WHAT HAPPENED? Rangers stumble out of the gate in shocking opener

It seemed exciting at the beginning of the game, but the New York Rangers weren’t able to control the puck. No players showed their best in this game; it was just a minuscule effort from the Rangers' side.

The Rangers were back at Madison Square Garden for an opening night game for the 2025-26 season. Blueshirt fans filled the grounds of MSG, excitedly walking in and taking pictures in front of the opening night sign, smiles all around, and a nostalgic feeling from everyone, as they were back where they belonged. The Rangers took to the ice with their glamorous entrance, looking hopeful and excited to be back in the regular season. The entire arena was a sea of blue, with patches of black from the opposing team, but predominantly blue. New York came to represent their team. 

The players wore their new retro jerseys, and the ice was similarly decorated. The centennial vibe was all over MSG. As the game began, the Rangers earned a power play almost immediately, which was well-timed to capitalize on the game's momentum. Fans seemed hopeful with a good chance to shoot the puck towards the net. Shots on goal were repetitive in the first period, but none scored. 

Gabe Perrault was sent down to the minors to play for the AHL team, the Hartford Wolf Pack, to gain more ice time and allow the veterans to have priority on the ice with the Rangers. Perrault could have helped out, especially in that first period, when the puck could have gravitated toward him, and with his speed and strategy, the score could have been different. The game may have been different. But at least for now, he can get his ice time in the AHL. The first goal goes to the Penguins; it’s just the first period we all thought, but we were all in for a rude awakening for this game.

Sloppy passes started the second period, and no player was tight on the ice. What was going on? Who is this team?, fans thought. It was a quick second period because nothing happened, and no one scored. J.T. Miller did produce a turnover which led to a good save for Igor Shesterkin, but the momentum died after that. The garden did echo with strong “IGOR” chants after some saves. Matt Rempe was the only player this period who actually had control of the puck; no goals with that, but at least the Rangers had the puck.

As the third period quickly showed up, all the fans begged for a goal. The Penguins continued to dominate the puck. And during the third, the fans slowly drew the attention away from the ice and towards their phones. Why? The New York Yankees were doing well in their ALDS game, while the Rangers were not. It became silent in The Garden as no one was watching the game anymore. As the last minutes of the game came to a close, the Blueshirts were desperate for any action with the puck.

Shesterkin exited the ice to make way for an extra player. Fans began watching the game again. Seconds later, the Penguins scored an empty-net goal, and the opposing team now had two goals. As everyone went back to their phones to watch the Yankees, Shesterkin got pulled again, and can you guess what happened? The Penguins got another empty net goal. Now The Garden started to dissipate, and the sea of blue slowly disappeared. Fans booed their own team as the third period wrapped up. No goal song to be heard on opening night, and it was not a good start at all for the Rangers.