Why MSG analyst sees Rangers ‘amazing stretch’ defensively as positive sign
The New York Rangers have had an up-and-down start to the 2025-26 season.
On the one hand, the offense can’t seem to buy a goal. New York’s 1.83 goals per game (11 in six games) is next-to-last in the NHL. The Blueshirts have taken an NHL-high 182 shots entering Saturday’s game against the Canadiens in Montreal, but their 6.0 shooting percentage is dead last in the League (the Calgary Flames are next-to-last at 7.6 percent).
Juuso Parssinen’s deflection goal in the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday snapped an eight-period scoreless drought for the Rangers. But it wasn’t enough to give them a win. The Rangers got the “loser point” when Auston Matthews’ goal 58 seconds into overtime gave Toronto a 2-1 victory and handed the Rangers their third straight loss.
But while the offense has struggled, the Rangers have done an excellent job keeping the puck out of their own net.
New York entered the third period in Toronto trailing 1-0 but allowed just four shots on goal to a high-powered Maple Leafs offense. They managed a similar feat in a 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, holding the reigning Western Conference champions to a season-low 22 shots and the deadly duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to just three shots combined.
The Rangers haven’t been able to enjoy the fruits of their labor yet, but it’s a striking change from the defensive woes that have plagued them.
“The shots are low, the chances are manageable,” MSG analyst Steve Valiquette noted postgame after the loss in Toronto. “This is the best defensive structure this team’s played with — minus a stretch two years ago when they won the Presidents’ Trophy. This is an amazing stretch to start the season.”
That might seem like an odd compliment to give a team that was in the top 10 in goals against average for three consecutive seasons from 2021-22 to 2023-24, including second place during Igor Shesterkin’s Vezina Trophy season in 2021-22. But those numbers were much more reflective of elite goaltending, headlined by Shesterkin, than of the defense in front of them.
Since 2021-22, the beginning of New York’s resurgence as a playoff contender, the Rangers have never finished top 10 in high-danger scoring chances allowed per 60 minutes (HDCA/60), according to Natural Stat Trick. The highest the Rangers ever ranked in that metric was 17th in the League in 2023-24, when they set team records for wins and points while winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
The issue was particularly striking last season, where New York finished fourth-worst in the NHL in HDCA/60. Even Shesterkin’s brilliance couldn’t save them — the Rangers finished 19th in GAA.
Contrast that with the metrics New York has posted through six games in 2025-26 — the Blueshirts lead the NHL with 7.44 HDCA/60, and have allowed the third-fewest scoring chances per 60.
The defensive miscues aren’t nonexistent, but they’re fewer and farther between. However, with the offense in a slump for the ages, even a handful of mistakes is too much.
in Toronto, the Leafs ended up with a 2-on-1 in overtime after Mika Zibanejad whiffed on a golden scoring opportunity. Defenseman Adam Fox made a full-body slide towards the puck carrier, William Nylander, but took himself out of the play — opening a lane for him to hit Matthews back-door for the game-winner.
In the loss to the Oilers, Urho Vaakanainen’s dump-in attempt ricocheted off a linesman at the Edmonton blue line. Trent Frederic wound up with the puck, stepped around Vaakanainen near the Rangers’ blue line and went in alone before beating Shesterkin between the pads — Edmonton’s only goal until hitting an empty net. But the Blueshirts couldn’t get anything past Stuart Skinner and were shut out for the third time in as many home games this season.
The most glaring error likely occurred in the season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins when Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere prematurely pushed up ice on a first-period defensive-zone face-off, vacating the front of the net. Justin Brazeau’s goal gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead, and they hit the empty net twice to win 3-0.
But aside from a few missteps, the blue line has played responsibly — and that even includes the 24-year-old Matthew Robertson, who’s filling in for the injured Carson Soucy. Meanwhile, the forwards have taken quickly to coach Mike Sullivan’s trademark forecheck, and it’s brought out the best in New York’s bottom six.
“You build all of your confidence early in the year,” Valiquette explained. “All of your trust — it can get broken or built, and it’s being built right now.”
But all that trust won’t mean much if the Rangers don’t start turning their scoring chances into goals — although if the new defensive structure continues to pay dividends, they won’t need to score at a League-best clip to win games.
New defensive structure making life easier for Igor Shesterkin
The Rangers lead the NHL with a 1.50 GAA — and when you dive deeper, it gets even more impressive.
Of the nine goals they’ve allowed, three have been empty-netters. That means New York’s goaltenders — Shesterkin and backup Jonathan Quick — have surrendered just six goals through six games.
The bulk of the credit goes to Shesterkin, who’s played five games and leads the NHL with a .962 save percentage and 8.1 goals saved above expected (GSAA), per MoneyPuck.
“He’s been the best news, not just because he’s the brightest spot and has been the most noticeable, but it’s because of how they’ve protected him,” Valiquette said. “When you look at the odd-man rushes, they’re down 35 percent this year. The east-to-west chances, they’re down 72 percent. He’s allowed to make a read and be very confident with his positioning.”
Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92 million extension last December ($11.5 million average annual value) — the largest deal ever given to an NHL goaltender. If he hadn’t already, he’s proving his worth this season.
In past seasons, Shesterkin was the equalizer, capable of covering for New York’s defensive lapses with his ability to make athletic, high-danger saves. If the Rangers continue to play soundly in front of their star netminder, as they’ve done so far through six games, it may yield Shesterkin’s best season yet — and that’s a lofty bar.
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