The New York Rangers are set to host the Minnesota Wild on Monday, aiming to secure their first home victory of the season and break a troubling scoring drought at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have failed to score in their first three home games, marking a historic low in NHL history for preventing a team from registering any goals at home during their opening matches.
Despite this, the Rangers (3-3-1) drew momentum from a recent 4-3 comeback victory against the Montreal Canadiens, where they unleashed a powerful performance in the third period, netting three goals to clinch the win. Artemi Panarin, who has led the team in scoring for the past six seasons, exploded with a standout performance, producing four points, including his first goal of the season, which turned out to be the game-winner. Other key contributors included Mika Zibanejad, who tallied a goal and an assist, J.T. Miller with a score, and Adam Fox, who provided two assists, while rookie Matthew Robertson celebrated his first NHL goal.
Meanwhile, the Wild (2-3-1) have faced their own challenges, particularly defensively. With a team goals-against average of 3.67—which ranks among the lowest in the league—the Wild have allowed five or more goals in three of their six games this season. Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson, slated to start against the Rangers, has an .888 save percentage and a difficult history against New York, owning a 4.14 goals-against average in his past four encounters with them.
While the Rangers have shown defensive strength, allowing only 1.71 goals per game—a figure that ranks second best in the NHL—they are eager to improve their offensive consistency at home. Igor Shesterkin will return as the Rangers’ starting goaltender after Jonathan Quick played in Montreal. Shesterkin has allowed just five goals in five starts, boasting an impressive .962 save percentage.
The game also highlights individual storylines, including the potential return of veteran defenseman Carson Soucy for the Wild, who missed four games due to injury. Soucy, who made it clear he feels ready to return, will likely reinforce Minnesota’s defensive strategy.
The Rangers will also be looking to improve their power play performance; despite struggles early in the season with a 3-for-19 success rate overall, they face a Wild team that has one of the league’s worst penalty kills. At the same time, Minnesota excels at scoring during power plays, led by star Kirill Kaprizov, who currently leads the Wild with nine points.
With key players expected to impact their team’s performance, both squads face pivotal moments. For the Rangers, winning on home ice would not only improve their standing but also boost their morale. The match is set to kick off at 7 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden, broadcast live on MSG. Fans are eager to see if the Rangers can break their goal drought and continue building on their recent success.