The New York Rangers finally score a home win at Madison Square Garden
Artemi Panarin has shaved his head—is the Rangers season saved?
Photo courtesy of Tlop2000/Wikimedia Commons
After breaking their home-game losing streak with a 6–3 win over Nashville, Artemi Panarin led the charge for the New York Rangers with two goals and a renewed sense of confidence—proving once again that a shaved-head Panarin means business.
After a three-win comeback stretch, fans had been enthusiastic about the New York Rangers’ (NYR) performance, but they were let down in recent games. The Rangers have continued to lose at home since opening night. When asked about the losses, center Mika Zibanejad said, “I feel like we’re pressing, we’re getting away from our game, we’re gripping onto our sticks a little bit too much…We’re professionals, we get paid, we’re supposed to be able to handle it, but we’re in it. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We just got to find a way.”
On Nov. 7, the NYR won against the Detroit Red Wings with a final score of 4-1. Goaltender Jonathan Quick was in the net, and despite Detroit outshooting the Rangers, he only let one puck get past him. The Rangers have two phenomenal goaltenders, and seeing backup goalie Quick block 32 of 33 shots by the Red Wings must have been inspiring for the team.
Unfortunately, during the Nov. 8 rivalry match against the New York Islanders, the Rangers failed to deliver in a 5-0 shutout loss. The Islanders played very well offensively, and evidently, the Rangers could not keep up.
When head coach Mike Sullivan was asked about why the Rangers have not won a home game, he said, “We’re all human…Our group is a proud group, so yeah, it wears on you, we haven’t won a game at home. If it doesn’t wear on you, something’s wrong.” Fans are not satisfied with the team's performance or the team's answers; something needs to change.
Then, left-wing Artemi Panarin has shaved his head—which, as all fans know, means that he is getting ready to put up a fight. Panarin has a history of playing exceedingly well once he shaves his head. His most recent bald-head season left him recording 49 goals and 120 points.
On Nov. 10, the New York Rangers finally broke their home-game losing streak when they won 6-3 against the Nashville Predators. Left-wing Alexis Lafrenière accumulated three points throughout the game with one goal and two assists. Artemi Panarin scored two goals, and left wing Will Cuylle, center Mika Zibanejad, and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov all scored a goal each, leading the team to a needed victory.
Panarin spoke of the win, saying, "We feel confidence now for sure, finally…It's like a bunch of pressure goes off our shoulders. It's nice to see our fans happy. It's nice to not hear the boos, finally. It's a good feeling."
Center Vincent Trocheck returned to the ice in his first game since Oct. 9, 2025 due to injury. Trocheck had two assists during the game, and fans are happy to see him back. He said, “I feel good, just glad to be back now…This was in my head, the day I had circled on the calendar. Glad I was able to get back in time."
Trocheck is a fan favorite on the team because of his skill and leadership qualities. Head coach Mike Sullivan said, “Troch' is such an important player for this team…Just his presence alone from a leadership standpoint, his demeanor and then obviously his talent, what he does on the ice. You guys see that, but his presence alone was a huge boost for the group, especially given the circumstance at home here."
The signs point to positive changes occurring with the Rangers team, leaving the fate of the season’s remainder in the hands of its players and the changes they are making.