Top 3 keys to victory for the Rangers against the Pittsburgh Penguins

It has been 130 days since we last saw the New York Rangers take the ice in a meaningful game. All the questions, all of the rumors, all of the offseason drama is now behind us and the focus remains on one singular thing, Hockey.

The Rangers have had a sour taste in their mouth since falling in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. And, as many believe that this core group is about to go for one last run for that coveted trophy, this season is going to be something out of a movie.

First things first, it is the opening match against the Pittsburgh Penguins, on the road Wednesday night. Here are three keys for the Rangers to take game one of the 82-game campaign.

The last dance begins

The Rangers are in a bit of a pickle once the season ends. Of course, with the first game coming to fruition, you don't want to look ahead to it being over. But, it is hard to ignore the elephant in the room that this team is in a financial crisis once the final buzzer sounds on the 2024-25.

With that said, and as the captain said in his opening statement to the press a few weeks ago, this is the "last crack" for this core group to make the Stanley Cup playoffs and run the gauntlet. Currently, six big names are pending free agents in 2025-26. They are Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, Ryan Lindgren, K'Andre Miller, Zac Jones, and Igor Shesterkin.

The first key to taking the victory versus the Penguins is to enjoy the last moments of this team being together. All of those names will not be re-joining the Rangers next season unless of course the impossible happens in which they all take home-town discounts. This squad is a Presidents' Trophy-winning group, that set multiple franchise records last season in wins and points gained in a single season.

They need to remember that only team that defeated them in the playoffs last season, never got beaten.

In Igor we trust

The second key to victory for the Rangers on Wednesday night, is that the entire game is dictated by the performance in Shesterkin. This is as big a game for him as he has had in his career.

Shesterkin was solid in the preseason, but none of that matters now. The eyes have been drawn to him regarding his potential record-breaking contract in the works. As the season is now drawing near, no more discussions will be had about that situation between Shesterkin, his agent, and the Rangers front office. But, it seems the Rangers have made an internal decision on what should happen next.

Now is the time to just focus on the game.

With a talented group of Penguins in front of him, Shesterkin is going to need every bit of his wit and athleticism to stop them. Entering his 20th NHL season, Sidney Crosby is still as elite as he was when he broke into the league. And, who can forget the second-line centerman Evgeni Malkin and how he loves to rip the Rangers to shreds with 31 goals in 74 career games played against the Blueshirts.

This game is all depending on how Shesterkin performs. This game, as well as the rest of this season, rests on his shoulders.

Start the season on right foot

The Rangers must get the 2024-25 season off on the right foot. The New Jersey Devils already have a leg up on the rest of the Metropolitan Division with two big wins in their opening games in Prague. Obviously, it is still very early in the season, but every game matters as the season rolls along.

This is the first of four meetings with the Penguins, with the next battle being on December 6th. It is always a fun rivalry game with their star-studded group. The Rangers were pretty banged up in the preseason, and their roster is missing some key parts, but there is still plenty of talent on the ice.

The final key for the Rangers first game of the season is to make sure that they don't get embarrassed on night one. Do not let it dictate the rest of the season, as this is the last chance for many veteran guys to try and bring the Stanley Cup back to New York.