The New York Rangers opened their season with a 3–0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers started slow and never found a groove. The lone bright spot was Igor Shesterkin, who stopped 27 of 28 shots. On the other side, Arturs Silovs recorded a 25-save shutout, while Justin Brazeau scored twice. It was a rough start to the Rangers’ season, but there are still 81 games left to turn things around.
Game Recap
Twenty-five seconds into the game, the Rangers surrendered their first high-danger chance when Sidney Crosby came flying into the zone, but Shesterkin stood tall. After a minute of sustained zone time, Adam Fox skated the puck out before being hooked by Harrison Brunicke, giving the Rangers their first power play of the season. The power play produced one shot on goal, but couldn’t get much going. Midway through the first period, Fox was sent to the box for interference against Crosby. The Rangers’ penalty kill looked excellent, keeping the game tied. Mika Zibanejad had a Grade-A scoring chance alone in front, but it went wide. With under a minute to go in the period, Evgeni Malkin won a draw and found Brazeau wide open in front, and Brazeau beat Shesterkin to make it 1–0 Penguins heading into the intermission.
The second period saw the Rangers outshoot the Penguins 13–7, but even with that, the ice felt tilted toward the Rangers’ zone. They struggled with zone exits and entries, and most of their shots were unscreened and directed right at Silovs’ chest. Shesterkin made a few great saves to keep the score 1–0. Near the end of the period, Kris Letang tripped Artemi Panarin, giving the Rangers a power play and a chance to tie the game. They created a few chances, but the period ended with 55 seconds remaining on the man advantage.
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Needing a goal to tie the game in the third period, the Rangers saw the 55 seconds they had left on their power play come and go. They were outshot 15–5 in the final frame, and even when they created offensive zone time, they hesitated to pull the trigger. With just over two minutes left, Mike Sullivan pulled Shesterkin, and Brazeau scored almost instantly. Sullivan pulled him again shortly after, and Blake Lizotte scored, again, almost immediately. The final minute and a half was spent in the Rangers’ zone as the Madison Square Garden crowd booed when the final buzzer sounded.
Rangers Takeaways
- Shesterkin looked like the all-world goaltender he can be. After a statistically down season, the Rangers need him to return to form, and this game was a strong start. He deserved a better result. It wasn’t so much that Silovs outplayed Shesterkin; he simply didn’t face as many high-danger chances. Shesterkin finished with a .964 save percentage and kept the Rangers in a game that could have easily gotten out of hand. If he continues to play like this, the Rangers will have no issues in goal this season.
- The Rangers’ power play picked up right where they left off last season. That is not a compliment. After four years of having one of the best conversion rates on the power play in the league, last season, they slipped to near the bottom. They went 0-for-2, but more than that, they never seemed to test Silovs or the Penguins’ penalty killers. That is where the issue lies. If they were putting shots on net, moving the puck around with crisp, quick passes, and the goalie wouldn’t let anything in, it would be one thing, but that is not the case; they don’t test anyone. The Rangers’ power play will need to wake up; otherwise, it will be another tough season in New York.
- It was a special night for Rangers rookie center Noah Laba, who made his NHL debut. He created a few chances throughout the game and showed off his hustle through his forechecking and skating ability. He contributed on the Rangers’ only penalty kill of the game and looked like he belonged in the NHL. In a game where positives were hard to find, Laba was a true bright spot.
- Next Game: Thursday, Oct. 9, 7:00 PM ET, at Buffalo Sabres.
