Daily Report – 10/2/26
Rangers
Very few things in sports compare to a goalie firing a puck down the ice into the opponent’s empty net. It’s like a pitcher hitting a home run, or an offensive lineman scoring a touchdown.
Before yesterday, only 17 goalie goals had been scored in NHL history. Despite their impressive netminding history, no Rangers goalie had ever done it before Igor Shesterkin. He had been trying for years, and yesterday, with 2:34 left in the third period, he scored his first NHL goal.
He was the only Rangers player to score his first career goal, but not the only one to score his first goal with the team. In the Rangers’ home opener, Pavel Dorofeyev and Eeli Tolvanen helped Shesterkin and the Rangers defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1.
The lone goal Shesterkin allowed deflected off Noah Laba’s stick. Shesterkin effectively earned a shutout, and he even got the goal back. After surrendering three goals in 75 seconds in Tuesday’s Opening Night shutout loss, he was eager to rebound.
He did more than that.
“We did a great job,” Shesterkin said. “The game was awesome. We did a good job, especially against Tampa, one of the best power play teams. Against [Nikita Kucherov]. We played the right way. Everyone did what they needed to do, and we just worked as a team.”
Last year, the Rangers took four games to score at home and eight to win there. They were shut out in five of their first seven home games, resulting in a 14-20-7 home record. But last night, for the first time in a while, the Rangers played well in all three zones in a home game that mattered.
And Shesterkin scored a goal.
“I feel like probably a dozen times, I’ve been on the bench thinking, ‘Okay, this one goes in,’ and he barely misses,” said Mika Zibanejad, who scored the Rangers’ first goal yesterday. “Seeing this one go in, it was just– the way he played today, and the amount of chances he’s had to do that and finally get it, that was great.”
Zibanejad scored on a first-period power play. Less than six minutes in, Pavel Dorofeyev fired a slap shot off the post, and Zibanejad buried the rebound. It was an important early tally for the Rangers, powered by their biggest offseason acquisition.
“This is a whole new team,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’ve got a new group of players, and we’re excited about the opportunity we have in front of us. I know how much it means to these guys to win games at home. They love playing here. We have such a passionate fanbase, and it means a lot to our guys to perform well.”
The Rangers scored in four ways yesterday: off a rebound, a rush, a net-front screen, and a deflection. Five minutes after Zibanejad’s goal, Dorofeyev added his own.
Oliver Bjorkstrand beat two Lightning players to a loose puck in the neutral zone, muscled it down the ice, forced an odd-man rush, and whipped it to Dorofeyev.
The Blueshirts scored their third goal less than two minutes into the second period. As Will Cuylle crashed the net, Andrei Vasilevskiy couldn’t see Eeli Tolvanen’s pass. Cuylle initially received credit for the goal, but because he crowded the blue paint, the puck deflected off Charle-Edouard D’Astous’s skate.
Nikita Kucherov put Tampa Bay on the board at the 7:59 mark in Period 2, but only because of Noah Laba’s poorly placed stick. Eight minutes later, Gabe Perreault responded, putting the Rangers ahead 3-1 with a deflection from the low slot. He sped off the bench and positioned himself for the tip-in.
“I just thought we played a lot smarter,” Sullivan said. “When we play smarter, we look faster. We’re more connected in all three zones. For the players, it’s an easier game because there’s collective effort out there.”
The only downside last night was the Rangers’ eight penalties, including four in the third period. They took two bench minors in the last 10 minutes, so the Lightning kept emptying their net for the extra attacker. Ultimately, the Rangers successfully killed seven power plays.
“I thought our start was great,” said captain JT Miller. “[Tampa Bay] made a little bit of a push there, but the [penalty kill] and Shesty were unbelievable today. We’ve probably got to take a couple less penalties, but it’s an opportunity for people to step up.”
Entering the season, the Rangers clearly needed to start strong offensively, especially at home. After falling 3-0 in Boston on Tuesday, it didn’t seem possible, but with defensive adjustments and more physicality, the Rangers silenced the naysayers.
And at the end of it all, there was Igor.
“One of his strengths is his ability to handle the puck,” Sullivan said. “When those moments occur for a team, they’re great moments. You could see the raw emotion on the players, on the bench.
“Shesty’s such a great goalie. He makes so many timely saves for us. When he has a moment like that, I think the guys get pretty fired up about it. It was a lot of fun.”
Tonight, the Rangers will play their first back-to-back set as they travel to Detroit for the Red Wings’ season opener. Dylan Garand will start in net after Joonas Korpisalo suffered a week-to-week lower-body injury. Interestingly, the Rangers placed Garand on waivers earlier this week, but he surprisingly (and thankfully) cleared.
Schedule
Tonight 10/2:
6:30 PM (5:30 PM CDT): NYR at DET; TNT, TRUTV, HBO MAX
Saturday 10/3:
6:30 PM (5:30 PM CDT): 2026 ALDS, Game 1 – NYY at TB; TBS, TRUTV, HBO MAX; SP: RHP Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61 ERA, 131 K) vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA, 174 K)
Sunday 10/4:
1:00 PM (12:00 PM CDT): NFL on CBS, Week 4 – New York Giants (2-1) vs. Arizona Cardinals (1-2); CBS, Paramount+
1:00 PM (12:00 PM CDT): NFL on FOX, Week 4 – New York Jets (1-2) at Chicago Bears (2-1); FOX, FOX ONE
6:00 PM (5:00 PM CDT): NYR vs. UTA; MSG, DAZN
8:20 PM (7:10 PM CDT): Sunday Night Football (SNF), Week 4 – Detroit Lions (2-1) at Carolina Panthers (1-2); NBC, Peacock
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): Football Night in America (FNIA); NBC, Peacock
8:00 PM (7:00 PM CDT): Hyundai Sunday Night Kickoff; NBC, Peacock
8:15 PM (7:15 PM CDT): GEICO Sunday Night Anthem; NBC, Peacock
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Rangers
