Trent Frederic scores, Stuart Skinner makes 30 saves as Oilers shut out Rangers
By STEPHEN WHY
Trent Frederic scored, Stuart Skinner stopped all 30 shots he faced and the Edmonton Oilers, the back-to-back defending Western Conference champions, beat the New York Rangers 2-0 on Tuesday night.
The Rangers became the first team in NHL history to be shut out in each of their first three home games of the season. Their 180-minute drought at Madison Square Garden is the second longest, trailing only the now-defunct Pittsburgh Pirates’ 187:19 in 1928.
Skinner joined Washington’s Charlie Lindgren and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Arturs Silovs in shutting out New York over the past eight days. His best save early came after Evan Bouchard turned the puck over and Skinner denied Will Cuylle a high-danger scoring chance up front. He also gloved a Sam Carrick shot with 2:31 left.
Adam Henrique sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:08 left.
Igor Shesterkin stopped 20 of 21 shots directed by the Oilers. The only goal he allowed came midway through the second period when Kasperi Kapanen threw Frederic all alone past defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and beat Shesterkin over five holes.
New York had opportunities, including back-to-back power plays that included 12 seconds of five-on-three. Fans booed late in the second period after Edmonton cleared the puck on the ice and again later to express their displeasure.
The Rangers kept three-time MVP Connor McDavid and his longtime running mate Leon Draisaitl off the scoresheet, just like they did with Sidney Crosby last week. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch split McDavid and Draisaitl for the third after playing them together in each of the first two games of the season and the first two periods Tuesday night.
FOLLOWING
Oilers: Visit the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
Rangers: Visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
