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New York Rangers Game Notes

Rangers vs. Lightning: The Igor Game

Igor Shesterkin's history-making moment was just the capper on a night that showed off a faster, deeper, more physical team.

Chip23

Chip23

— 5 min read
Rangers vs. Lightning: The Igor Game
(Image credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
  • Sports, man. You watch because no matter how painful it might be sometimes, there's always the chance you're going to see something you've never seen before. Well, anyone who watched this game Thursday night saw something they've never seen before: a New York Rangers goalie score a goal.
  • Igor Shesterkin's goal, and the vibes it brought back to Madison Square Garden, will certainly be the story. If this season goes well, people will point to this game as how we knew we were watching a special team. But Shesterkin's goal was the capper on what was already a really fun night for the New York Rangers and their fans.
  • Matt Rempe a healthy scratch after one game? Muy interesante.
  • I said on Blueshirt Bandwidth with Joe and Eric that the only way keeping Jaroslav Chmelar on the roster made sense was if they were going to have a short leash with Rempe. Way to make it make sense.
  • Now do Braden Schneider.
  • The Rangers went 180 minutes on home ice to start the 2025-26 season before scoring a goal. Mika Zibanejad made sure that history did not repeat itself.
  • The goal was an indication of what the Rangers are hoping will torment other teams on the kill for the next several years. Pavel Dorofeyev unleashed a howitzer on goal, the rebound found Zibanejad on the other side, and he fired a laser before Andrei Vasilevskiy could get back to Zibanejad's side.
  • Good stuff.
  • Ah … not such good stuff …
  • You know, the Rangers keep saying Schneider reminds them of Jacob Trouba. They're not wrong. They just don't realize that it's not the compliment they think it is.

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