Dylan Garand’s 1st career shutout carries Rangers to 2-0 win over Red Wings

October 3, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

For the second night in a row, a New York Rangers goalie earned top billing in a Blueshirts victory. Rookie netminder Dylan Garand recorded his first career shutout in just his fourth NHL start, stopping all 22 shots he faced as the Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 at Little Caesars Arena on Friday.

The 24-year-old became the fourth goalie in Rangers history to pitch a shutout within his first four NHL starts, joining Steve Baker, Mackenzie Skapski, and Hockey Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist. His efforts came just 24 hours after Igor Shesterkin stopped 24 of 25 shots in a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, capping off the feel-good win with the first goalie goal in franchise history.

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Congrats to Dylan Garand on recording his first career @pepsi shutout! 🧱 pic.twitter.com/fh37bL6DRj
— NHL (@NHL) October 3, 2026

Garand didn’t get the same offensive support that Shesterkin did Thursday, but he didn’t need it. Sean Durzi put the Rangers on the board with a power-play goal 5:12 into the first period, and that remained the game’s only score until Eeli Tolvanen fluttered the puck into Detroit’s empty net with 1:16 left in the third period.

In addition to his game-winning tally, Durzi dropped the gloves with Red Wings forward Marco Kasper late in the second period, winning the scuffle by sending the 22-year-old to the ice with a right-handed haymaker.

Garand has yet to lose in regulation in his brief NHL career, sporting a 3-0-1 record, 1.22 goals-against average and .958 save percentage through four starts. He was recalled from the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack on Thursday after the Rangers placed veteran backup Joonas Korpisalo on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

The Rangers emerged from a stretch of three games in four days to open the season with a 2-1-0 record.

Garand shuts out Red Wings to seal second straight Rangers win

Rick Osentoski-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Red Wings kicked off their 2026-27 season at home without star center Dylan Larkin, who is set to miss the first few games of the new campaign with an upper-body injury. That didn’t stop a sold-out Little Caesars Arena crowd from hurling boos at the disgruntled ex-captain, who asked for a trade this summer, when he was introduced alongside the rest of Detroit’s scratches during opening introductions.

That hostility carried into puck drop, as a lackadaisical start by the Red Wings drew “sell the team” chants from the already-vexed fans.

The Rangers recorded the first six shots of the game and prevented Detroit from entering the offensive zone in the opening five minutes. The Red Wings finally logged five seconds of offensive-zone time while killing a Nate Danielson holding penalty, but there was little time to celebrate.

Tolvanen quickly took the puck back, led a rush into Detroit’s zone, and sent a pass across to Gabe Perreault. The second-year Rangers forward button-hooked at the right circle and fed a crashing Durzi for a blistering one-timer from the high slot.

Perreault with the dish, Sean Durzi with his first as a Ranger 👀 pic.twitter.com/Pepf7tsJEs
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 2, 2026

Alex Sandin-Pellikka was credited with Detroit’s first shot on goal at 6:39 of the first, sending the puck the length of the ice right onto Garand’s stick during New York’s second power play of the frame.

The Rangers appeared to take a 2-0 lead 31 seconds later when Oliver Bjorkstrand deflected a wrister from Durzi, but the goal was overturned after an official review determined that New York entered the zone offside.

Garand’s first real test came at 8:37, smothering a Sandin-Pellikka shot that knifed its way through traffic. It proved to be the first of many tests that Garand faced throughout the night. Needless to say, he passed with flying colors.

The Red Wings nearly found the back of the net at 15:50 when former Rangers forward Andrew Copp tipped a shot from 22-year-old defenseman Anton Johansson, making his NHL debut. It caromed off the inside of the right post, but took a friendly bounce and nestled into Garand’s butterfly crouch.

Detroit found a late push towards the end of the first, rifling six straight shots on net. Garand’s best save of the frame came with 1:28 left when he kicked away a point-blank chance from Kasper after the Blueshirts turned the puck over behind the net.

Despite the slow start, the Red Wings entered first intermission with an 11-8 edge in shots, a 4-2 edge in high-danger chances, and a 59.44 percent expected-goals share at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick.

The Rangers were held without a shot on goal over the last 7:56 of the first, and Detroit carried that momentum into the second period. Adam Fox finally forced Josh Gibson to make a save at 8:11 of the frame, snapping a shot-less drought that spanned 16 minutes and seven seconds.

New York and Detroit combined for just nine shots on goal in the third period, with the Rangers holding a 6-3 edge over the final 20 minutes.

Tye Kartye forced a takeaway in Detroit’s zone but missed the net wide right on a golden chance at 12:25. One minute and 59 seconds later, a Red Wings 3-on-2 was thwarted by Vladislav Gavrikov, who blocked Alex Debrincat’s offering towards the net.

Kartye had another high-quality chance at 15:31, tipping a point shot from Marcus Pettersson. It was denied by Gibson, who caught just enough of the puck with the shaft of his paddle.

Detroit pulled Gibson with 2:15 remaining, and Tolvanen sealed the game, assisted by Kartye and Fox.

The Rangers get a day off before returning home to host Vincent Trocheck and the Utah Mammoth at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

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