The New York Rangers recently broke an NHL record — but it’s probably not the one they were hoping for.
Lila Baltaxe | Senior Graphic Artist
In their first three home games of the season, the Rangers scored exactly zero goals, surpassing the 2001-02 Florida Panthers for the most consecutive minutes gone without a goal on home ice to start the season.
For 180 minutes, Madison Square Garden did not see a single goal from the Rangers. For three games straight, the Blueshirts’ signature goal song “Slapshot” had not been sung. Since then, some pucks found their way to the back of the net — but in five home games this season, the Rangers are still winless.
Ordinarily, this seems like it would spell disaster for the Rangers. However, the Rangers refuse to be ordinary. This squad is a tale of two teams: when they’re at home and when they’re away.
Despite the winless streak at home, the Rangers are nabbing points away from the Garden.
On the road, the Rangers are 3-1-1 so far. The team came out swinging against the Buffalo Sabres in its first away game Oct. 9, shutting out the home team in a decisive 4-0 win.
The Rangers visited their old foe, the Penguins, on Oct. 11, exacting their revenge for the opening night shutout by beating Pittsburgh in a 6-1 win. Their lightning-fast play and offensive control reminded me of their play in the Presidents’ Trophy season two years ago.
Comeback wins were a huge part of their 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy season, when they earned a franchise record 28 comeback wins in a single season. On Oct. 18, the Rangers were starting to show a little bit of that spark again.
Forward Mika Zibanejad was instrumental in the comeback win against the Montreal Canadiens, notching a power-play goal that turned the game on its head. Ostensibly lighting a fire underneath his teammates, the Rangers went on to win 4-3 against the Habs, overcoming a two-goal deficit.
On the road, it looks like the team is coming out of last year’s slump.
At home, the Rangers have yet to win a game.
Against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23, the Rangers snapped out of the offensive depression and dumped five goals on the visiting team. Unfortunately for the Blueshirts, the Sharks countered with six goals — and BU legend Macklin Celebrini scored the last in an overtime win.
While the Edmonton Oilers shut the door on the Rangers at home on Oct. 14, it was not for a lack of tenacity on the Blueshirts’ part. The team held the Oilers to a season-low 22 shots on goal and sent 30 shots toward goaltender Stuart Skinner. But it came up empty in the goals category once more.
MSG Networks analyst Steve Valiquette praised the Rangers’ defense.
“This is the best defensive structure the team’s played with, minus a stretch two years ago when they won the Presidents’ Trophy,” Valiquette said. “This is an amazing stretch to start the season.”
In general, this season’s losses haven’t felt as deflating as last year’s. The lack of scoring in the Garden isn’t due to gaping defensive holes, goaltending hiccups or a sloppy power play — the organization chalks it up to bad luck.
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, honestly,” Zibanejad said. “I honestly don’t know. We’ve got to keep going.”
In a media conference following the loss to Edmonton, Head Coach Mike Sullivan emphasized that the players can’t get discouraged over their game.
“We’re controlling play. We’re controlling territory. We’re limiting shots,” said Sullivan. “You can’t always control whether the puck goes in the net or it doesn’t, but I think if we just stay with it, and we don’t get discouraged, we just get determined here, we’re going to be okay.”
Sullivan also pointed out that players are getting good chances and making plays. Those chances just haven’t produced goals.
“I do believe that the offense will come. If we weren’t generating scoring chances, it would be a different conversation,” Sullivan said.
So maybe it isn’t time for Ranger fans to freak out just yet. There’s plenty of hockey to play.
Even though they haven’t won at Madison Square Garden — and they are responsible for an embarrassing new record — the New York Rangers are not past the point of no return.
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