Rangers Struggle in Season Opener Loss in Boston | New York Rangers News

Corey (0:00)

Today is September 30th. From the locker room to your ears, this is New York Rangers News Today powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.

All right, so the Rangers kicked off their 20-26-27 season with a frustrating shutout loss to the Bruins, going down three to nothing. Head coach Mike Sullivan hit a milestone marking his 1000th regular season game, but it wasn't the kind of night to celebrate.

This is the second straight season the Rangers dropped their opener with him behind the bench.

That's tough, especially when the season is just starting. Then there's Pavel Dorofeyev. He made quite an entrance in his Broadway debut, leading the team with five shots on goal. His chemistry with line mates JT. Miller and Oliver Bjorkstrand is still in the works, but Dorofeyev looked dangerous out there.

This guy is a bright spot in an otherwise dim game. Speaking of bright spots, Oliver Bjorkstrand joined Dorofeyev on that second line and didn't disappoint. He brought some solid pace, recorded four shots, and showed off his offensive instincts. He even absorbed a heavy hit forgotten by the refs. That kind of grit can really help a team. On the defensive side, Marcus Pettersson made a strong impression too. He stepped in and showcased reliable defensive play, blocked shooting lanes and broke up odd man rushes. That's what the Rangers need right now. Plus, Igor Shesterkin was a standout, stopping 20 of 22 shots before things fell apart late. He was the reason the Rangers stayed in it as long as they did, but it wasn't all sunshine. Fans had high hopes after a rough last season, and seeing the team go scoreless on national TV was a real letdown. Braden Schneider and Alexis Lafreniere struggled too. Lafreniere didn't even hit the score sheet, and Schneider had a rough time defensively. These performances leave some questions heading into the next game.