Rangers offense stalls again in OT loss to Maple Leafs

TORONTO -- The New York Rangers finally scored a goal on Thursday, their first in 170 minutes, 39 seconds.

That was the good news.

It was their only goal.

That was the bad news.

So it is with these talented, yet frustrated, Rangers just six games into the 2025-26 season.

So many chances.

Again.

Very little to show from them.

Again.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

“The key for us right now is that they don’t get discouraged,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said after New York’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

Easier said than done.

Through six games the Rangers (2-3-1) have scored only 11 goals, and 10 of those came in their two victories. They’ve scored just one in their other four games, including the dubious distinction of being the first team to have been shut out in their first three home games of a season.

But it hasn’t come from a lack of trying.

In those three shutout losses, New York has peppered opposing goalies Arturs Silovs of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Charlie Lindgren of the Washington Capitals and Stuart Skinner of the Edmonton Oilers with a combined 90 shots, many of the grade A variety. None went in.

And for much of Thursday night, it appeared as if history would repeat itself.

With Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz channeling his inner Dominik Hasek by making a number of highlight-reel acrobatic saves, the Rangers trailed 1-0 early in the third period.

To their credit, they kept pressing, and finally, mercifully, forward Juuso Parssinen ended the drought by finding the back of the net at 4:51 to tie the game.

New York could not do it again, however, and found itself on the losing end when Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored the winner 58 seconds into overtime.

Sure, the Rangers managed to get a point from the game, but the lack of offense remained a point of contention.

“It’s easy to get frustrated and get off the rails, but there’s 82 of these things and we’ve only played six,” captain J.T. Miller said. “So, that’s why I don’t want to keep blowing things out of proportion.”

It would be easy to do just that, even at this early stage, when you consider how some of New York’s big guns are struggling.

Miller, who scored 22 goals last season, has one. So does Mika Zibanejad, who had 20 in 2024-25. Artemi Panarin, who led the Rangers in goals last season with 37, has yet to score.

“If you’re mentally weak, you are going to go off the rails because this isn’t working on paper,” Miller said. “But to me, it’s about getting looks, not if they’re going in. Over time, if you get the looks, they’re going to go in.

“It’s easy to go the other way right now, and that’s why we’re going to be mentally tough in here. We’re going to keep pounding pucks at the net and outplaying the teams we’re playing against, and it’s going to work eventually.”

That the Rangers have allowed nine goals in six games and have just five points to show from it is an indictment of their sputtering offense, a trend Sullivan hopes is on the verge of ending.

“I do believe these guys are going to score,” he said.

The sooner the better.