Topics: Nikolai Zherdev

Aaron Voros scored a pair of goals and was a constant pest to Martin Brodeur in the Rangers' 4-1 victory over the Devils Monday night at the Garden. The Rangers equaled their best start ever, tying the 1983-84 team that went 5-0.

The Rangers - with goals from some unexpected sources - scored four times in the first period, then held on tight through the last two to skip town with a 4-3 victory over Philadelphia Saturday night in the Flyers' home opener.

The fans and Rangers themselves, were only too happy to spread around the popularity to the new kids in the home opener. Wade Redden, Aaron Voros, Nikolai Zherdev put the game away in a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Whatever script lies in store at the Garden Friday night, Act I already has shaped up much differently, and has tossed the hockey pundits off the Ranger bandwagon. It's get-to-know-ya time at the Garden.

The Rangers who were here last season still seethe when they think of their abrupt second-round ouster at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins, still wish they had another crack at holding that 3-0 lead in Game 1.

Ryan Callahan scored with 20 seconds left to give the New York Rangers a 4-3 comeback victory over European champion Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Wednesday night in the first game between NHL and Russian teams in 17 years.

While all of the many Rangers who were seeing their first action of the exhibition slate Monday night were presumably raring to return to competition, just imagine what the wait must've been like for Lauri Korpikoski.

The four big Rangers acquisitions - wingers Markus Naslund and Nikolai Zherdev and defensemen Wade Redden and Dmitri Kalinin - left their old teams amid doubts about their futures and are hoping to reinvigorate their careers.

The Rangers agreed to terms with restricted free agent forward Dan Fritsche on Tuesday.

Rangers coach Tom Renney - still stinging from a second straight second-round playoff ouster two months after the fact - doesn't view this past week's roster overhaul as an end as much as a new beginning.

The makeover of the Rangers continued Wednesday with the acquisition of gifted but enigmatic young forward Nikolai Zherdev from Columbus and the official good-bye to abrasive catalyst and fan favorite Sean Avery, who signed a four-year deal with Dallas.

The Blue Jackets traded enigmatic offensive star Nikolai Zherdev and center Dan Fritsche to the Rangers for defensemen Christian Backman and Fedor Tyutin on Wednesday. The Russian winger had a career-high 61 points last season.

While the Rangers season is almost a week old, the Flyers are just getting started. Philadelphia begins its 2008-09 campaign tonight against ...

Hockey - The Norfolk Admirals rallied for two third-period goals to force overtime, but lost 4-3 to the Hershey Bears after losing in the shootout ...

Blackhawks drop season opener. . Brandon Dubinsky scored once and added two assists, and newcomers Wade Redden, Aaron Voros and Nikolai Zherdev ...