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By STEPHEN WHYNO
Trent Frederic found the back of the net, while Stuart Skinner successfully turned away all 30 shots he encountered, helping the defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers secure a 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
The Rangers made history, albeit not positively, as they became the first NHL team to be shut out in their first three home games of a season. With a goal drought lasting 180 minutes at Madison Square Garden, they are second only to the historical 187:19 dry spell of the now-defunct Pittsburgh Pirates in 1928.
Skinner joined the ranks of Washington’s Charlie Lindgren and Pittsburgh Penguins’ Arturs Silovs, who also kept New York from scoring in the last eight days. One of his standout saves happened early on, after a turnover by Evan Bouchard, stopping a dangerous attempt by Will Cuylle right in front. Later, he notably caught a shot from Sam Carrick with 2:31 remaining.
Adam Henrique sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:08 left.
Igor Shesterkin managed to save 20 out of the 21 shots directed at him by the Oilers. However, he couldn’t stop the single goal that slipped by in the middle of the second period, when Kasperi Kapanen set up Frederic for a solo effort past defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, which ended with a five-hole finish to beat Shesterkin.
The Rangers had their chances, including back-to-back power plays with 12 seconds of a five-on-three advantage. Displeased fans voiced their frustration with boos late in the second period, especially when Edmonton successfully cleared the puck down the ice.
The Rangers managed to keep three-time MVP Connor McDavid and his frequent partner Leon Draisaitl off the scoreboard, similar to their containment of Sidney Crosby last week. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch decided to split McDavid and Draisaitl in the third, after having paired them for the opening two games of the season and the first two periods of the Tuesday matchup.
UP NEXT
Oilers: Visit the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
Rangers: Visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
