Oct 13, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) celebrates his second goal of the period against the Tampa Bay Lightning with center J.T. Miller (10) during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Madison Square Garden was a house of horrors for the New York Rangers last season.
Out of 41 possible games, they won just 14, and did not win their fifth until March 27th — their 35th home game of the campaign.
How quickly things can change.
The Rangers remained perfect in the World’s Most Famous Arena with a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, improving to 5-0 on the young season.
“Obviously, it’s a huge boost of confidence for the group,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I’ll point to our leadership. I think they’ve done a great job of just leading by example, leading the charge on what it takes to win, and establishing ourselves at home. I know that was a goal that a lot of us had in mind going into this season, and these guys were determined to get off on the right foot, so I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
These are not just edge-of-a-skate-blade wins, either. The Blueshirts are outscoring their opponents 24-8 at MSG, including a two-game-in-three-night stretch that has seen them pot 10 goals against the Vancouver Canucks and Lightning.
Alexis Lafreniere continues to lead the charge, as the former No. 1 pick whose offensive game has largely underwhelmed over the last five seasons, is at an unforeseen fever pitch. He scored twice on Tuesday night and has seven goals in his last four games.
“I don’t know,” Lafreniere admitted about what’s different so far. “Our team’s playing well. All four lines are playing good. Right now, we’re playing a complete team game, and it’s so fun to watch… It feels good. It feels good to win too, especially at home after last year, too.”
But there is also a physical aspect that is helping Sullivan’s men grab momentum. The Rangers rank second in the NHL in hits with 229, which is 20 more than the third-place Canucks (h/t Moneypuck). On Tuesday night, they out-hit the Lightning 37-22.
“I think we’re really starting to establish an identity of what Rangers hockey looks like when we’re at our best,” Sullivan said. “It starts with our willingness and commitment to check. To a man, our guys are committed there. It’s five-man participation, and I think these guys value playing away from the puck and the importance of it.”
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