Grading NY Rangers' Performance Through First Five Games

Oct 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) makes a glove save against the Utah Mammoth during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Grading NY Rangers' Performance Through First Five Games

Originally posted on New York Rangers On SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Oct 8, 2026 2:00 PM ET

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The New York Rangers have finished up their first five games of the season, and the team has been really impressive so far. With a 4-1 record, hope is high that the Rangers have turned things around.

Following a terrible 2025-26 campaign, New York was a team that came into the summer hungry to improve. Chris Drury and the front office were really aggressive in their pursuit of upgrades, and so far things are looking good.

There are a lot of new faces that have joined the team, and the Rangers have seemingly built some good chemistry together quickly. In the first five games, the only blemish on their record was the first game of the season in the season opener against the Boston Bruins.

While they played the Bruins even for 57 minutes, it ended up being a 3-0 game at the end. Due to the short camp and preseason, that loss can certainly be excused in the first game, and the team has looked really solid since.

Grading First Five Games

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though the first game against Boston has to count, it has been some excellent work by the Rangers since then. Following the loss, they went on to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning at home. Then, on a challenging back-to-back on the road, they went into Detroit and shut out the Red Wings.

Since then, they have returned home and picked up wins against the Utah Mammoth and New York Islanders. With four straight wins and being a perfect 3-0 at home, there is a lot to like about how the team is performing.

On an individual level, the team has been led by some of their key players, and that is good to see. Currently, New York has three players that are averaging a point per game with Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere, and Mika Zibanejad.

Furthermore, the balance offensively has been nice to see. Currently, there are nine players on the team with a goal, and four that have scored multiple. Players like Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen both have multiple goals already, which is a major boost for the Rangers. Also, the depth that they are providing on the lines is great to see.

Overall, while five games might not be a massive sample size, New York has been able to answer a lot of questions from the offseason about what this team could be. Now, they will have to sustain this high level of play, but they are deserving of a strong grade early on.