Rangers make 'unwanted' NHL history after being shut out in first three home games

The New York Rangers made an unfortunate bit of history on Tuesday night, becoming the first team in NHL history to be shut out in each of its first three home games of a season. Their 180-minute scoreless stretch at Madison Square Garden marks the second-longest home drought to start a season in league history.


Only the long-defunct Pittsburgh Pirates (1928) endured a longer wait, going 187 minutes and 19 seconds without a goal before Hib Milks finally scored at Duquesne Gardens. The modern-era record had belonged to the Florida Panthers (2001), who went 155 minutes and 17 seconds without a home goal.


Stuart Skinner stopped 30 shots as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the New York Rangers 2-0. Skinner was especially sharp in the final two periods, making 24 of his 30 saves over the last 40 minutes to secure his eighth career shutout.

With the performance, Skinner joined Nikolai Khabibulin as the only goaltenders in Oilers history to record a shutout against the Rangers. Khabibulin achieved the feat on October 22, 2011, in Edmonton.


Despite several quality chances, the Rangers couldn’t find the back of the net in their latest loss to the Oilers. Artemi Panarin was denied on a breakaway by Skinner, Will Cuylle had a close-range shot stopped after a turnover, and fourth-liners Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe saw good opportunities go begging. A few shots even hit the crossbar, adding to the frustration.

The Rangers have now failed to score on their first 90 shots on home ice, prompting boos from fans after consecutive power-play failures. They will look to regroup on the road with games in Toronto and Montreal before returning home to face Minnesota on Monday night.