Rangers open new NHL season with comfortable victory

Reuters, Raleigh, North Carolina

Mark Messier and Petr Nedved scored twice to help the New York Rangers open the new National Hockey League season with a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

Messier, 41, coming off an injury-riddled season, scored the first two goals of the contest in the second period to give the Rangers all the offense they would need to spoil Carolina's raising of the Eastern Conference championship banner before the game.

A sellout crowd of 18,730 cheered for 15 minutes before the game as the Prince of Wales Trophy was brought on to the ice.

Owner Peter Karmanos, coach Paul Maurice, Ron Francis, Rod Brind'Amour and Glen Wesley then raised the Southeast Division and Eastern Conference championship banners.

Messier spoiled the party, however, moving past Detroit's Steve Yzerman into seventh place on the all-time goals list. He scored the 659th and 660th goals of his illustrious career.

Carolina, surprise Stanley Cup finalists earlier this year, never made an impression on the Rangers, who failed to make the playoffs last season but improved their team dramatically during the off-season with several free agent acquisitions.

But the Rangers were without forward Pavel Bure, who is still recovering from off-season surgery.

Messier opened the scoring at 7:25 of the second period, deflecting a shot past Arturs Irbe from the slot at 7:25. He scored again at 10:25 before Nedved made it 3-0 at 16:46.

Nedved added his second of the night at 5:42 of the third period, taking a pass from Eric Lindros and beating Irbe to put the Rangers ahead by four. Lindros had two assists for New York, as did Tom Poti and Brian Leetch.

Mike Richter's shutout attempt was spoiled at 16:19 of the third period when Brind'Amour's unassisted tally made the final score 4-1.

Richter was sharp all night as he picked up his 297th career win, but the Rangers played strong defense in out-shooting the Hurricanes 28-21.