The New York Rangers didn't have the start to the season they had envisioned. After an offseason with new additions expected to improve them, the Rangers lost 3-0 to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. It wasn't an ideal performance, with the team looking sloppy and needing to work on their chemistry, but the game was close and scoreless until the final four minutes.
With that loss in the books, this was officially the first time in Rangers history where they were shutout in back-to-back season-opening games. Again, not ideal for the team, but it could have been worse.
Look what happened to the rival Philadelphia Flyers in their season opener.
Rangers and NHL world watch Flyers get embarrassed by Penguins in season-opening loss
The Flyers had all of the positive vibes surrounding them after not only clinching one of the final playoff spots in the Metropolitan Division last season, but also for making it to the second round after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins. So, it was only fitting that the Flyers could prove that last season was no fluke by taking on the Penguins in their home opener.
Then, the puck dropped, and it was like the Flyers didn't even show up. The Penguins defeated the Flyers by the insane score of 7-0. It felt like a score you'd see from a football game between the Steelers and the Eagles. It brought the Flyers back down to reality that a playoff spot is far from a lock for them.
The Penguins struck first seven minutes into the game on a goal from Nick Robertson. Eight minutes after that, Ville Koivunen extended the lead to 2-0 on a backhand shot. That was the first period. From there, it only got worse for the Flyers. The Penguins scored three goals in the second period, all arriving within five minutes. Add two more goals in the third period, including Robertson's second of the game on a short-handed attempt, and you get the 7-0 final score.
Pittsburgh outshot Philadelphia 38-19, while converting on two of four power play opportunities. The Flyers, meanwhile gave up the puck 21 times, as opposed to the Penguins' 11. To make the loss sting that much more for the Flyers, 14 of the Penguins 18 skaters all recorded a point in the win. Vladar, who the Flyers gave a four-year contract extension to, allowed seven goals in 38 shots faced.
Rangers can't afford to have a Flyers-like loss during start of 2026-27 season
The Rangers can take solace in knowing they didn't have a showing like the Flyers, where they looked completely outmatched and far from a team that made it to the second round of the playoffs last season. The Flyers have virtually the same roster as last year, and to put up a game like that should raise some alarms, even though it's just the first game of the season.
For the Rangers, there were at least some positives in their season-opening defeat. The second line of J.T. Miller, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Oliver Bjorkstrand was easily their most dangerous forward group against the Bruins. That is promising, considering they gave up multiple first-round picks for Dorofeyev and signed him to a seven-year, $77 million contract. Then, there's the fact that goalie Igor Shesterkin showed that he is still one of the best in net across the NHL.
There are areas that they need to clean up, such as ensuring they don't get caught in odd man rushes, and for the forwards to finish off scoring opportunities. If they do clean those things up, they should be able to put some pucks in the back of the net in hopes that it will lead to some wins.
There's a lot of season left, but the Rangers' season-opening loss doesn't look as bad when you see what the Flyers put forth in front of their home fans on Wednesday.
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