Good morning, New York. Igor Shesterkin gave the Rangers’ home opener a moment 100 years in the making, the Yankees have an ALDS rotation decision to make, and both New York football teams face key injury questions heading into Week 4.
Igor Shesterkin made Rangers history Thursday night, flinging the puck the length of the ice and into Tampa Bay’s empty net to cap a 5-1 home-opening win. It was the first goalie goal in the franchise’s 100-year history—just the 21st goalie goal in NHL history—and the final piece of his career Gordie Howe hat trick: a goal, an assist and a fight.
Stonewall Shesty: Beyond the historic goal, Shesterkin made 24 saves and allowed only one goal—to reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov.
On the board: Mika Zibanejad scored on the power play less than six minutes in—New York’s first Garden goal of the season after last year’s club went more than three home games before scoring at all.
Turn the page: “We knew we had to respond,” Zibanejad said after the win. “We didn’t like the way we finished [in Boston], and tonight was a much better effort.”
Rotation Riddle
Behind Max Fried and Cam Schlittler’s gems, the Yankees swept Boston and now head to Tampa Bay with four frontline arms and one Game 1 decision. Schlittler is set for Monday’s Game 2 and Fried lines up for Game 3, leaving Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón available for Saturday’s opener—but neither has been named the starter as of Friday morning.
No free outs: Ron Darling previewed the series with Underscore’s own John Jastremski on New York, New York, comparing the Rays to a basketball team that presses for 48 minutes: “They bring everything into play.” They run, bunt, put balls in play and force defenses to make decisions. For the Yankees, Darling said, “Clean baseball is the key.”
Darling’s pick: Ron Darling would start Carlos Rodón in Game 1—he’s “throwing the best I think he’s ever thrown in his career”—and save Gerrit Cole, still coming off Tommy John surgery, for Game 4.
Judge watch: Aaron Judge, sidelined by a strained right calf, says he is doing everything he can to be ready Saturday, but the Yankees have not confirmed his ALDS roster status.
Setting Up for Sunday
The Giants (2-1) host the Arizona Cardinals (1-2) at 1 p.m., while the Jets (1-2) head to Chicago to face the Bears (2-1) at the same time. Both New York teams enter Week 4 with injury questions.
Giants: LT Andrew Thomas (groin) missed a second straight practice, while RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (knee), CB Deonte Banks (calf) and S Tyler Nubin (calf) were limited Thursday.
Jets: RB Breece Hall (quad) missed practice again and is trending toward an absence. WR Adonai Mitchell (finger), G Dylan Parham (knee) and TE Mason Taylor (thumb) also remained out, though S Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin) upgraded to a full practice participant.
On This Day
In 1978, Bucky Dent’s three-run homer over the Green Monster at Fenway Park gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead over Boston in the winner-take-all AL East tiebreaker. New York went on to win, 5-4, completing its comeback from a 14-game July deficit to earn a spot in the postseason.
What to Watch
Rangers at Red Wings, Tonight, 6:30 p.m. ET (TNT/truTV/HBO Max): New York is right back at it after Igor Shesterkin’s historic goalie goal.
Yankees at Rays, Tomorrow, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS/truTV/HBO Max): Tampa Bay hands Game 1 to Drew Rasmussen, who went 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 22 innings across four starts against the Yankees this season.
Devils at Islanders, Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+): The Islanders open the UBS Arena season against the Devils in a Metropolitan Division matchup.
Cardinals at Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS/Paramount+): The Giants look to move to 3-1 at MetLife
Jets at Bears, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX): New York goes to Chicago looking to get back to .500.