Outpoll | New York Rangers scoreless in first three home games, set NHL record.

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New York Rangers scoreless in first three home games, set NHL record.

New York Rangers scoreless in first three home games, set NHL record.

2 days ago7 min read6 comments

Madison Square Garden, that hallowed cathedral of hockey where legends are made and echoes of past glories usually reverberate, has fallen into an eerie, unprecedented silence for the New York Rangers and their faithful. In a start that’s more bizarre than a plot twist in a late-night drama, the Blueshirts have been shut out in their first three home games, an NHL record no team ever wanted to claim.Let’s break it down like we’re dissecting a playoff series with friends: it began with a 3-0 thumping by the Penguins, where Sidney Crosby and crew made it look like a practice scrimmage, followed by a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss to the Capitals that had fans groaning over every near-miss. Then, just to twist the knife, the Edmonton Oilers rolled in and delivered a 2-0 blanking, leaving the Rangers staring at a goose egg on the scoreboard for 180 straight minutes on home ice.Talk about a vibe check failing spectacularly—this isn’t just a slow start; it’s a full-blown offensive blackout that’s got everyone from die-hards in jerseyes to casual observers scratching their heads. But here’s the kicker: while the Rangers now own the dubious honor of being the first team in league history to open a season without a goal in three consecutive home games, they haven’t quite toppled the all-time anti-record for the longest goal drought from the get-go.That crown still belongs to the 1928-29 Pittsburgh Pirates, who went 187 minutes and 19 seconds without lighting the lamp at home, a stretch that included a 1-0 overtime loss to Boston, a 0-0 OT tie with Montreal, and finally breaking the seal nearly halfway through their third game against Chicago. Back then, overtime was a full 10-minute period that didn’t end with a sudden-death goal, so those first two games dragged on for 70 minutes each—imagine the tension in those old barns! Fast-forward to today, and the Rangers’ struggles are even more head-scratching because on the road, they’ve looked like a completely different squad, racking up two dominant wins with 10 goals scored, including a 4-0 rout of Buffalo and a 6-1 demolition of Pittsburgh.So, what gives? Is it the pressure of the Garden’s bright lights, a lineup that’s misfiring at even strength, or just one of those early-season funks that analytics can’t fully explain? Under coach Mike Sullivan, this team has the talent to bounce back—think of it like a star player in a shooting slump; eventually, the puck has to start going in. But for now, the Rangers are stuck in a historic rut, and if they don’t find their scoring touch soon, this record could morph from a quirky footnote into a season-defining albatross. Fans are already memeing it up online, comparing the offense to a ghost town, but behind the jokes, there’s a real concern: in a league where every point matters, digging out of this hole will take more than just luck—it’ll require a gritty, determined response that turns this early embarrassment into a rallying cry.