DETROIT — The Rangers had already played two games by the time the Red Wings kicked off their season on Friday night.
After an eventful offseason filled with dramatic changes and uncertainty, fans in Little Caesars Arena expressed a lot of pent-up frustration. The atmosphere was markedly different compared to the Rangers’ home opener at Madison Square Garden.
The Red Wings are still finding their footing after moving out longtime executive Steve Yzerman to an advisory role and interim-promoting Shawn Horcoff to assistant general manager.
Fans voiced their opinions about the team and Dylan Larkin, who lost his captaincy after he asked for a trade this summer. Larkin, dressed casually due to an injury, faced a chorus of boos during player introductions.
This palpable lack of enthusiasm in the arena worked in the Rangers’ favor early in the first period. When awarded the first power play, they took advantage as Sean Durzi scored a brilliant shot from the high slot—his first goal as a Ranger.
A “sell the team” chant quickly echoed through the lower bowl, one of several that rang out during the game.
“We had a great start to the game,” Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan remarked. “For the first 10 minutes, I thought we were the better team. But then, for probably the next 25 minutes, they outplayed us. You have to give Detroit credit; they have a lot of speed and a solid team game. It was their first game, so it took them a bit to find their rhythm. Once they did, they put us under good pressure. I thought we managed to deal with it.”
While the Rangers dominated most of the opening period, the Red Wings took control toward the end, firing off the last six shots on goal—excluding a shot from Anton Johansson that rang off the post—before the first intermission, but couldn’t find the back of the net.
Eeli Tolvanen sealed the game with an empty-net goal, allowing the Rangers some breathing room at the end.
The Rangers continue to evaluate their options for the right wing on the fourth line. After starting the season in Boston with Matt Rempe there, Sullivan opted for Jaroslav Chmelar during the home opener against the Lightning.
Chmelar remained in the lineup for Friday’s game against Detroit, which made sense following the team’s solid victory.
“A lot of it depends on the opponent and what we think provides a better matchup,” Sullivan explained regarding the lineup decisions. “Remps is a different type of player compared to Jaro. Both are important to our team, just in different ways.”
“I’ve spoken with both players about the lineup decisions moving forward. Against a team like Tampa, we felt Jaro was the better fit.”
The Rangers are set to take a break on Saturday before facing the Utah Mammoth at the Garden on Sunday night.
