The New York Rangers opened up the 2024-2025 season with a game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, held at PPG Paints Arena. The Rangers won in a heavily skewed matchup, with Igor Shesterkin achieving his 16th carer shutout, facing 29 shots. On the other end of the ice, the Rangers managed to get six goals off of 41 shots on the Penguins’ Tristan Jarry– including a shorthanded goal by Chris Krider.
Defense
The Rangers defense faced the somewhat aging Pittsburgh offense, with Sidney Crosby entering his 20th season and Evgeni Malkin entering his 19th. The Rangers’ defense seemed to shine by preventing the puck from staying long times in the defensive zone. Jacob Trouba racked up two assists, and Braden Schneider was on the ice for four of the six goals– showcasing his versatility and defensive ability, as well as his solidity to stay back and keep in his position to prevent brake-outs.
As for the rookies, Zac Jones is seeking to keep a regular spot this season, and has definitely started to make a case for himself, showcasing physicality, as well as a solid shooting ability. Another new Rangers’ rookie to be on defense is Victor Mancini, the 22-year-old played his first NHL game, and managed to rack up a solid 17 minutes on ice. The two may see themselves competing for a spot when Ryan Lindgren is ready to come off injured reserve.
Offense
The Rangers’ have some new talent on offense, including Sam Carrick the first goal scorer of the season, an offseason acquisition who split time last season between the Anaheim Ducks, and Edmonton Oilers. The other new forward to make his Rangers’ debut is Riley Smith, the 33-year-old former Penguin contributed an assist on Chris Krider’s goal.
As for the other players on offense, it is the same mix of guys but a new order, with the top line consisting of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafrenière. I think it will take a minute to figure out how effective this lineup is– although they seemed to be great throughout the whole game, and all lines seemed to gel. The fourth line may need to see some work done to it, with its centerpiece, Barclay Goodrow, now playing for the San Jose Sharks.
The real question is when Matt Rempe will be put in. He was a healthy scratch against the Penguins. Rempe seems to have improved his play from last season, and the Rangers lack a player who takes the enforcer role. I would argue that Rempe isn’t the traditional enforcer, but my theory is that he will make his debut at either the home opener or second home game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Powerplay
The Rangers’ power play was decently effective in the fact that they didn’t allow any goals, but it was ineffective in the way that they didn’t get a goal. They did come up with some good shot opportunities, but nothing went into the net– an odd fact given Jarry’s performance throughout the even strength and penalty kill. It could be that there are things to work on, but it could also be that the Penguins’ power play seemed to shine through.
Penalty kill
A short-handed goal is always a good sign for a penalty kill, but it is not a determining factor for the effectiveness of the kill, the goal being to kill penalties that other players have achieved. In that form, they were completely effective, allowing zero goals on three penalties. I would say that there are minor gaps for the team to work on, but overall and as a whole, any team has areas to improve and get better on.’
My Three Stars of the Game
⭐ The first star arguably has to go to Igor Shesterkin. Achieving your 16th career shutout in the game of the season helps set a good tone for the year.
⭐⭐ Jacob Trouba earned a spot on this list by contributing two assists and blocking five shots– helping the team both prevent goals and score them.
⭐⭐⭐ Scoring a shorty is always an accomplishment, and Chris Krider achieved that in the middle of the third period.
Final Thoughts
I don’t want to make too many assumptions so early in the season, but so far, the team looks all right and is on its game. With little tweaks, they definitely can be one of the top teams in the league, but will face some tough competition, especially in the West– with many teams showcasing the similar dominance they did.
