The Rangers played their third game of the season tonight against the Coyotes before a capacity crowd at MSG. Thanks to some heroics from Igor Shesterkin, they won a tense home opener over the Coyotes 2-1.

In an entertaining game that had plenty of emotion during play, it came down to a penalty shot between Coyotes forward Jason Zucker and Shesterkin with 4:48 left. At the time, the Rangers were protecting a one-goal lead thanks to a Vincent Trocheck power play goal that came earlier in the third period.

They had locked down the neutral zone after Trocheck’s redirect of an Artemi Panarin shot with 11:34 remaining. A goal originally credited to Panarin was correctly changed to Trocheck after a conclusive MSG replay showed that he got a piece of it after it went off Arizona defenseman Travis Dermott.

On the key sequence that led to Zucker getting behind the defense that forced Barclay Goodrow to hook him from behind, a turnover by Nick Bonino forced the Rangers’ best player to stand tall under the bright lights. With the crowd serenading him with familiar “Ig-or, Ig-or” chants, Shesterkin patiently waited for Zucker to shoot for the short side and calmly made a right pad save to deny the former Pen from tying the game.

No save was bigger. For the game, Shesterkin made 26 saves on 27 shots to earn the victory. He was awarded the game’s first star by the media. Not only was he good when his team needed him to be. But he even got involved in a melee at the buzzer.

Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton went after Ryan Lindgren after a face-off that led to chaos. Shesterkin was right in the middle of it before the refs broke it up. Fifty-eight penalty minutes were assessed to the participants. It could’ve been worse. Luckily, no real punches were thrown. Shesterkin escaped unharmed. The last thing the Rangers need is for him to take such a risk. They can’t afford to lose Shesterkin at any point. He’s a great teammate who had Lindgren’s back.

Lindgren became a target for the ‘Yotes most of the game. When they introduced the players during the pregame festivities, Lindgren got a loud ovation from an appreciative crowd. They know how valuable he is to the Rangers. Without him, they struggled in a loss to the Blue Jackets. It’s important for the warrior known as Lindy to stay healthy. He’s the glue of the team.

The reason the Coyotes went after him was due to an undetected high elbow that caught a player in front of the benches. Lindgren was fortunate not to get caught. That didn’t stop the Coyotes from taking liberties with him. Earlier in the game, he was hobbled after absorbing a tough hit. But being who he is, Lindgren returned to the game without any trouble.

On an emotional night, he did something out of character that put the Rangers down two men late in the second period. After Alexis Lafreniere got the original call for slashing Nick Schmaltz, Lindgren got an unsportsmanlike conduct minor for firing a puck in the direction of the officials. Frustration boiled over due to a Shesterkin outlet for a potential Panarin breakaway being accidentally foiled by referee Kelly Sutherland. Panarin banged into Sutherland, ruining a big moment. Afterward, he apologized to Panarin.

With the crowd booing, the Coyotes suddenly had a full five-on-three in a tie game. They’d controlled most of the play in the second period. However, the Rangers’ three penalty killers delivered. Peter Laviolette went with defensemen Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller while Goodrow and then Nick Bonino were the forwards.

Shesterkin made a crucial stop on Sean Durzi. He’d also get some help from the goalpost on a Schmaltz one-timer. Shesterkin stopped Clayton Keller. Trouba blocked a Durzi shot and cleared the puck down to end the second period to cheers.

The Rangers killed the remaining 41 seconds at the start of the third period. Shesterkin made a save on a Keller shot after it expired.

If both Lindgren and Trouba were particularly good defensively, then the gritty play of a determined Bonino was instrumental. He was brought in for exactly this kind of game. Bonino was a factor defensively. He blocked three shots and went 4-and-1 on face-offs in 10:45. That included 2:46 shorthanded. He was even used by Peter Laviolette for a late defensive shift. The coach went with his best two defensive centers, even having Trocheck take a defensive draw while Mika Zibanejad was on for the same shift. That led to them killing some of the clock.

Arizona entered Monday night off a shootout win over the Devils last Friday. Rookie Logan Cooley showed flashes of why he’s considered one of the top rookies to watch. His skating and game-breaking speed were a factor during some shifts. He picked up an assist on a tying power play goal from Keller in the second. He also turned K’Andre Miller into a statue to break in and force Shesterkin to make a point blank save in the third with the game still tied. He’s going to be a good player.

The storyline of Cooley and Will Cuylle was fun. As predicted, Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti cracked a few jokes during the broadcast about both rookies. Their names are pronounced similarly. While big things are expected for the Coyotes first-year player, the Rangers have to be pleased with what they’ve seen from Cuylle. He continues to get involved. He nearly had Trocheck for a goal in the second. But Trocheck hit the outside of the post.

MSG public address announcer Joe Tolleson introduced everyone who was part of the Rangers organization. There was a moment when you thought he’d announce the ushers and concession workers. The highlight was goalie coach Benoit Allaire responding to well-deserved cheers by smiling and waving to the fans.

After John Brancy belted out a nice rendition of the national anthem, hockey was played at 33rd and Seventh. Both teams started well. Shesterkin made an early stop on Hayton. Then, Coyotes backup Connor Ingram shut the door on Panarin from the left circle. On a good offensive shift from new alternate captain Adam Fox, the top line came close. But Kaapo Kakko’s backhand was denied by Ingram, who, like most backup goalies, played well against the Rangers.

