PITTSBURGH — The Rangers unveiled a new mantra ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Shedding the ‘No Quit in New York’ slogan that has accurately defined the organization the past three seasons, the Blueshirts have coined a new motto to reflect the current mentality of the franchise: ‘It Takes Everyone.’
And, boy, did every single Ranger deliver in Wednesday’s season-opening 6-0 thrashing of the Penguins.
The never-give-up DNA doesn’t just go away. It’s become ingrained in the Rangers identity in recent years.
But this is not a team that expects to be playing from behind, chasing a game or vying to change the momentum.
This is a team that expects to lead, take charge of a game and dictate the momentum.
That is how Stanley Cup contenders play.
That is why ‘No Quit in New York’ no longer applies.
The Rangers played to their new rally cry Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena, where the visitors plowed through a lowly Penguins team in a game that was essentially over after the first 20 minutes.
The win truly had a little of everything from everyone.
There were scoring contributions from the top six and bottom six.
Offensive plays from defensemen. Some pretty goals, some blue-collar goals.
And, of course, a 16th-career shutout from goalie Igor Shesterkin.
Artemi Panarin even had some defensive highlights.
It may have been Game 1 of the 2024-25 season, but it very well could’ve been Game 99 of 2023-24 with the way the Rangers started the game.
Less than 2 ½ minutes in, Sam Carrick tipped a hard shot from Jacob Trouba at the top of the zone to open the scoring with his first goal as a Ranger.
Funneling shots into traffic were landing on net, so the Rangers continued to do so to keep up pressure.
Shesterkin, now in a contract year after declining an eight-year, $88 million deal that would’ve made him the highest-paid goalie in NHL history, covered the Rangers where he needed to with 10 saves in the first 20 minutes alone before finishing with 29 on the night.
The Rangers leaned into the attack from there, scoring twice more to take a 3-0 lead into the first intermission.
Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere didn’t miss a beat after their memorable debut as a line together last season.
Stripping the puck from Lars Eller in the defensive zone, Panarin backhanded it up to Lafreniere and Trocheck for a 2-on-1 rush that Lafreniere converted after a beautiful toe drag around Marcus Pettersson.
A strong and prolonged shift in the offensive zone with less than 30 seconds left in the opening frame then led to Chris Kreider burying a rebound off a Trouba shot.
Oh, and the entire period was played five-on-five.
The rest of the game was not, but the Rangers didn’t even need contributions from the power play they’ve relied so heavily on in recent years.
In fact, they got a shorthanded breakaway goal from Kreider, his second of the game, in the third period.
Their transition game kept the Penguins on their heels and their stickwork in the defensive zone largely kept the home team out of the dangerous areas.
In the second period, it was Filip Chytil who took a drop pass from Will Cuylle to beat Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry stick side off the rush.
Each line got on the scoresheet. Ten total players did, too.
Everyone showed up for Game 1 — only 81 more to go.
