The New York Rangers enter the new week still not having lost a game in regulation.
Their 4-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena capped a 3-0-0 week after they swept a home-and-home series against the Detroit Red Wings, winning 4-1 at home on Monday and 5-2 in Detroit on Thursday.
The Rangers’ 4-0-1 record marks the fourth time in the franchise’s 98-year history that they’ve had points in each of their first five games (the others are 2008-09, 1997-98 and 1983-84). Maybe more impressive is the fact that they’re 3-0-0 on the road. It’s just the third time the Rangers have started a season by winning their first three games away from home. They hadn’t done it since 1931-32; the other was in 1927-28, when they won the Stanley Cup for the first time.
Saturday was the kind of combined effort a team needs to succeed. Goalie Igor Shesterkin made 34 saves and stood tall in the third period. Chris Kreider scored two goals, including the game-winner. They controlled the puck well (just nine turnovers, compared to 15 for Toronto) and blocked 22 shots – including four by defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, who played for the first time this season after being a healthy scratch in each of the first four games.
Two empty-net goals meant the Rangers have scored at least four times in each of their first five games, matching a team mark set in 1989-90. Their 24 goals in the first five games are one shy of the team record set in 1979-80.
The Rangers enter the new week two points behind the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division; however, the Devils have played three more games. More telling is New York’s .900 points percentage, the best in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers are the only team in the East that has not lost in regulation.
Who’s Hot
Artemi Panarin saw his four-game multiple-point streak end after four games. But his empty-net goal in Toronto extended his overall points streak to five games. He shares the NHL lead with 12 points (six goals, six assists) after Saturday and looks like he’ll be a member of the 100-point club for the second straight season. He’s a threat every time he’s on the ice.
Igor Shesterkin is doing a good job of proving he’s worth whatever he asks the Rangers for during their salary negotiations. Shesterkin was the game’s first star in Toronto following a performance that saw him hold the fort in the third period after the Maple Leafs got within 2-1. Through four games, he’s 3-0-1 with a 1.97 goals-against average and a save percentage of .935.
Chris Kreider has five goals in as many games after scoring twice in Toronto. His second-period goal was the 46th game-winner of his career, tying him with Hockey Hall of Famer Jean Ratelle for the second-most in Rangers history.
Who’s Not
Adam Edstrom isn’t getting a ton of ice time – he’s averaging 7:27 through five games and played just 7:56 in Toronto. The rookie forward has yet to produce any offense; he is the only player who’s dressed for more than two games and hasn’t hit the score sheet. This after an impressive preseason.
Rangers lookahead this week includes …
The end of a three-game trip comes on Tuesday, the only 16-game day of the NHL season. After that, it’s back home for a chance for revenge against the team that eliminated them two victories shy of a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and a visit from a Pacific Division rival that hasn’t won at the Madison Square Garden in nearly 11 years.
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Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (Oct. 22, 7:15 p.m. ET; MSG)
The Rangers start their week by wrapping up an all-Original Six road trip with their first meeting of the season against the rebuilding Canadiens (the odd starting time is part of the League’s staggering of starts because all 32 teams are in action). No team has dominated the Rangers in its own building like the Canadiens, who are 210-69-40-2 at the Forum and Bell Centre since New York entered the NHL in 1926. However, the Rangers haven’t lost in regulation at Montreal since Dec. 1, 2018, winning five in a row before a 4-3 shootout loss on Jan. 6, 2024. The five-game winning streak and six-game points streak are the longest ever by the Rangers in Montreal.
Florida Panthers at Rangers (Oct. 24, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)
You can be sure that the Rangers and their fans have anticipated this game since June 1, when the Panthers eliminated the Blueshirts by winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final. It’s the Panthers’ lone regular-season trip to the Garden, where they’ve lost four of their past five regular-season visits. In all, the Rangers are 5-2-0 in their past seven regular-season games against Florida. Shesterkin has won four of his six career decisions against the Panthers despite facing an average of more than 34 shots per game.
Anaheim Ducks at Rangers (Oct. 26, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)
The Rangers will try to extend their Garden winning streak against the Ducks to 10 games when Anaheim makes its only visit this season. The Ducks haven’t won at MSG since a 2-1 victory on Nov. 4, 2013; it’s their lone win in 13 decisions at the Garden since Feb. 7, 2008. This start could go to Jonathan Quick, who had lots of experience facing the Ducks during his long career with the Los Angeles Kings. He’s had lots of success, too – the 38-year-old is 29-13-9 against Anaheim with a 2.36 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage. The 29 wins are his most against any team.