3 NY Rangers Who Could Breakout in Home Opener Against Lightning

The New York Rangers will be counting on these players to step up against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Apr 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) reacts after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers will be back in action at Madison Square Garden for their 2026-27 home opener, which will also begin the first of 11 back-to-backs this season.

They'll be hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning while history points in the positive direction for the Rangers, with the organization having earned a point in four of their last five home openers. However, the Blueshirts are still in the hunt for their first win in the 2026-27 NHL season, as they're coming off a 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Opening Night.

The Rangers have earned points in seven of their last nine games at home against Tampa Bay, but late-game effort will need to be improved for the Rangers — as all of Boston's goals were scored in a very quick time frame in the final period on Sept. 29.

Rangers hockey returns to @TheGarden tonight 👊

📍: Madison Square Garden
⏰: 7pm
📺: @MSGNetworks pic.twitter.com/mpZ0E3lWtD

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 1, 2026

Puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST at MSG between Tampa Bay and the Rangers. With that in mind, here's three players who could make the difference for the Blueshirts in their home opener.

Rangers Players to Watch Against Tampa Bay

3. Gabe Perreault

For a while now, Gabe Perreault has represented a bright spot for the New York organization's future. His talent and stat sheet from Boston College speak for themselves, as do his 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) for the Blueshirts in the 2025-26 season.

This season — Perreault's production is expected to continue. At Boston he had 12 shifts across 16:20 TOI, but projections show his second full-season in the NHL could show big results for he 21-year-old. 

2. Sean Durzi

Posting the highest TOI for all the Rangers skaters in the opener against Boston, Sean Durzi is coming off one shot on goal and one hit while spending 23:15 minutes on the ice at the Bruins TD Garden.

Sep 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Sean Durzi (5) checks into the game in the first period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury acquired the blueliner from the Utah Mammoth back in July as part of the trade involving Vincent Trocheck — with the move involving Durzi being intentional in trying to meet the Rangers' need to add a puck-moving defenseman.

His high TOI in his Rangers debut was a result of that.

Previous reports have indicated that Durzi will be heavily utilized and serve as a key component, and his most recent TOI is certainly indicative of that. Whatever he does on the Madison Square Garden ice on Oct. 1, it's a sure bet he'll be depended upon.

Honorable Mention: Adam Fox

Adam Fox does well against the Lightning in particular, with him having eight assists in his last 10 games against the Tampa Bay franchise. He very well could be the difference on the stat sheet for NYR during this matchup in particular.

1. Mika Zibanejad

Longtime Ranger and League veteran Mika Zibanejad is coming off a 2025-26 season that saw him tally 78 points while scoring 34 goals. A locker room leader, Zibanejad's presence off the ice can be viewed as just as valuable on the ice.

He also posted 105 hits last year, topping the 100-hit mark for the first time since 2018-19. At 33 and set to open the year as the organization's top center, fans should hope that Zibanejad turns up big at MSG against Tampa Bay.