Noah Laba

Noah Laba opens up exclusively about dropping the gloves for the first time in the NHL and the eye-opening takeaways. The young tough guy eyes broadening his role beyond enforcer duties that define so many careers. His growth could tip the scales for his club in tight matchups.

Hendrix Lapierre finally unleashes the fire we've seen simmering in practices, dropping the gloves with Noah Laba in his first career scrap at any level. You know that moment when a skilled forward decides he's done playing nice - Lapierre picks it now, against a guy who loves to mix it up. This changes how opponents see him on the ice, and the locker room buzz will tell the real story.

New York forward Noah Laba lands on the week-to-week shelf after getting dinged in a loss to New Jersey, joining Urho Vaakanainen on the sidelines for the Rangers. Coach Mike Sullivan faces lineup headaches with Quick also day-to-day, forcing a recall from Hartford ahead of a Sunday clash with Winnipeg. These injuries test the Rangers' depth at a critical juncture in their season.

The Rangers' night against the Devils turns grim as Urho Vaakanainen exits early with an upper-body issue and rookie center Noah Laba follows suit after a lower-body tweak in the second period. Laba's breakout season as the No. 3 center - 21 points in 64 games, solid PK minutes - has been a rare bright spot for a New York development machine that's taken plenty of heat.

Vladislav Gavrikov channels his inner gondolier on the ice, turning a routine play into his 42nd career NHL goal and 13th of the season against Minnesota. The Rangers defenseman's no-look snipe late in the first puts New York up 2-0, capping a three-point night that includes helpers on goals from Noah Laba and Vincent Trocheck. With four goals and nine points in nine games since the Olympic break, Gavrikov proves he's no ordinary blueliner in this heated Rangers-Wild clash.