Igor Shesterkin gave Madison Square Garden a home-opener moment no Rangers goaltender had supplied before, scoring a goal as New York rolled past the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 on Thursday night.
The Rangers’ crease was the center of the history, but the building had plenty of attention beyond the ice. Knicks coach Mike Brown was shown on the Garden video board and received a loud welcome from the crowd. Brown answered by raising both fists and silently thanking the fans.
Brown has been a familiar winning figure in New York since guiding the Knicks to the 2026 NBA championship in June, their first title since 1973. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals.
After the horn
Wayne Gretzky was among the notable guests in the stands for the Rangers’ opening night. Comedians Tracey Morgan and Susie Essman also attended, along with actor Christopher Meloni and actress Jaimie Alexander.
They saw the Rangers put five goals past Tampa Bay while Shesterkin added an entry unlike any other in the club’s goaltending record book: he became the first Rangers netminder to score.
