The New York Rangers have had a turbulent start to the 2025-26 NHL season, marked by contrasting performances at home and on the road. After the first week of games, the Rangers hold a record of 2-2-0, placing them fifth in the Metropolitan Division.
Home Woes
The Rangers' return to Madison Square Garden was less than celebratory, as they suffered three consecutive shutout losses. This dubious distinction marks the first time in modern NHL history that the team has been held scoreless in their first three home games. The home opener saw the Pittsburgh Penguins blank the Rangers 3-0, with Penguins' goalie Arturs Silovs stopping all 25 shots. The Rangers followed this with a 1-0 loss to the Washington Capitals, where Charlie Lindgren made 35 saves to secure the win for Washington. The misery continued against the Edmonton Oilers, who defeated the Rangers 2-0, with Stuart Skinner stopping all 30 shots. Kasperi Kapanen scored the lone regulation goal, with Adam Henrique adding an empty-netter.
The scoreless streak at home has reached 180 minutes, the second-longest to start a season, only behind the 1928-29 Pittsburgh Pirates. Veteran Mika Zibanejad expressed the team's frustration, saying, "I don't know if I should laugh or cry".
Road Successes
Away from home, the Rangers have shown a different face, securing two dominant victories. They began their road campaign with a 4-0 shutout of the Buffalo Sabres. The Rangers then traveled to Pittsburgh and avenged their opening night loss with a resounding 6-1 victory over the Penguins. Adam Fox led the charge with two goals and an assist, while coach Mike Sullivan secured a win in his return to PPG Paints Arena. Other goals came from Mika Zibanejad, Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe and Taylor Raddysh.
Looking Ahead
The Rangers embark on a two-game road trip against Original Six rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Their next opportunity to break the home-ice scoring drought will be on October 20 against the Minnesota Wild. Coach Sullivan will be looking to address the offensive struggles at home while maintaining the strong road performances.
