The New York Rangers kicked off the 2017-18 with three games in four nights and emerged with a 1-2 record. Not great, not horrible.
The Rangers started off the season with a loss to the Colorado Avalanche and things didn’t get much better in Toronto as the Rangers wasted a four-goal comeback losing to the Maple Leafs. The boys finally got their first win of the season as they defeated Montreal at Madison Square Garden on Sunday Night.
Weekly Results
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 10/5/17 | vs. Colorado | L 4-2 |
| Saturday, 10/7/17 | @Toronto | L 8-5 |
| Sunday, 10/8/17 | vs. Montreal | W 2-0 |
Oh, Baby!
Here are some highlights of the past week.
Mika Zibanejad scored the first goal of the season for the Blueshirts, a power-play goal against Colorado in the season-opener.
The first goal of the Rangers season goes to Mika Zibanejad. It's a power play goal! Of course Shatty picks up the assist. #NYR pic.twitter.com/O3z0B0BkSw
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) October 5, 2017
Kevin Shattenkirk scored his first goal of the season—and his first as a member of the Rangers—Saturday night in Toronto.
? See @shattdeuces score his first goal as a #NYR ?
Stay tuned to @MSGNetworks as the Rangers look to make a comeback against Toronto. pic.twitter.com/GRtXoB9m9L
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 8, 2017
Henrik Lundqvist was brilliant Sunday against Montreal, recording the 62nd shutout of his career, which moves him into 16th place all-time in the NHL record books.
The final seconds of the #NYR win and Henrik shutout @TheGarden! pic.twitter.com/LpLKCPsGrh
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 9, 2017
It’s A Power Play Goal!
The Rangers power play has been the early surprise of the season, as the Blueshirts have converted at a 33.3 percent clip (4-for-12). Zibanejad leads the team with three power-play goals while Kevin Shattenkirk has three power play points (one goal, two assists).
Who’s Hot
Nobody is hotter than Zibanejad. He’s scored four goals in three games and been effective in all three areas of the ice. This is the Zibanejad the Rangers envisioned when they traded for him last summer. He’s also been very strong in the faceoff circle.
Who’s Not
Lundqvist hasn’t gotten off to the start anyone hoped he would. He’s gone 1-1 in three games, getting pulled after allowing five goals on 17 shots in Toronto on Saturday. While he looked much better Sunday, the Rangers aren’t going anywhere this season without a strong King Henrik in net.
Injuries
Jesper Fast remains on the injured reserve list. The good news is that he practiced in a white jersey on Friday. This means that he’s cleared for contact. Fast appears to remain on schedule to return to action at the end of October or beginning of November.
The Week Ahead: 10/9/17 – 10/15/17
The Rangers have three games in the coming week.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, 10/10 | vs. St. Louis |
| Friday, 10/13 | @Columbus |
| Saturday, 10/14 | vs. New Jersey |
