It will go under the radar in New York, and rightfully so, given the New York Mets stunning the Philadelphia Phillies, advancing to the NLCS. The Yankees also pushed the Kansas City Royals to the brink an hour later and are on the cusp of the ALCS. However, that shouldn’t take away from the Rangers’ 6-0 season-opening masterclass of the rival Pittsburgh Penguins on national television Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Igor Shesterkin responds to critics with shutout:
The two-way clinic was a sight to behold, but it was goaltender Igor Shesterkin who stole the show. He was phenomenal in goal, turning away 29 shots and a +3.27 Goals Saved Above Expected for his 16th career shutout. It came one day after he declined a record-setting eight-year, $88 million extension offer from GM Chris Drury, which would make him the highest-paid netminder in the league. Shesterkin refused to talk about his contract situation, but he was undoubtedly compulsive by the recent news and was dialed all evening. While the defense in front of him played well, the netminder had to be sharp, especially in the preliminary shifts.
Right off the rip, Penguins’ forward Anthony Beauvillier threatened with a quick shot, but Shesterkin was ready with a swift blocker save. He followed that up with critical stops on Cody Glass and Michael Bunting in those first ten minutes, reminding us how crucial a world-class goalie is to a team’s success and why they should give him the $12 million per year he desires.
Rangers use balanced scoring diet to submerge Penguins:
Now, while Shesterkin served the donut, the scoring story of the night was the depth of the Rangers’ offensive attack. Each forward group contributed to the scoresheet. Just 2:24 into the contest, the fourth line started the party, led by offseason signing Sam Carrick, who opened the scoring in his Blueshirts debut, redirecting a Jacob Trouba wrist shot on a low-to-high tip. It was a fantastic start, showcasing Carrick’s positioning and awareness in front of the net and the clean-up crew being rewarded for their work in the trenches. Meanwhile, the Rangers captain displayed an adjustment made on his slapshot, shooting the puck low throughout the night instead of high.
Then, Alexis Lafrenière submitted his early entry for goal of the year. He took advantage of a slick back check by Artemi Panarin, who lifted the stick of Lars Eller and hit Lafrenière in stride before the 22-year-old forward toe-dragged around Marcus Pettersson’s sliding attempt to stick-check him and scored five-hole to make it 2-0.
Minutes later, it was the new top line’s turn, featuring Chris Kreider, former Penguin and offseason acquisition Reilly Smith, and Mika Zibanejad. Kreider scored off a Trouba rebound from his office in the slot, sealing a sequence where the Blueshirts wore down the Pittsburgh defenders, who also had to stay on the sheet after a desperate Eller clear turned into an icing.
Moving into the second period, the third line, which outshot Pittsburgh 13-6 and 8-3 in the high-danger areas, struck on the scoreboard. Filip Chytil made it 4-0 midway through the frame as he went to the middle of the ice with his head up. He found Will Cuylle on the right side and followed the play behind him on the right side, which allowed the center to scoop up the loose puck after it was poked away from his teammate and bury the disc upper left corner. However, considering the trio also created eight rebounds for themselves, they were disappointed only to skate away with one marker. “That was a good start”, Chytil said. “But there’s a lot of things we have to work on that I’m not happy about.”
The Rangers’ special teams also shined. Chris Kreider took advantage of his rare penalty kill opportunity due to defenseman Ryan Lindgren’s absence, scoring a shorthanded goal 3:12 into the third period after capitalizing on a turnover for a breakaway. Kris Letang hooked him after chipping the puck by him, but the speed carried him to the net, and he slipped the puck five-hole past Jarry. The Penguins’ netminder was solid, considering he faced 20 high-danger chances and 41 shots. He finished with a 0.57 goals saved above expected on the night and kept Pittsburgh somewhat afloat, especially in that third period when the Blueshirts were vultures around the goalmouth.
Finally, Vincent Trocheck put the cherry on top late in the third, sealing the deal at 6-0 on a rebound setup by Lafreniere.
Victor Mancini Strong in NHL Debut:
Mancini didn’t record a point, but his debut was still memorable. The 22-year-old took his rookie lap, stepping up in Ryan Lindgren’s absence, and held his own, affirming his rapid rise on the Blueshirts depth chart.
He logged 17:27 of ice time, notched one shot on goal, two giveaways, and a block. Skating alongside Braden Schneider, the duo were in Sidney Crosby’s face all night, making life challenging for Pittsburgh’s star fresh off a new 2-year, $8.7 million AAV extension. Zac Jones and Trouba chipped in offensively with two assists, and the top pair of K’Andre Miller and Adam Fox helped the boys outshoot the Penguins 13-6 when they were on the ice.
The signs are promising, with all four lines contributing and Shesterkin holding down the fort. It’s just one game, yet this was akin to the season-opening drubbing the Rangers put on the Buffalo Sabres last year en route to a Presidents Trophy and Eastern Conference Finals berth. As head coach Peter Laviolette said, that was a good year until it wasn’t ,when the eventual Stanley Cup Champions Florida Panthers, bested them in six games. But before the Cats became the toast of hockey, they had to be humbled first, as they were trounced by the championed Vegas Golden Knights in the finals a year prior.
The Blueshirts are hoping it’s their turn this year. If they can build off the momentum, they’ll be hard to ignore despite what’s happening on the city’s baseball diamonds, MetLife Stadium football fields, and soon to be on Madison Square Garden basketball floor courtesy of the New York Knicks. Even the WNBA’s Liberty are on the cusp of a championship. Players from the other teams in the city usually voice their support in times like this, but not here. None of that outside stuff mattered inside Rangerstown. That was a businessman beatdown, just as we New Yorkers like it.
