Rangers Face Ducks in Season Opener

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Rangers kicked off their season with a 5-3 loss to the Ducks on Monday night, and they did so without their top goaltender.

Spencer Martin faced 25 shots, managing to block 21 of them during the game. Meanwhile, Jonathan Quick is set to return to the net against the Kings, the team he previously played for, in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

When asked if Quick’s long-standing association with the Kings influenced the decision to start him in Game 2, coach Mike Sullivan made it clear.

“That’s right,” he said, smiling. “Absolutely, that’s true. I think Quickie deserves it.”

Since being traded from the Kings to Columbus and then to Las Vegas in March 2023, Quick has appeared three times against the franchise that drafted him back in 2005.

Unfortunately for the Rangers, they haven’t secured a win in Los Angeles since they returned in January 2024, having lost 2-1 then.

Quick, who stepped in as a relief goaltender in one of his last outings against the Kings, holds a record of 1-1 with an impressive .952 save percentage against his former teammates.

At 39 years old, Quick played in five consecutive games from January 5-12 while Igor Shesterkin was sidelined with an injury.

Since Shesterkin’s injury, Quick’s performance has been less than stellar, recording a .786 save percentage (22 goals allowed on 103 shots) and an 0-4-1 record during that stretch.

His average of 5.78 goals against per game during this period stands out as the highest among NHL goaltenders with at least five appearances since January 5.

To make matters worse, the Rangers aren’t providing much support in front of Quick, who has been pulled from two of his last three games.

Martin, who joined the Rangers with a two-year contract last November, made his debut as a relief player in Boston. Since then, his save percentage has been .852, with a goals-against average of 4.16.

He notably secured his first win with 25 saves against Philadelphia.

“I thought he played well,” Sullivan commented about Martin’s performance in Philadelphia. “He made some crucial saves, especially in the third period.” He added that two goaltenders will likely be necessary as the team heads toward the Olympic break. “We’ll keep monitoring that. He played really well the other day,” he concluded.

Additionally, Carson Soucy participated in the Rangers’ morning skate but did not take to the ice that night.

“He came back from a long trip and hasn’t skated in three days,” Sullivan explained. “We didn’t think it was the best move to rush him back in right away.”