NEW YORK — With the Yankees and Mets both playing playoff games and the Jets hosting “Monday Night Football,” the Rangers were not the main attraction within the New York sports scene Monday. So if you weren’t fully locked into hockey, we’ve got you covered. Here are four takeaways from the Rangers’ 4-1 win against Detroit, which featured a strong Igor Shesterkin showing and a three-point night from Mika Zibanejad.
Zibanejad’s aggressiveness pays off
Zibanejad had only one shot on goal through the first two Rangers games. He doubled that in the first period and finished the game with five shots. One came on an empty net, giving him his first goal of the year, and he also had a pair of primary assists.
The Swedish center didn’t put up points in either of the Rangers’ first two games. That changed on a second-period power play. He got the puck in the faceoff circle and acted as if he was going to shoot. Instead, he put a pass right on Chris Kreider’s stick. The winger redirected it past Detroit goalie Alex Lyon to give New York the lead.
“If you think that’s a shot, then I’m offended,” Zibanejad said with a smile when asked if he was shooting or passing. “Maybe because of the other shots I’ve had. But no, that’s a pass. I tried to sell it as a shot, try to get the D-man to come up in front of it and the goalie to bite on it.”
He picked up another primary assist in the third period. He won an offensive zone faceoff and got it back to Reilly Smith, who ripped it into the net for his first goal with the Rangers.
Zibanejad added his empty-netter with 1:22 left.
“He’s a really good player, one of the best on our team,” Shesterkin said. “It’s really important for us to let him get confidence and play his way.”
It was not a flawless game for Zibanejad. He tripped Lucas Raymond after turning the puck over in the third, and his line (Kreider-Zibanejad-Smith) didn’t have strong underlying numbers according to Natural Stat Trick. Zibanejad still believes the trio has more potential.
“We’re close to clicking,” he said. “We’re working on it. We want this to work as much as anyone else. … We all believe we’re going to be successful and we’re going to have a good line. It’s right there.”
Even when nabbing his first three points of the season, Mika Zibanejad was called for tripping Detroit’s Lucas Raymond. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Lafrenière’s even-strength prowess continues
Only Artemi Panarin had more even-strength goals than Alexis Lafrenière for the Rangers last season, and the 2020 No. 1 overall pick has kept producing at five-on-five to start 2024-25. He scored his second goal of the season Monday, one-timing a Panarin feed past Lyon in the first period.
Lafrenière almost picked up another even-strength point. He fed Vincent Trocheck cutting to the net late in the second period, but Lyon made a quick-reflex save.
Special teams advantage
The Rangers had the third-best power play and penalty kill in the NHL last season. Considering most of their contributors on both units are back, it shouldn’t come as a shock that both groups still provide a big advantage. New York got a power-play goal and killed off four Red Wings attempts.
Shesterkin bounces back
Shesterkin let in six goals against Utah on Saturday but responded nicely against the Red Wings. He made a big stop on Raymond during four-on-four play in the first period and stymied an Andrew Copp backhand. Detroit finally cracked him with a Dylan Larkin goal with 1.1 seconds left in the first, but that was less on Shesterkin and more on the Rangers defense leaving the Detroit captain all alone in front of the net. Trocheck appeared to lose track of Larkin on the play.
Shesterkin came up big again after a Kreider hooking penalty in the second. He sealed off his post after a loose puck bounced to Patrick Kane next to the net and saved his ex-teammate’s shot. In total, he made six saves in a 1:19 span during that power play. That didn’t include an impressive windmill save on Alex DeBrincat’s shot, which came after a Raymond high stick.
Arguably Shesterkin’s best save of the young season came late in the second. A Filip Chytil turnover led to a Red Wings two-on-zero, but Shesterkin robbed J.T. Compher in front of the net when the forward tried to bury a pass from Raymond.
“I just saw him in the front of the net,” Shesterkin said. “I knew he was a righty, and I tried to read the play and play a little bit aggressively.”
He made another net-front save on Compher late in the third while protecting a two-goal lead.
Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde certainly left the game impressed. He referenced the reported eight-year, $88 million contract extension Shesterkin turned down.
“He’s special,” Lalonde said. “I can see why he turned down the 88 (million dollars). Good agent.”
(Top photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
