After getting shut out 3-0 in Boston on opening night, the New York Rangers came home Thursday night and gave the Garden faithful plenty to cheer about.
The Rangers exploded for five goals, Igor Shesterkin turned aside 24 of 25 shots, the penalty kill went a perfect 7-for-7, and several of the team’s new faces made an immediate impact as the Blueshirts cruised past the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-1.
And, oh yeah… Igor Shesterkin scored a goal.
Yes, you read that correctly.
The Rangers’ franchise goaltender put the cherry on top of an already impressive home opener, becoming the first goaltender in Rangers history to score a goal.
Not a bad way to kick off the season at Madison Square Garden.
A MUCH-NEEDED RESPONSE
Let’s be honest: after Tuesday night in Boston, Rangers fans had plenty of questions.
The offense couldn’t generate anything, the power play struggled to make an impact and the Rangers were unable to find the back of the net.
Thursday was a completely different story.
New York came out with energy, jumped on Tampa Bay early and never let the Lightning completely back into the game.
The Rangers finished with 25 shots, the same total as Tampa Bay, but the difference was what New York did with its opportunities.
Five goals.
Five different goal scorers.
And contributions from some of the players Rangers fans were most excited to see in new roles and new uniforms.
That’s the kind of response you want to see after a disappointing opener.
DOROFEYEV IS ALREADY MAKING HIS MARK
If you’re looking for one of the biggest positives from Thursday night, look no further than Pavel Dorofeyev.
The offseason addition scored his first goal as a Ranger and added an assist for a two-point night.
And that’s exactly why the Rangers brought him in.
Dorofeyev scored 37 goals last season, and New York desperately needs that kind of finishing ability throughout the lineup.
He wasn’t the only new Ranger to get on the scoresheet, either.
Oliver Bjorkstrand picked up an assist, while Eeli Tolvanen scored his first goal in a Rangers sweater.
Seeing some of the new additions immediately contribute has to be encouraging for a fan base that spent the offseason wondering how quickly this revamped roster would come together.
ZIBANEJAD GETS THINGS STARTED
Mika Zibanejad wasted little time reminding everyone that he’s still capable of coming up big for the Blueshirts.
Zibanejad opened the scoring at 5:34 of the first period, cashing in on a power-play opportunity.
He wasn’t done there.
Mika finished the night with a goal and an assist, while also moving past Chris Kreider for second-most opening goals in Rangers history, with 60.
That’s pretty impressive company.
And if Zibanejad can consistently produce like this, the Rangers’ offense is going to look a whole lot more dangerous.
FOX WAS EVERYWHERE
Another Ranger who deserves plenty of love is Adam Fox.
The Rangers’ star defenseman picked up two assists and was involved in the action throughout the night.
Fox now has 76 career multi-assist games as a Ranger, tying Ron Greschner for second-most among defensemen in franchise history.
When Fox is moving the puck like he was Thursday, the Rangers are a much tougher team to defend.
And considering the number of new faces on the blue line, having Fox quarterbacking the defense is going to be incredibly important.
IGOR. JUST IGOR.
What else can you say about this guy?
Shesterkin stopped 24 of 25 shots, picked up the win and looked every bit like the franchise goaltender the Rangers need him to be.
But then came the moment nobody in the Garden is going to forget anytime soon.
With Tampa Bay’s net empty late in the third period, Igor launched the puck down the ice…
AND IT WENT IN.
The building went absolutely nuts.
Shesterkin became the first goalie in Rangers history to score a goal, and he did it in the team’s first home game of the season.
He also picked up his 100th career home victory with the Rangers.
So, just your average night at the office for Igor.
THE PENALTY KILL DESERVES SOME LOVE
We also have to talk about the penalty kill.
Tampa Bay had seven power-play opportunities.
The Rangers killed all seven.
That’s a massive improvement from a team that is still figuring out its identity under Mike Sullivan.
Keeping the Lightning’s dangerous power-play unit off the scoreboard was one of the biggest reasons New York was able to maintain control of the game.
And when you combine a 7-for-7 penalty kill with a 1-for-2 power play, you’re going to win a lot of hockey games.
FIVE GOALS. FIVE DIFFERENT SCORERS.
Perhaps the best part of Thursday’s victory was how balanced the offense looked.
Zibanejad scored.
Dorofeyev scored.
Tolvanen scored.
Gabe Perreault scored.
And then Igor put the final one into the empty net.
That’s exactly the kind of offensive balance Rangers fans have been waiting to see. Instead of relying on one or two players to carry the attack, New York got contributions throughout the lineup. And that’s going to have to continue. Obviously, we’re only two games into an 84-game season nobody is handing out trophies in October. But you can learn something from the way a team responds to adversity. The Rangers didn’t hang their heads after Boston. They came home, played with energy, got contributions from their new additions, received outstanding goaltending and took care of business.
That’s a pretty good answer.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Was it perfect?
No.
It’s October, and this is a brand-new Rangers team with plenty of chemistry still to develop.
But after the frustration of opening night, this was exactly the kind of performance Rangers fans wanted to see.
The offense showed life.
The special teams delivered.
The new guys contributed.
Fox was excellent.
Zibanejad led the way.
And Igor Shesterkin…
Well, Igor Shesterkin scored a goal.
We’ll probably be talking about that one for a long, long time.
Final: Rangers 5, Lightning 1.
The Blueshirts are now 1-1-0, and the season is officially underway.
One game at a time.
One win at a time.
Rangers are back at it tonight at 6:30 vs Detroit
LGR! 🗽🏒
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