Colin Stephenson: Rangers' Igor Shesterkin scores empty-net goal in home-opening win over Lightning

Igor Shesterkin was bound to score a goal in his NHL career. The question was never “if,’’ it was “when.’’

The “when’’ was Thursday night in the Rangers’ 2026-27 home opener. Shesterkin, one of the finest stickhandling goalies in the NHL, became the 18th goalie in league history — and the first Ranger — to record a goal when he shot the puck into the empty net against the Tampa Bay Lightning with 2:34 remaining in the Rangers’ 5-1 victory.

Shesterkin collected a dump-in by Tampa Bay defenseman John Carlson and, from his own goal line, launched a shot high in the air and all the way down the ice. The puck slipped in just inside the left goalpost, sending the fans at Madison Square Garden, who already had had a great night, into a frenzy.

“Someone on the blue line, he screened me a little bit when I made the shot, and I didn’t see the puck was in, so I didn’t know can I celebrate it or not,’’ Shesterkin said. “But I started doing that when every fan was like fired up.’’

Shesterkin, who had played well and kept the Rangers in the game in their 3-0 loss in their season opener in Boston on Tuesday, again was outstanding on Thursday. He made 24 saves, and the goal was the cherry on top of what had been just about the perfect home opener for a team that struggled so much at home early last season and is trying to fight its way back to the postseason.

It just may signal that this team is capable of turning things around in a bigger way than anyone would have predicted.

The Rangers had the weight of knowing they had been shut out in their first three home games last season — and five of their first seven — and never recovered from that on the way to an injury-marred nightmare of a season in which they became sellers at the trade deadline and ended up last in the Eastern Conference.

And it didn’t help when they failed to record a goal Tuesday.

But Mika Zibanejad scored a power-play goal at 5:34 of the first period, and it was as if an anvil had been lifted off their shoulders.

Pavel Dorofeyev finished a pass from fellow newcomer Oliver Bjorkstrand to make it 2-0 at 10:51 of the period, and it immediately became clear that the Rangers would get off to a better start this time around.

“This is a whole new team,’’ coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’ve got a new group of players and we’re excited about the opportunity we have in front of us.

“I know how much it means to these guys to win games at home. They love playing here. We have such a passionate fan base. And it means a lot to our guys to perform well. And so I was happy for them.”

And everyone was happiest for Shesterkin, who’s been shooting at empty nets for years.

“I mean, I feel like probably a dozen times I’ve been on the bench thinking, ‘OK, this one goes in,’ and he barely misses,’’ Zibanejad said. “So just seeing this one go in, it was just — the way he played today, and obviously the amount of chances that he’s had to do that, and now finally get it? That was great.

“When those moments occur for a team, they’re great moments. You could see the raw emotion on the players on the bench.

“You know Shesty’s such a great goalie. He makes so many timely saves for us. When he has a moment like that, I think the guys, they get pretty fired up about it.’’

The goal ignited a wild celebration by the Rangers on the ice and led to something unique, with the goalie leading the high-five line going down the bench.

“It’s pretty nice,’’ Shesterkin said of exchanging high-fives after a goal. “I never did it before, so it’s a lot of fun.’’

Shesterkin was asked if this is the No. 1 highlight of his career.

“I don’t know,’’ he said. “I like to watch my fight [last season against then-Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom]. At least like nobody punching my face.’’

Shesterkin’s good pal Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders had been the last goalie to be credited with a goal, on March 1 against the Predators, when he made a save on a shot by Jonathan Marchessault and Nashville forward Steven Stamkos’ errant pass went into the empty net.

When asked about that two days later, after he’d bested Sorokin in a 4-0 win over the Islanders at the Garden, Shesterkin said, “That’s not a goal.’’

No one can say that about this one.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.