Rangers Break Dubious NHL Home Record Once Held by the Panthers

The New York Rangers have yet to score a goal at Madison Square Garden this season, becoming the first NHL team in history to get shutout in its first three home games of a season.

When it comes to modern day NHL history, the Rangers even took a dubious honor away from the Florida Panthers.

The Panthers opened the 2001-02 season by being shutout in their first two home games at National Car Rental Center (yes, that was the name of the place) in Sunrise.

Florida also went 155:17 before Viktor Kozlov scored on a power play chance for the team’s first goal on home ice in the second period of its third game.

The 155:17 was the record in the modern era — per AP, the now-defunct Pittsburgh Pirates went 187:19 without scoring a home goal back in 1928.

After Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the Rangers have gone 180 minutes without scoring their first goal on home ice.

New York is playing pretty strong defense, however, allowing just seven goals in their five games this season — with three of those goals going into an empty net.

And, despite scoring zero goals in three games at MSG, the Rangers are actually a plus-3 in scoring differential this season.

The Rangers, who missed the playoffs last season and replaced Peter Laviolette with former Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, are obviously 0-3 at home this season.

But they are 2-3-0 overall, those four points placing them in a tie for a wild-card spot in the way-too-early playoff watch.

So, it is hard to compare this Rangers team to those Panthers in 2001.

Florida was 1-4 after losing their third home game of the season 5-2 to the Flyers.

The Panthers did not get a home win until beating the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 26 — in their fifth game in Sunrise.

Florida ended that season 27 points back of the Canadiens for the final playoff spot and finished just ahead of the third-year Atlanta Thrashers in both the Southeast Division standings as well as the conference standings.

For the record, A.J. Greer scored Florida’s first goal at home this season last Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.

It only took 11:06 this time around.

ON DECK: GAME No. 5

FLORIDA PANTHERS at DETROIT RED WINGS 

• When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit 
• National TV: TNT, truTV
• Streaming: HBO Max
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (West Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); WCZR 101.7-FM (Treasure Coast); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL/Panthers App
• Last Season: Detroit won 2-1
• This Season — At Detroit: Wednesday; March 6. At Florida: March 10; April 15.
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 40-21-7, 5 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Thursday at New Jersey Devils, 7