For most of the opening frame, the game was played on even terms. However, a Coyotes mistake led directly to the first goal. On an aggressive pinch from Travis Dermott, Miller moved the puck past him up for Kakko. He then sent Zibanejad on a two-on-one, where he easily passed across for a Chris Kreider finish with 5:49 left. It was his team-leading fourth and first at even strength. Kreider and Zibanejad should form their own company. That’s how good they play together.

Immediately after the goal, Trocheck got his usual penalty out of the way by interfering with Cooley. After a couple of Shesterkin saves, Matias Maccelli evened it up when he slashed Bonino. The teams played four aside before an abbreviated Rangers power play didn’t get much done. Laviolette tried Kakko and Filip Chytil with Trocheck, Panarin, and Fox. That was a different wrinkle. It looks like he’s more open to giving the younger players a chance.

Late in the period, Blake Wheeler actually made himself noticeable by nearly slipping a stuff-in attempt around the net past Ingram. But he kept it out.

After outshooting the Coyotes 13-10, the Blueshirts were their own worst enemy in an uneven second period. After a few misses that included Cuylle for Trocheck off the outside of the post, Braden Schneider took a bad penalty for holding Cooley. He was caught flat-footed and grabbed the rookie.

For most of the Arizona man-advantage, the Rangers’ penalty kill did a good job limiting them. However, a good keep in by Sean Durzi resulted in a nice passing play started by Cooley over to Schmaltz, who found Keller in the right circle for a one-timer that beat Shesterkin at exactly five minutes. The Coyotes showed some poise with the puck. That’s what led to the tying goal.

Following Travis Boyd clanking the goalpost, Miller had a nightmare defensive shift. After a giveaway, he then stopped skating and held Jack McBain to give the Coyotes a second straight power play. Fortunately, a strong penalty kill got the job done. Bonino had a diving block during it. That’s how he plays the game. It’s why he’s won before.

The penalties hurt the Rangers. They had no shots up to that point and were outplayed by the ‘Yotes. However, they did earn a power play when Dermott held Trouba’s stick. They created three scoring chances. Following a heavy Zibanejad one-timer hitting the far post, he had a shot deflected by Trocheck that Ingram made a good save on. He also stopped Panarin.

With the contest tied, Cooley then made a strong rush and moved around Miller to get in on Shesterkin. But he made the big kick save to keep it even. For the period, he made eight saves. The Coyotes held a 9-4 edge in shots.

During a shift, Lindgren got away with an elbow on a Coyotes player. A scrum involving Lafreniere and Liam O’Brien ensued. It’s a good thing no punches were thrown. O’Brien is one tough customer.

Then, an aggressive Shesterkin tried to catch the Coyotes in a line change. His lead pass for Panarin looked like it would become either a breakaway or two-on-one. Instead, Panarin was mystified when he banged into Sutherland, who couldn’t avoid the collision. Sutherland felt the wrath of the Garden. While that went on, Lafreniere took an undisciplined slashing minor on Schmaltz. He didn’t have a particularly good game.

What made it worse was Lindgren losing his cool by getting the unsportsmanlike conduct to make it a full five-on-three for Arizona with 1:19 left in the second. But with the crowd fired up, the Rangers responded by getting a couple of saves from Shesterkin. The work from Miller and Trouba was outstanding. Goodrow cleared a puck, allowing Bonino to hop on. That was the turning point.

Once they killed the remainder, it felt like they’d find a way to win. One thing that didn’t make sense was Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny opting not to use Cooley on that five-on-three. He went mostly with shots, which got predictable.

Matt Dumba cross-checked Lindgren to put the Rangers on the power play. After Ingram got across to rob Zibanejad on his deadly one-timer, Panarin decided to take the shot from the left circle. The puck went off Stecher, and then Trocheck managed to tip it in past Ingram with 11:34 remaining to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.

Shesterkin made it hold up. He stopped all eight Coyotes shots in the third. None were bigger than the Zucker penalty shot. He wasn’t about to allow a goal in that spot. Shesterkin is now a perfect four for four on penalty shots in his career.

The Coyotes lifted Ingram with over a minute to go. It almost led to an empty netter. But the ‘Yotes recovered in the nick of time. Keller came close by throwing a puck towards the front. But it never reached the net. Interestingly, Cooley wasn’t used on the six-on-five. The Rangers didn’t mind.

A phantom icing was called just as the buzzer sounded. It looked like the Coyotes player stopped skating. The game probably was over. Instead, they went to review it and put 0.5 seconds back on. It didn’t make sense. What followed was predictable. Knowing it was over, Hayton went after Lindgren. It turned ugly fast. Luckily, no one got hurt. The teams don’t meet again until March 30, 2024.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

3rd Star ✨️ Connor Ingram, ARI 26 saves on 28 shots

2nd Star ✨️ Vincent Trocheck, NYR scored game-winning power play goal at 8:26 of the third period, strong defensively in 17:09

1st Star ✨️ Igor Shesterkin, NYR 26 saves on 27 shots, including the penalty shot stop on Jason Zucker with 4:48 remaining

The Rangers have the next two days off. They host the Predators on Thursday at 7 EST.