deals worth around $100 million.”
That is a significant amount of money, and not a tally Minnesota would be keen on paying, as the team’s entire strategy with McCarthy was to pay the QB position less so it could spread wealth around the roster. The Vikings did that, but the results haven’t been there.
McCarthy still has, and deserves, at least the rest of the year to play the string out. However, after injury problems cost him 22 of his first 24 regular-season games, and considering he has looked overwhelmed more often than not when healthy, McCarthy could be fighting for his starting job come March.
If the Vikings must spend $100 million to Jones to get back into contention, like they were with Darnold in 2024, that isn’t the biggest price to pay. Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa each make more than $50 million annually for franchises that won’t be playing in February anytime soon.
GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones.
The Colts are likely to make an offer to Jones that the Vikings would have trouble matching after inking him to a deal worth $14 million in 2025. Spotrac currently projects Jones’ market value at just under $46 million annually, or approximately $184 million over a new four-year contract, though that is likely more than the market will actually bear for a player the New York Giants cut during the middle of last season.
All of that said, what Jones will want isn’t simple to predict.
He spent the second half of last year in the Vikings QB room with head coach Kevin O’Connell. And as many weapons as the Colts have in the pass game, Minnesota matches or exceeds them.
Analysts Bill Simmons and Sheil Kapadia of The Ringer suggested on the November 5 edition of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” that the Colts may overplayed their hand dealing for Gardner. Despite the 8-2 record, both Simmons and Kapadia named three or four teams they’d favor over Indianapolis in the AFC playoffs this year, asserting further that this season’s success could merely prove a flash in the pan for the Colts.
If Minnesota came to Jones with a Mayfield-level offer, it is hard to believe that the dual-threat QB wouldn’t at least strongly consider it along with whatever else is out there for him next spring.
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.
And making a move for Jones wouldn’t mean that the Vikings have to push McCarthy out the door. He will still have two years remaining on his rookie contract come next offseason, with a fifth-year team option on the deal that Minnesota will not have to decide on for another full year.
This conversation perhaps won’t be relevant if McCarthy makes a leap over the last eight games of the campaign. However, if he doesn’t, what the 22-year-old QB has put on tape thus far is likely to force the Vikings’ hand in acquiring some competition for McCarthy next spring, at the very least.
“The scheme that helped push Sam Darnold into the top 10 in QB rating and top five in passing yards has not had the same impact on McCarthy, who has looked overwhelmed and erratic at times. While Darnold dominated downfield, McCarthy is 23-for-46 on passes over 10 yards downfield with 5 TDs and 5 INTs,” Matthew Coller of Purple Insider wrote Wednesday. “Per PFF, 22.0% of McCarthy’s pressures have been caused by him, which is the fifth highest rate in the NFL. He has the second highest pressure-to-sack ratio in the league, only behind rookie Cam Ward.”
Jones may not be the Vikings’ guy and $100 million may not be the number, but if McCarthy keeps on playing the way he has, fans should expect a serious move to add a serious name under center heading into 2026.