BOSTON — For the second straight year, the Rangers were shutout on opening night.
Though it was a scoreless affair at TD Garden until late in the third period, the Bruins broke through with two quick goals — as well as one empty-netter — to take a 3-0 win over the Blueshirts in the first of 84 games this season.
It was a game that was well within reach for the Rangers, who were also shut out 3-0 by the Penguins to start last season.
Once Fraser Minton scored from the high slot with 3:56 left in regulation, however, the floodgates opened and the game slipped away.
JJ Peterka made a nasty move around Braden Schneider and buried his first goal as Bruin less than a minute later. And just 23 seconds after that, Mark Kastelic put the puck into an empty Rangers net.
“I thought our effort was good,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the game. “I just I didn’t think our execution was great, and we’ve got a we’ve got a ways to go.”
The shortened preseason was apparent in the Rangers-Bruins game, as well as across the NHL’s five matchups on Tuesday.
Not only did it take until the 16:14 mark of the third period for the Bruins to open the scoring, but there was also only one goal scored by the Panthers in overtime in their highly anticipated meeting with the 2026 Stanley Cup champions at Carolina.
Despite generating nearly the same number of shots as the Bruins, the Rangers bled odd-man rushes through the first two periods. Star goalie Igor Shesterkin had to bail the team out on numerous occasions, whether it was a 2-on-1 opportunity or an uncontested breakaway.
Shesterkin ultimately finished with 20 saves in the loss.
J.T. Miller chalked it up to puck management and coverage issues, noting that the team’s “timing was off with reloading the forwards.” But the Rangers captain said they would get their legs underneath them eventually.
“I thought we got better as the game went on,” he said. “We were coming.”
The third period saw the Blueshirts not only tighten up their defensive positioning, but also make a significant push offensively early on. They unloaded five consecutive shots to open the frame and had a significant edge for much of the period.
That first goal, however, continues to elude the Rangers.
