Rangers vs. Ducks: A Garand Bjorking
A perfect home record, a goalie who keeps stealing the spotlight, and a power play that still hasn’t figured itself out. Plus, the latest Dave Maloneyisms.
- Last year, the New York Rangers started the season 0-6-1 on home ice. This year, they're 6-0-0 at home to start the season. We'll talk about their road struggles another time—suffice it to say that, despite being winless, they have not looked nearly as inept on the road as they did at home last year—but it's great to see them playing well at home again.
- Dylan Garand, man. That late Anaheim Ducks goal from Nick Jensen to deny him the shutout was a bummer, and then the second late goal was just fluky as hell. But otherwise he once again played brilliantly, and absolutely deserved the shutout.
- In nine starts in the NHL, he has only allowed more than two goals once, and that was the stinker he (and the entire team) had in New Jersey. And he's looked good doing it. Hockeystats.com has him 11th in the NHL for goals saved above expected (GSAE) with +3.4, and MoneyPuck has him 12th at +4.2. He's benefiting from a much-improved defensive unit that doesn't hang him out to dry as much as last year's squad did to both Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. But it's way more than just overall defensive improvement. Garand has been great, and thank heavens for that.
- I'll have more on the fourth line for Joe's Reaction of the Week on Friday, but I suppose having Oliver Bjorkstrand go on a heater is one way to get head coach Mike Sullivan to roll four lines. The lowest time on ice of any Ranger was 8:55 for Justin Dowling. And that sounds about right, and helps explain their decision to sign Luke Glendening to a PTO.
- That Gabe Perreault-Mika Zibanejad-Alexis Lafrenière line is cooking.
That's just beautiful pic.twitter.com/K3w66zRh6i
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) October 20, 2026
