A newly constructed second line and a dominant performance from a veteran presence saw the Rangers start hot in their opener against Buffalo. Everyone was eager to see the start of Peter Laviolette‘s tenure accompanied by his fast-paced system. The young, up-and-coming Sabres tried to play spoiler, but it was the Blueshirts who had the last laugh. Goals scored during even strength, on the powerplay, and even down a man was the difference maker.
Rangers Start Hot In Season Opener Against Buffalo
Opening Night has finally arrived for the 2023-24 New York Rangers. While posting a preseason record of just 1-5-0, fans were still excited to see their Blueshirts hit the ice for the first time.
Fans of the Buffalo Sabres piled into the KeyBank Center Thursday night for their home opener. The buzz was quickly extinguished by a group of guys who call Manhattan home, silencing the fans in upstate New York. The Rangers ended up defeating the Sabres by a score of 5-1, with four Blueshirts ending up on the scoresheet. Here are some takeaways from opening night in Buffalo.
The New Second Line Shines Bright
It was only fitting that the scoring was started by a man with too many haters to count in Alexis Lafrenière. What was a gorgeous pass by Artemi Panarin found Lafrenière’s tape and all that was left to do was guide the puck into an empty net behind Devon Levi.
Laf + love. #NoQuitInNY | @JagermeisterUSA pic.twitter.com/ndQaOzUvGf
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 13, 2023
From the drop of the puck, that line of Lafrenière, Panarin, and Filip Chytil was buzzing all night long. As a line, they outattempted the Sabres 17-5 (73.68 CF%), and controlled the play of the game. In addition, they outshot the Sabres 10-2 when on the ice and caved the Sabres in. It was a dominant performance and they found the back of the net twice. Even on Panarin’s tally, that goal happened because of an impressive job on the forecheck from the former first-overall pick in Lafrenière. This is a line that everyone should be excited to see moving forward under the direction of Peter Laviolette.
Chris Kreider: The Special Teams Spectacular
With two goals on the night, Chris Kreider earned himself the first star of the night. His first of two was scored on, you guessed it, the powerplay. Quarterback Adam Fox was so patient, found a lane onto Levi’s frame and was deflected in front by the long reach of Chris Kreider.
Thursday proved that not only do the Rangers have a talented powerplay unit, but Kreider might be the best net-front presence in the entire National Hockey League. People think of vision as looking for teammates with either a saucer or cross-crease passes. For Kreider, his strength in vision comes when a puck heads his direction. Great hand-eye coordination plus strength equals a force to be reckoned with down low.
Christopher James, the 2023-24 era. pic.twitter.com/HKcpyEtp6V
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 12, 2023
Not only did Kreider add a goal on the man advantage, but how about one while being a man down? An impressive play in the neutral zone from Mika Zibanejad found him a Kreider on a 2-on-1. These two continue to prove that they can always find each other on the ice. Their connection was evident thanks to both of them being plus two on the night. Kreider’s performance last night will look to motivate both Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko. Both look strong and confident on the puck. Don’t you worry, the goals will come soon enough for these two. Despite a quiet night from Kakko, the first line might have been just as solid as the second.
100 Wins For Igor Shesterkin
A congratulations is in order for the man between the pipes as Igor Shesterkin earned his 100th NHL victory. Apart from the goal in the 2nd period from JJ Peterka, Shesterkin was his usual self. He was dominant and in control of his crease. All three defensive pairs allowed Shesterkin to see the puck just fine. A lot of that has to do with the 23 blocked shots on the night.
1⃣G0⃣0⃣R
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— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 13, 2023
A new coach can come in a use a different system than the coach before them, that is all fine and dandy. One thing that will never change about the culture of the New York Rangers Hockey Club is their ability to eat pucks through blocked shots. It happened in front of Henrik Lundqvist with players such as Dan Girardi. Now, players like Ryan Lindgren will eat any puck that comes his way. It usually shows in the form countless cuts and bruises.
PK warriors. ? pic.twitter.com/QRcMXiKq0d
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 13, 2023
Thursday was one of seven road games that the Blueshirts will play in the month of October alone. Peter Laviolette’s squad will look to continue their impressive play against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. I am not one for making predictions but look for Artemi Panarin to continue his great form. He seems to thrive whenever he gets a chance to go back to Columbus.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday night.
Main Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
