The title is not a misprint. the New York Rangers have won four games in a row. If your view is that the glass is half full, the Rangers winning is a positive for the younger players, starting to build the right culture for the future. If you take the alternate view, New York is costing itself what might be valuable ping pong balls, potentially moving them down in the lottery.
Game recap:
Rangers lines vs. Minnesota:
Perreault-Zibanejad-Lafrenière
Cuylle-Trocheck-Miller
Kartye-Laba-Sheary
Raddysh-Edström-Chmelař
Gavrikov-Fox
Robertson-Schneider
Vaakanainen-Borgen
Shesterkin
Quick
Scratches: Iorio, Pärssinen, Brodzinski
IR: Rempe (thumb injury)
A few thoughts:
1) Where has this team been? Maybe GM Chris Drury (see, we can give credit when it’s due) was right and this group needed a culture change. What was clear is that what they had was not working. I am not about to fully overrate how they have performed after suboptimal play, but they certainly look like a much more cohesive unit than the group that tanked the season.
As Vince Mercogliano noted, the Rangers lost 15 out of 18 heading into last month’s Olympic break but have surged since with points in eight of their past nine games, going 6-1-2. Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena gave them their first four-game winning streak since October 2024. That last fact is staggering. It took a season and three-quarters to notch a four-game winning streak. Plus, to lose 15 of 18 is endemic of more than just a talent issue.
2) Evidence of collectiveness: we have been critical of the team not responding when Igor Shesterkin or whoever was in net was run. Yesterday, that was not the case. Joel Eriksson Ek made contact with Igor (caused and embellished by the goalie) and everyone on the ice responded. That wasn’t the only “incident,” and each time contact was made, New York responded accordingly with every player on the ice defending Igor.
After the game, Vladislav Gavrikov, who tallied a career-high three points last night, said the following on the Rangers’ response to the swipe of Shesterkin: “Not anyone in the league is allowed to touch him.” One for all and all for one, with everyone pulling in the right direction. Igor, who stood on his head with 46 saves, has to feel that now he has the full support of the roster. Several times the Rangers responded to interference, actual and perceived, in the crease, protecting their goalie by showing team unity and push back.
3) Impact of J.T. Miller’s return: Miller’s return from injury affects both even strength play and the power play. Even strength: When Miller was slated to return to practice, immediate red flags went up amongst the fanbase regarding which line Miller would skate on and how that would impact Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault, both of whom had been red-hot. Fortunately, Coach Mike Sullivan didn’t mess with success and put Miller on the correct trio with Vincent Trocheck and Will Cuylle. Under no circumstances should the Perreault-Zibanejad-Lafrenière line be broken up. Let that trio cook.
Power Play: To the dismay of most of us, Sullivan re-inserted Miller on the first unit, moving Perreault down to the second group. Arguments for and against can be made using advanced metrics compared to actual production. Additionally, even though no tangible way exists to measure it, how does this move impact Perreault’s all-time high confidence?
Advanced Metrics:
Perreault: 8.1 expected goals for per 60, 40.79 shots per 60, 27.19 high-danger scoring chances per 60
Miller: 10.9 xGF/60, 60.1 SF/60, 33.13 HDCF/60
Actual Production:
Entering Saturday, New York was averaging 12.24 power-play goals per 60 minutes with Perreault, compared to 6.55 for Miller. Those numbers tilted even more toward Perreault following his assist on Noah Laba’s power-play goal in the first period.
The confidence question will need to resolve itself. I understand why Sullivan made the move given that Miller is the team’s captain. However, his argument about what Miller brings to the table may have been true last season after he arrived in New York. That has been far from the case this season, either due to injury, ineffectiveness or both. Regardless of the reason, I would have stuck with Perreault based on actual production and the view of not messing with success.
4) Adam Edström – normally a winger, Edström played center for the first time since his under-20 days as a junior in Sweden. He also entered the game with just seven faceoffs. Part of the rationale for trying Edström in the middle was the fine play of Jaroslav Chmelař, who warranted one of the wing positions. In addition, the trade of Sam Carrick created a hole at fourth line center which Edström could fill. Sullivan noted that he “tried to protect him” by keeping Edström’s line off the ice for defensive-zone starts
Keep an eye on this line as New York could have two-thirds of a fourth line with Taylor Raddysh as a possible placeholder. Tye Kartye has settled in nicely next to Laba on the third, though given past history, we should be careful not to overrate. The team looks collectively much better than they did earlier in the season.
