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Oct 7, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (8) reacts after being pushed into Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs (37) by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Recapping the Rangers’ First Week of Games

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Lucas Standel | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 8:55 AM ET

The New York Rangers played four games during the first week of the 2025-26 NHL season. They finished with a record of 2-2-0 and currently sit fifth in the Metropolitan Division. We are going to recap these first four games and preview what is to come this week for the Rangers.

Two Home Games and Two Shutout Losses

The Rangers played two games at Madison Square Garden last week, and in both of those games, they were shut out by their opponents. It started on opening night, when they lost 3-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins and their goalie, Arturs Silovs, stopped all 25 shots he faced. The Rangers looked uninterested and flat-out bad in a game in which they should’ve been the more dominant team. It was a poor start to the season, but fans had hope that at the next home game, five nights later, they would finally be able to hear that famous goal horn.

This would not be the case as they were once again shut out by their opponent, this time being the Washington Capitals. It was a 1-0 loss in which Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren stopped all 35 shots he faced to seal the victory for his team.

The difference between this game and the one against the Penguins was that the Rangers were the better team throughout the game; it’s just that they could not get the puck to go past Lindgren as he made one incredible save after another. It was a frustrating loss, but these games happen from time to time, and all you can do is move on to the next game.

Two Dominant Road Victories

The two wins for the Rangers last week came on the road, and in both of those games, they were the dominant team. The first one came against the Buffalo Sabres, and after being shut out in their home opener against the Penguins, the Rangers went into Buffalo and shut out the Sabres, 4-0. Igor Shesterkin recorded his 22nd career shutout, and they got goals from Alexis Lafreniere, Carson Soucy, J.T. Miller, and an empty-net goal from Adam Fox. It was a great way to bounce back after a disappointing first game, but it did come with some bad news. Vincent Trocheck left in the second period and is now considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Rangers would build off of this win by going into Pittsburgh looking to get revenge, and they did. They destroyed the Penguins by a final score of 6-1. After fighting off the Penguins’ surge in the first 10 minutes of the first period, the Rangers would score the first goal of the game, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad getting a shorthanded goal. Two more goals from Fox and goals from Matt Rempe, Will Cuylle, and Taylor Raddysh would help seal the victory for the Blueshirts. Once again, some bad news would occur during the game when Soucy left in the second period after colliding awkwardly with the boards, and he was placed on injured reserve after the game.

Rangers Face Three Canadian Teams This Week

This week will see the Rangers take on three Canadian teams, one at home and two on the road. Their first opponent was Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at MSG. Despite outplaying the Oilers for most of the game, the Rangers once again failed to score a goal on home ice and lost 2-0. They have become the first team in NHL history to not score a goal in their first three home games of the season.

Now, they will head up north for two games to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs have gotten off to a slow start, going 2-2-0, while the Canadiens have gone 3-1-0 to start the season. These games will also be a good test for the Rangers, as both of these teams made the playoffs last season and both have the mindset of getting back there this season.

The Rangers didn’t have to face the toughest of competition in their first week of games, but now they play three straight against teams with Stanley Cup aspirations. It will be interesting to see how they match up against them, as it will show if they have what it takes to go against some of the best teams and some of the top players in the world. If they do play poorly, fans shouldn’t overreact, as it is still early in the season, but this week will be a good test to see what the Rangers are truly made of.