TORONTO — A disclaimer is necessary regarding the strength of their competition, but the Rangers’ offensive prowess to start the season is indicative of the team’s uncanny ability to drown their opponents in goals.
The 20 times the Blueshirts have scored through the first four games of the 2024-25 campaign is tied for second in the NHL and tied for the second most over that span in franchise history, joining the 1987-88 team and falling two shy of the Phil Esposito-led 1976-77 team.
You know what other teams woke up with 20 goals Friday morning?
Artemi Panarin, shooting on Cam Talbot, scored a hat trick in the Rangers’ win over the Red Wings.
The Penguins team the Rangers shut out, 6-0, in the season opener. Also the Bruins, the Golden Knights and the Utah Hockey Club, which handed the Rangers the only blemish on their record — an overtime loss — last week.
You know the only club that has more than 20 goals?
The Devils (22).
All of the aforementioned teams have played at least one more game than the Rangers as of Friday morning, with their cross-Hudson rivals having three more contests to produce that much and lead the league in scoring.
It’s a testament to the Rangers’ absurd scoring rate at the moment, which has not slowed down.
As much as there’s been to like about the Rangers’ 3-0-1 start to the season, however, the league’s parity seemingly shrank another few tiers this past offseason.
Chris Kreider looks to keep the puck away from Justin Holl during the Rangers’ win over the Red Wings.
Remaining on track through the first couple of months of the season will be imperative for the Rangers, who should be considered the team to beat in the Metropolitan Division after owning the No. 1 spot for nearly the entirety of last season.
“Tonight was our day,” Artemi Panarin said after Thursday night’s 5-2 win in Detroit, where the star Russian wing scored a hat trick and joined the Oilers’ Connor McDavid as the only players to record 11 points through the first four games of the season. “It looked like everything was going in. And then in the D zone, we did pretty well. I don’t want to say too much, it can be just one game.”
The Rangers, who have earned points in each of their first four games for first time since 2008-09 and just the ninth time in franchise history, will need to continue to tighten up on the defensive side of the puck as competition increases.
On offense, the team appears to be just heating up.
In addition to 13 five-on-five goals, the Rangers’ top power play unit is starting to settle in after going 3-for-4 with the man advantage against the Red Wings, which gives them a 3-for-14 showing to start the season.
The power play has progressively fallen back in sync each game.
The Rangers’ offensive outpouring paired with Igor Shesterkin’s brilliance in net, as well as Jonathan Quick’s strong season debut Thursday, is their blueprint for Stanley Cup success.
“All the way through, he was on point,” head coach Peter Laviolette said of Quick, who made 29 saves in Detroit. “I thought he played a fantastic game. That’s what you get from somebody of his pedigree. Being a guy that’s won championships and played as long as he has and that’s just one of the best in the game.
“He comes in, he hasn’t had any game action so far this year, comes in and plays so strong for us.”
