Rangers Down Lightning in Disappointing Season Opener
By MIke Smith | Thunderstruck Sports
Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Dorofeyev both scored early Thursday night to set the tone as the New York Rangers downed the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-1. The Lightning failed to build momentum at Madison Square Garden, struggling to find a rhythm.
Mika Zibanejad opened the scoring for the Rangers at 5:34 when a Pavel Dorofeyev shot hit the post and bounced straight to him. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy couldn't stretch far enough to stop the ensuing shot as the puck sailed by.
The goal was New York's first of the season, after they were shut out on the road Tuesday by the Boston Bruins, 3-0. The goal was the 14th against the Lightning in his career.
The Lightning played a strong period but could not find the back of the Rangers' net. Tampa Bay had 27 scoring chances in the opening period yet mustered only nine shots. A stingy New York defense blocked eight shots, and the Bolts missed eight more.
The Lightning also failed to score on two crucial power play opportunities in the opening period that could have gotten them back in the game.
“It was almost like the game was an inconvenience to play and that it got in the way of summer," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "And that’s what was disappointing.”
Dorofeyev added a goal of his own at the 10:51 mark when former Bolt Oliver Bjorkstrand corralled a John Carlson turnover to create a 2-on-1 breakaway in the Lightning zone. Bjorkstrand got the pass to Dorofeyev, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead.
Things unraveled even more for the Lightning as the game progressed.
Rangers Put Lightning in Dire Straits Quickly
The second period was unkind to the Lightning, as the Rangers built a three-goal lead early. Eeli Tolvanen scored at the 1:40 mark of the second period when his pass attempt to Braden Schneider hit Max Crozier's skate and went into the net.
Bolts forward Nikita Kucherov returned the favor and put the Lightning on the board at 7:59 for Tampa Bay's lone goal when a backhanded shot bounced off Noah Laba's skate and past goalie Igor Shesterkin.
Kucherov has scored on opening night in four consecutive years dating back to 2023.
The Rangers answered back at the 16:01 mark when Gabe Perreault tipped in a shot from Adam Fox.
The Lightning defense struggled for much of the period to keep New York away from the front of the net, and Vasilevskiy had to make some impressive plays to keep his team in the game.
Shesterkin, meanwhile, held Tampa Bay to one goal on 24 shots and scored the Rangers' fifth goal when he powered a shot across the ice and into an empty net with 2:34 left in the third.
It was Shesterkin's first-ever goal, and the first goal scored by a Rangers goaltender in franchise history.
"Obviously not the way we wanted to start," Bolts forward Brandon Hagel said. "I think basically everything was missing, but it’s one game. Gotta move on. We know we’ve got better in here.”
"I think there was maybe a lack of execution a little bit in some areas, but other than that I think we'll be fine. It's one game. It's one of those things."
Power Play Highlight Struggles
One key thing the Lightning wanted to fix in 2026-27 was their power-play effectiveness. Last season, the Bolts' power play percentage was 20.8%, 17th in the NHL.
Tonight, Tampa Bay went 0-for-7 on the power play against the Rangers, garnishing only eight shots total.
"There was going to be some bobbled pucks; there was gonna be some misconnections in game one of the season," Lightning defenseman John Carlson said. "I think that's a little bit of what's expected, but I think there was just missing that little oomph in our game that we expect from each other and that's why we came up short."
"Those types of things, you've just kind of got to go back to the drawing board, I think," Hagel said. "You see the PKs now; you work on it. You don't have a ton of time to work on it, but we got better."
"I'd be more worried about 5-on-5 than I would be about the power play. Once we get that back on track, I think everything kind of clicks."
Tampa Bay seemed to go through the motions and play as if this was the end of last season, rather than playing with the intensity they want to start this season.
At first, a very frustrated coach struggled to find the words to express how his team performed tonight, taking a deep breath to focus before speaking to reporters.
“I think the disappointing thing for me, a coach understands you’re going to lose games, you’re going to win games, but it’s how you go about that," Cooper said. "And I just thought we had limited pushback, and that’s just not a staple of what’s gone on in this room.”
With the home opener Saturday night at Benchmark International Arena, the Lightning need to bounce back and prepare for Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
"One game, move on. We've got a game right away here (Saturday night),' Hagel emphasized. "We've got to put this behind us, but we've also got to take a look in the mirror. And I think everyone knows that."
Three Stars of the Game
Igor Shesterkin, New York. Stopped 24 of 25 shots and scored his first-ever goalie goal.
Pavel Dorofeyev, New York. A goal and an assist on the opening goal shut down Tampa Bay early.
Mika Zibanejad, New York. The Rangers' Lightning killer opened the scoring with his 14th career goal against Tampa Bay.
Up Next
The Tampa Bay Lightning host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals Saturday night at Benchmark International Arena. The Lightning home opener starts at 7 pm.
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