The New York Rangers will be entering 2024-25 once again looking to end a 31-year Stanley Cup drought and they should be considered one of the favorites to win it all next season. They have the elite talent, an elite goalie, and were just in the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons.
They have the experience and will look to finally get over the hump, but the regular season is first on the agenda. While 82 games seems like a lot, the regular season usually flies by and before you know it the playoffs will be here once again. In this piece, we are going to look at five must-watch regular season games for the Rangers as we get closer to the start of the 2024-25 NHL season.
Oct. 9, 2024: Season Opener vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Rangers will open their seasonon the road against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. It is always an exciting matchup anytime these two teams face and this first game will have so much energy and excitement around it as these teams begin their seasons. It will also include the return of Reilly Smith to Pittsburgh, as the Rangers traded for him this offseason. He did not have the best season with the Penguins and will look to start off his career with the Rangers on a good note against his former team. Jacob Trouba also has a history with the Penguins and their fans always get all over him whenever he has a puck, so it will be interesting to see how he starts the season after an offseason full of drama.
Oct. 12, 2024: Home Opener vs. Utah Hockey Club
Three days later, the Rangers have their home opener against an opponent they will face for the first time: the Utah Hockey Club. Formerly the Arizona Coyotes, this will be the first time these two teams meet and with it being the Rangers’ home opener, it is sure to be an eventful night. It is interesting to note that the Rangers also had their home opener last season against the Coyotes, so it is back-to-back seasons starting at home against this franchise. Utah made some big moves this offseason — like trading for Mikhail Sergachev — and they are looking to make the playoffs this season, so it will be interesting to see how they look early on in the campaign.
Oct. 24, 2024: Eastern Conference Finals Rematch vs. Florida Panthers
In what is likely the Rangers’ first big matchup of the season, they welcome the Florida Panthers to Madison Square Garden (MSG) and will face them for the first time since they lost in the Eastern Conference Final. The Panthers went on to win the Stanley Cup, so it will add even more fuel to the fire as the Rangers lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions. This first matchup should still have the energy the Eastern Conference Finals did as both teams will still have that desire to prove they are better than the other.
This will be a game full of star players on both sides. For the Rangers, Artemi Panarin will be going up against his best friend, Sergei Bobrovsky. Matthew Tkachuk and Alexander Barkov are always dangerous and on the flip side, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere will want build off the great seasons they had and continue to prove why they are the best players on the Rangers. It will be an exciting matchup and will be the biggest test for the Rangers to that point in the season.
Alex Wennberg of the New York Rangers scores the game winning goal against Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers during overtime in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Nov. 14, 2024: Barclay Goodrow’s Return vs. San Jose Sharks
In a move that caught many, including Barclay Goodrow, off guard, Rangers general manager Chris Drury placed him on waivers earlier this offseason and he was claimed by his former team, the San Jose Sharks. It was reported that the Sharks were on Goodrow’s no-trade list, but Drury was able to get around that by putting him on waivers.
Now, with the relationship ending on a sour note, Goodrow will return to MSG with the Sharks and it will interesting to see the reaction he gets and what kind of acknowledgment he gets from the Rangers. It will also be the first time that 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini steps foot into MSG, so that will be another story to watch heading into this game.
Dec. 2, 2024: First Meeting of the Season vs. New Jersey Devils
It what is likely the biggest rivalry for Ranger fans over the past few seasons, they will face the Devils for the first time in the 2024-25 season at MSG on Dec. 2, 2024. They swept the season series against the Devils last season, but now, the Rangers are hoping to be a much-improved team. They added Brenden Dillion and Brett Pesce on defense and made a big addition in the crease by trading for Jacob Markstrom. They will look to be one of the top teams in the Metropolitan Division this season and if they are, this first meeting with the Rangers will be an exciting one. Both teams and fanbases dislike each other, so it will definitely be a must-watch game for the Rangers.
