The New York Rangers opened the 2026-27 season on the road against the Boston Bruins , and for a large portion of the evening, played their Original Six foe neck-and-neck.
Early on, the Bruins were getting chances, but Igor Shesterkin was doing everything in his power to keep the Rangers in the game. It was a defensive battle throughout, with the game scoreless into the third period.
New York was the more aggressive team early in the third period, putting pressure on the Bruins and goalie Jeremy Swayman . Unfortunately, they weren't able to get any shots past the Boston goaltender, with the Bruins eventually wearing them down and breaking open the scoreless game.
With 3:46 remaining in regulation, the Bruins were able to beat Shesterkin, with Fraser Minten recording his first goal of the season on an assist from Mason Lohrei . Only 52 seconds later, Boston lit the lamp again with JJ Peterka , with assists from Hampus Lindholm and Elias Lindholm .
Sep 29, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Rangers left wing Will Cuylle (50) backhands the puck past Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) during the second period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The game was officially put out of reach just 23 seconds later. With the goalie pulled, the Rangers were unable to keep the puck in the offensive zone and Mark Kastelic put the icing on the cake with a goal on assists from Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov .
It was an incredibly disappointing finish for New York , who played well for more than 56 minutes of the game, but unraveled late. Giving up three goals in such a short period of time is tough to stomach, but the bigger issue is the lack of offense again.
The Rangers actually had more shots on goal than Boston did, outshooting them 24-23. Unfortunately, no one on New York was able to get the puck past Swayman, who recorded the 19th shutout of his career.
This is the second consecutive opening night that the Rangers have been shut out. After so much work was done this offseason to improve the roster offensively, seeing another shutout to start a campaign is disappointing.
Sep 29, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (44) shoots the puck ahead of Boston Bruins defenseman Conoir Clifton (75) during the second period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last season, New York was shut out more times than any other team in the NHL, with 10. They now have one shutout one game into the 2026-27 season, a brutal development to start a new campaign.
The Rangers had only one power play opportunity on the night and weren't able to convert. That was a strength for the team last season and is projected to be again with Pavel Dorofeyev joining the lineup opposite Mika Zibanejad .
One game to start a season after a condensed training camp shouldn't sound too many alarm bells , but given how poorly New York performed offensively last season, they aren't going to have a very long leash from the fan base.
There was way too much pressure on Shesterkin and the defense to play a perfect game, and they fell just a few minutes short of accomplishing that feat, and to have at least gotten the team one point.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/rangers/onsi as NY Rangers Offensive Concerns Arise in Loss to Bruins .
