New York Rangers
OPENING WEEK OPPONENTS
The Rangers kick off the 2022-23 season with two road games in the opening week: @ Columbus on Thursday and at Montreal on Saturday. The Blue Jackets missed the playoffs last season after a 15th place finish, and the Canadiens fell a point short of 9th place in the East.
NEW FACES TAKE THE ICE FOR NYR
RW Reilly Smith (VGK)
C Morgan Barron (HTF)
C/LW Andrew Copp (WPG)
G Braden Holtby (VAN)
21-22 TEAM LEADERS
A. Fox, 67 points, 59 assists
F. Chytil, 39 assists, 15 goals
K. Kakko, 24 goals, 55 points
A. Radulov, 12 PP goals
I. Shesterkin, 2.60 GAA
J. Trouba, 187 hits
21-22 TEAM STATS
2.94 GFPG
2.76 GAPG
Artemi Panarin snapped home the game-winner just 1:25 into overtime to lift the Rangers to a 4-3 victory against Montreal at Centre Bell Arena. It was Panarin’s second goal of the early season, and the second straight road win for New York in the opening week of the new season.
A key goal came in the final minute of regulation when Rangers’ skater Riley Smith scored to tie the game 3-3. The Rangers had led the game 2-1 entering the third frame then surrendered two goals late. It was Smith’s first in a Rangers uniform since being signed to 1 year contract worth $4,800,000 in the offseason.
Rangers beat Capitols in 2021-22 opening night
In overtime, the Canadiens never got a shot on goal, while Panarin’s shot was the second by New York. Igor Shesterkin earned the win with 18 saves. Canadiens winger Josh Anderson scored his 200th career goal to open the third period.
Notes: Goalie J Allen stopped 40 of 44 shots and took the loss for Montreal (note: he started over Carey Price). Alexander Radulov scored on a power play for the Rangers.
The Rangers kicked off the defense of their title with a solid 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Fresh off signing a new six-year extension with the Rangers, Ryan Strome scored twice, finding the back of the net in the first period when he tapped in a rebound, and then on a power play 12:40 into the second period to give New York all they would need for the win.
After the Rangers went ahead 3-0 in the second period, Columbus finally got a goal when Boone Jenner beat Igor Shesterkin in a scrum near the net. Offseason free agent signing, Patrick Laine assisted on the play.
Vitali Kravtsov sealed the game with an empty-netter late in the third period to send the Rangers to their first win of the season.
In the first week, the Avalanche went 3-0-0 and posted a 0.33 GAPG. Between goalies Casey DeSmith and Thomas Greiss, they have already registered two shutouts.
St. Louis can score the goals (5.00 GFPG) but they can also bleed them. If they are going to do better than their 12th-place finish from last season, they’ll have to improve on their 3.04 GAPG which is just four points better so far (3.00 GAPG)
The Philadelphia Flyers had the hottest start in the East, starting 3-0-0. C/LW Scott Laughton leads the charge (2 G, 3 A, 5 PTS)…. Washington, even with Alexander Ovechkin, can’t find the back of the net, averaging 0.50 goals through two losses games.