It’s hard to believe that the New York Rangers“The ninth game of the season against a Western Conference opponent is their most important yet. Tonight the San Jose Sharks visit Madison Square Garden, and when this game is over, one of these teams will finally end their losing streak. The Rangers haven’t won on home ice yet this season, and the Sharks haven’t won at all.
Rangers Winless at MSG
Through eight games, the Rangers have amassed a 3-4-1 record, with all three wins coming in the mail. It was a struggle for fans to see the team on home ice. Although the team has played well, they have not seen the results yet.
They were shut out in each of their first three home games, becoming the first team in NHL history to do so. They finally scored their first goal at MSG against the Minnesota Wild on Monday, when Artemi Panarin scored 57 seconds into the game. But that was their only goal on the way to a 3-1 defeat.
The Rangers have scored just one goal in four home games. Creating offense has been a big problem for the team, and it’s a big reason why they have a losing record. They rank 28th in goals scored this season, with 16, and fourth in goals conceded. Thanks to the great play of Igor Shesterkin, they had the chance to win every night, but the attack failed to break through. Tonight should be their chance to turn things around.
The Sharks have yet to win a game this season
The Sharks are the worst team in the NHL entering the season, with a record of 0-4-2 only team in the competition without a win. However, this has been a bad trend for the Sharks in recent seasons. They started 0-5-0 in 2022-23 and then went winless in their first eleven games in 2023-24 (0-10-1). Last season they lost their first nine games 0-7-2. San Jose is not a team that is off to a good start, but they are young and talented and can overwhelm the Rangers if they are not careful.
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The Sharks are led by a strong young forward line of Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and William Eklund. These young players are surrounded by a group of veterans, including Tyler Toffoli and former Rangers Barclay Goodrow, Alex Wennberg and Ryan Reaves.
This is not a team that wants to make the playoffs this season, but they should show signs of growth as their young stars take another step forward in their development. They’re not the most dangerous team, but they come into MSG hungry and motivated to get their first win after a narrow 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
Rangers need to win this game to build confidence
Another defeat at home tonight would continue a frustrating start to the season for Rangers. They have to immediately prove that they are the better team. The offense has been a concern, but the Sharks don’t have the best defense or goaltending, so this is the perfect opportunity to get the Rangers offense going.
The Sharks rank 31st in the NHL with 29 goals conceded. The Rangers should take advantage of that. They have the offensive talent to take over games when they play at a high level, and they should do that tonight.
Both teams have started the season unhappy. The Rangers have played better than their record showings, and their lack of production on home ice will improve at some point. For the Sharks, they want to prove they are taking the next step in their development as they look for that first win. Tonight, one of these teams will end their losing streak.
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