Rangers Shutout by Bruins, Face Tampa Bay

The New York Rangers opened the 2026-27 season the same way the prior year started, getting shut out. Granted, the manner in which the contest played out was different, but the end result was the same: a goose egg under the team’s name on the scoreboard. New York is in action tonight with their home opener against Tampa Bay. 

Tonight’s lineup will be exactly the same as Tuesday. Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan was asked about lineup construction and lines prior to the opener due to what we saw last season, which was a ton of changes. In short, he did say that he hoped to maintain continuity, but also added that evaluations take place daily. In short, little clarity was provided with the response. For now, however, game 2 will be the same lineup and lines as game 3. Another so-so/poor performance tonight, and who knows. 

The mistakes we saw way too often last season were on full display this season. Part of that night is explainable by the two-week training camp and minimal game action for much of the team in what is now a four-game preseason. However, that provides a bit too much of an excuse. If you want to use this excuse for the new arrivals, that’s fine, but the veterans who were here last season don’t get that kind of pass. 

New York wants to activate the D in joining the rush. For that to occur, forwards have to replace the D-man. When that does not happen, the Blueshirts are at risk for counterattacks and odd-man rushes, as we saw with too much frequency Tuesday. The two even-strength goals against came about due to neutral zone turnovers, more on that below.. but in at least one case, the forward left the d-man out to dry. Coach Mike Sullivan discussed this issue broadly post-game

“If we want our D to be active off the offensive blue line, off the rush, things of that nature, then as a forward (group), we have to build a level of trust that we’re going to replace that defenseman, and we’re going to stay out and stay above the attack until the defenseman returns,” Sullivan said. “We would replace, but then we wouldn’t stay out. We would leak back in and dive back into the play before the defenseman returned.”

The Rangers also struggled to get through the neutral zone cleanly — an issue last season — and turned the puck over too much. Mika Zibanejad said his line with Gabe Perreault and Alexis Lafrenière would’ve benefited from being calmer while in position, rather than going too fast and committing turnovers.

Vincent Mercogliano in his post-game recap, did a great job of breaking down the issues on the two goals against scored when Igor Shesterkin was in net. Shesterkin bailed the team out in the second when Boston had several odd-man rushes. But he faltered slightly late in the third, though it was little fault of his own.

New York was credited with 20 giveaways, compared to only 10 for Boston. Miller, Lafrenière and Marcus Pettersson had three apiece. But none of the team’s turnovers was costlier than Vladislav Gavrikov’s late in the third. He tried to fling a pass through the neutral zone to Will Cuylle on the offensive blue line, but Boston’s Mason Lohrei intercepted it and moved the puck to Fraser Minten, who whipped a shot past the previously impenetrable Shesterkin. On the play, Igor was slightly screened by the d-man in another instance where the blueliner has to either block the shot or give the netminder clear sight. 

Less than a minute later, JJ Peterka danced around defenseman Braden Schneider, drove to the net and beat Shesterkin again. The play was created by another NZ turnover that allowed Boston room and space. JT Miller was not on the right spot on the breakout, leading to the Boston rush. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, who both need to be much better defensively, have to set the positive tone for the team. That means being in the right place at the right time in the squad’s overall defensive structure. 

If one positive can be taken from the game, Miller, for his part, led a line that had a productive night. While he, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Pavel Dorofeyev were on the ice, the Rangers led 16-8 in shot attempts and 11-5 in shots, per Natural Stat Trick. In addition, Alberts Šmits, making his NHL debut as an 18-year-old, did not look out of place. Šmits, in fact, looked so good that calls to move him away from Schneider are already gaining steam. Similarly, to a certain extent with Gavrikov, who had a rough opener in his pairing with Adam Fox. 

The Rangers need a good performance tonight. A poor start and/or game tonight after a rough opener and brutal record at MSG last season, and we could see a very angry crowd this evening. New York needs to get the fanbase engaged positively early on to build some positive momentum. If not, ugliness could be on display.