Colin Stephenson: Rangers' Mika Zibanejad sets tone at MSG with opening goal vs. Lightning
Rangers center Mika Zibanejad reacts after scoring against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Credit: Ed Murray
A week ago, in a quiet chat with Newsday, Mika Zibanejad admitted that, yes, the Rangers’ inability to score goals early last season — when they were shut out in their first three home games, and five of their first seven — did get into the players’ heads.
“We’re human beings,’’ he said. “You try not to, but at the same time . . . I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a thing that you thought about.’’
After they were shut out in their season opener in Boston Tuesday, the Rangers’ collective approach was to refuse to talk about last year. They were looking forward, they all insisted, declaring that this is a new year, and this is a new team. And their focus was on the now, not the past.
But you know they had to be feeling pressure as they entered Thursday’s home opener still seeking their first goal of the season. Zibanejad relieved that pressure early when he pounced on the rebound of Pavel Dorofeyev's shot and scored a power-play goal 5:34 into the game against Tampa Bay. That one goal instantly squashed all the questions about last year.
The Rangers went on to win in a romp, 5-1, and the biggest story ended up being Igor Shesterkin scoring the first goal of his professional career, becoming the 18th NHL goalie and first Ranger to do so. The Garden went nuts, and Shesterkin’s goal was the cherry on top of a very satisfying home opener that sent the signal that this very well may indeed be a different year than last.
But it all started with that first goal from Zibanejad, who led the Rangers in scoring in 2025-26 and was one of few who had a strong year in what was a miserable season for the team. As much as players talk about the importance of confidence to their individual and team successes, the 33-year-old Swede’s goal Thursday gave the Blueshirts a shot of what they needed.
“When we can score the first goal in the home opener against a really good team, I just think it gives us it a boost of confidence as a group,’’ coach Mike Sullivan said. “And so that was a huge goal in the game, a big part of the game . . . So much of the game is about momentum, and the highs and lows or the ebbs and flows of the emotional roller coaster ride, so to speak. And when you score the first goal, and the way that they scored it, it gives our team juice. It helps us gain momentum. We can build on it.’’
The challenge for the Rangers Friday was to continue building on that first goal, and first win, against the Red Wings in Detroit. It was the second game of a back-to-back, their third game in four nights, and the midpoint of a five-games-in-eight-nights stretch to start the season.
Sullivan was asked Thursday whether playing so many games right off the bat might actually work to his team’s advantage, in terms of helping it develop chemistry among the players, following a short training camp and preseason.
“It's a good question,’’ he said. “I'll give you the answer after the game [Friday].
“Sometimes there's value in playing games,’’ Sullivan said. “You get a chance to build some chemistry with your linemates. You get back into the routine of the NHL schedule. The challenge with it is, fatigue becomes an issue, right? You play three games in four nights. These guys haven't done that in a long time.”
Win or lose Friday, there was a different vibe in the Rangers’ locker room Thursday night in the euphoria of Shesterkin’s historic goal, and the early, convincing win. That feeling is one they never could get last year, and having it now could set them up for a much better season than they had a year ago.
“You [media] guys ask every time, before this game, and we talked about it from last year, so yeah, we know it's important,” Zibanejad said Thursday night. “We want to get off to a good start at home. We want to feel good coming in here and making sure that we find our game, we find our identity at home. And [Thursday] was a good first step.”
Zibanejad’s goal helped make sure they took it.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
