My first New York Rangers home game in a pandemic

I couldn’t have picked a better time to attend my first New York Rangers game.

Despite the tribulation of another COVID-19 riddled season, it’s more than just a 22-8-4 record that makes this team a joy to watch.  There’s something about this group that can’t be explained until you watch them in person for the first time.

I found this out firsthand on a cold Monday night when the Rangers got their revenge against the Edmonton Oilers with a 4-1 victory.

This article isn’t a game recap. Instead, what you’re about to read is not only a direct account of what the World’s Most Famous Arena looks like during 2022, but also how no pandemic can take away the heart of the Rangers faithful.

Not only was it a Rangers’ beatdown of a struggling Oilers team, it was one of the most exciting live atmospheres I’ve ever been to, and I’m sure the thousands in attendance can share these same sentiments.

My first time not hearing a Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti call for a MSG game was definitely different at first, but nothing will replace what went down that night.

Here’s why.

Pregame

First and foremost, what was supposed to be an Alexis Lafreniere jersey birthday gift (order had some complications) turned into two tickets to this inter-conference showdown. A revenge game from earlier in the season with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl taking on the red-hot Rangers, especially when Edmonton only visits the Big Apple once a season? Sign me up.

Shoutout to my girlfriend and her brother for this gift during the holiday season, which has been years in the making dating back to when I first became a fan in 2014. That Stanley Cup Final year was special, and ever since our hearts were shattered by an Alec Martinez Game 5 Cup-winning goal for the Los Angeles Kings, I had wanted to attend a game at MSG.

When we first arrived at the Garden, roughly 20 minutes before puck drop, everything was organized in terms of entering the arena. COVID-19 has undoubtedly made this process more thorough, but after around 10 minutes, getting through was hassle free.

Everything within the concourses, facilities, and seats seemed as typical as can be from my previous experiences of other events at MSG, which included long lines for food, drinks, merchandise, and bathrooms. Besides the numerous masks, you wouldn’t even think this game was taking a place during a global pandemic, and fans even started chants waiting on these lines to get even more amped up for what they were about to see.

Game time

We had tickets in section 221, row 11, seats 15 and 16, and I had been told that it was one of the best places to sit in the entire building, and it certainly was. We were in the Oilers defensive zone for two periods, meaning we had a great view of the multiple Rangers goals scored throughout the night.

It was a fun, raucous environment filled with some diehard fans, and a majority of the chants started throughout the game were right near me.

Whether it was the classic “Let’s Go Rangers” chant, or the goal song, or even obscenities hurled towards McDavid and Draisaitl every time they touched the puck, it made for a tough rink for the Oilers to play in, even if every single seat wasn’t filled due to COVID.

Another perk was when Dancing Larry, a Rangers staple for decades, did his thing just a few stairwells to the right of me. No game is complete without his routines on the jumbotron, and it was certainly fun to see him finally dance in person to get the crowd even more pumped up for the rest of the game.

As you know from the final score, the Rangers kept their foot on the gas and showed the rest of the NHL they can finally compete with the best of the best. It’s always ideal to see your favorite team win in person, and I was definitely thankful to see one of the team’s most complete performances of the entire season.

However, there was a few things that are easier to notice live as opposed to watching on TV. Despite not seeing Artemi Panarin (COVID protocols), Igor Shesterkin (rest), or Nils Lundkvist (healthy scratch), the rest of both squads’ players had small characteristics that were fun to pick up on when they were on the ice.

Connor McDavid, who didn’t register a point after a stellar defensive performance from the Rangers and is now in the COVID-19 protocols, was still just as good as advertised during every single shift. As many can agree, he’s the fastest skater you’ll probably ever see, his acceleration and quickness allows him to blow by defenders in the blink of an eye, and he’ll make passes that don’t seem physically possible.

Adam Fox, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, was also just as impressive in this match-up, as throughout the game he seemed to never be out of position on the ice, regardless of the situation. He was one to two steps ahead of every play, and his passes were also so accurate and fast that he’d make you turn your head to follow the puck in milliseconds.

Watching these two phenoms go against one another was a true pleasure to witness, and even seeing other Rangers such as Jacob Trouba and Ryan Reaves try to guard McDavid was certainly entertaining.

I also saw that the chemistry between Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider is apparent the second their line takes the ice, as they always seem to know where the other will be both at even strength and on the power play. We’ve seen their relationship develop on and off the ice on social media, but they are also underrated in terms of their explosiveness, as a Zibanejad breakaway chance that ended in a shot off the post proved he can go from zero to 100 very quickly.

Elsewhere on defense, Trouba and K’Andre Miller are among the most important physical presences on this Rangers team, and these two are much bigger in real life as compared to just on TV. They were an excellent first pairing when Ryan Lindgren missed some time recently, and it was easy to see how much space the two covered in their respective zones on every Oilers’ possession.

In net, Alexandar Georgiev was solid once again, and chants of “Georgie” rained down in MSG a few times throughout the victory. The best play of the night, which turned out to be payback after he became a part of McDavid’s highlight reel when these two teams played in Edmonton, was when Georgiev robbed the center of a golden opportunity chance near the crease with his glove.

This save had the entire crowd on their feet, and it was a special moment for the backup goalie to hear both the Garden faithful chant his name and play exceptionally against one of the league’s top offenses.

Final Thoughts

My favorite part of the night came around five minutes into the game, when the player whose jersey I had originally wanted came through and scored his eighth goal of the season. Lafrenière’s goal got one of the loudest cheers from the crowd, as the Garden erupted the second Mikko Koskinen made a costly mistake that the young Ranger took advantage of to give New York an early 1-0 lead.

This was arguably one of, if not, the best game of his young career (one goal and one assist), and to be there in person to see it is something I’ll never forget as both a Blueshirts and Lafrenière fan.

Along with Barclay Goodrow (one goal and one assist) and Ryan Strome (one goal and two assists), they worked wonders on that second line together as a trio, and two out of these three players (Lafrenière and Strome) were named stars of the game in addition to Georgiev.

The team came out to play, and according to head coach Gerard Gallant, this game had one of the best crowds all season long. The Rangers will most certainly use this to their advantage going forward after they return from their lengthy west coast road trip beginning on Thursday night against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Was this game worth the price of admission? A thousand times yes. Should you buy stock in this Rangers team? Absolutely.

If you have the chance to go to the Garden to see this team try to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017, now is the time. You’re in for a treat.