The National Hockey League is back! The New York Rangers began their 2024-25 season on Wednesday night with a clash against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, it was not Crosby who stole the show on Wednesday. That distinction belongs to Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who could not be beaten in this first game.

Shesterkin made 29 saves against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The hosting Pens could not solve the Rangers goaltender, but it would've been a difficult game to win even if they had. New York opened their season with an emphatic 6-0 win over Pittsburgh. In the process, Shesterkin achieved an incredible feat not seen in nearly 70 years.

Shesterkin is the first Rangers goalie to begin the season with a shutout since 1956, according to Sportsnet Stats. The previous player to achieve this feat is Hall of Fame puck stopper Gump Worsley. Worsley stopped all 31 shots he faced as he helped New York defeat the Chicago Black Hawks to open the 1956-57 season, according to Hockey Reference.

Rangers give Igor Shesterkin major goal support against Penguins

New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) skates to the bench during the second period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden.
Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Igor Shesterkin reportedly turned down a major contract offer recently. However, the Rangers certainly did not let any of that get to them. They went into this contest looking to make a statement. And the Penguins simply could not stop them in front of their own fans.

It didn't take too long for the Rangers to score in this game. Sam Carrick scored his first as a Ranger at 2:34 in the first period. Late in the first period, New York scored twice. Alexis Lafreniere and Chris Kreider found the back of the net to make it 3-0.

Filip Chytil scored in the second period to do even further damage. And in the third, the game was well out of reach for the Penguins. Kreider scored his second goal of the night midway through the final frame. Later on, Vincent Trocheck put away the final marker for New York. The Rangers skated away with a massive 6-0 victory on the road.

The Penguins certainly hoped for a different outcome on Wednesday night. However, they need to put this one behind them rather quickly. Pittsburgh hits the road for the first time on Thursday when they take on the Detroit Red Wings to begin a three-game road trip.

The Rangers, meanwhile, certainly could not have scripted this one better. And they have a couple days off to celebrate this victory. They head home to New York for a matchup with the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday.