The New York Rangers began their season with an impressive blowout and then followed up by making defensive miscues that prevented them from keeping pace in a high-scoring affair.
Coming off two different outcomes to start the season, the Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night.
The Rangers opened up with Wednesday’s 6-0 rout at Pittsburgh when Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves. They followed it up with a 6-5 overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday in their home opener — a game they tied three times but never led.
Artemi Panarin scored New York’s first two tying goals, and K’Andre Miller, Braden Schneider and Will Cuylle also scored. Adam Fox added three assists but Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider were a combined minus-6 in a game when the Rangers allowed 26 shots on goal — five fewer than their season opener.
New York’s offense was not enough when it committed a defensive lapse that resulted in Clayton Keller scoring with 54.9 seconds left in overtime.
“We probably should have won the game,” Kreider said. “We come into the game tonight thinking that we’re going to win the game if we play the right way, have a chance to win a game. And there are stretches where we didn’t (play well). We’re lucky to get one (point).”
Detroit has seen its first two games look similar to New York’s, though in reverse order.
After opening up with a 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, the Red Wings were significantly better in Saturday’s 3-0 home win over the Nashville Predators.
Cam Talbot made 42 saves after making 12 stops in relief of Ville Husso Thursday. Talbot has stopped 54 of 56 shots in his first two games with the Red Wings, who signed him to a two-year, $5 million deal in free agency.
Detroit survived three Nashville power plays and also got goals from J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp before captain Dylan Larkin added an empty-netter while the Red Wings spent the final three minutes playing 6-on-5.
The Red Wings showed a better approach at defending in front of their goalie. After blocking only 12 shots in their season opener, the Red Wings blocked 31 attempts, including seven by defenseman Moritz Seider.
“Obviously much more committed defensively for a sustained amount of time,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “That’s a really good team. I don’t see them getting shut out many times this year, so that was a pretty good effort. Obviously, starting with our goalie and then the team defensive play.”
The Red Wings also won when Lalonde tweaked his top six forward alignment. Patrick Kane played with Larkin and Alex DeBrincat on the top line, and Lucas Raymond was moved to the second line alongside Compher and Vladimir Tarasenko.
Detroit also made defenseman Erik Gustafsson a healthy scratch after the former Ranger struggled defensively in the season opener.
The Rangers swept last season’s season series, winning each of the three games by two goals or fewer. New York is 9-1-2 in the past 12 meetings since the start of the 2019-20 season.
