Rangers' fourth-liner Jimmy Vesey gets fourth straight start
Rangers left wing Jimmy Vesey looks on against the Nashville Predators in the first period of an NHL hockey game at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
EDMONTON, Alberta – After alternating between Tyler Pitlick and Jimmy Vesey as the right wing on the fourth line through the first four games of the season, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette appears to have settled on Vesey as the 12th forward. Vesey was in the lineup Thursday against the Oilers for the fourth straight game. Pitlick was a healthy scratch.
“It went back and forth a little bit at the beginning,’’ Laviolette said at the Rangers’ morning skate at Rogers Place. “I think Jimmy's played really well. Again, if I had to change the lineup, I wouldn't have any hesitation. I trust all the guys that are in the room that they can go out and do a good job. Again, I get handcuffed by numbers. And I think Jimmy's done a pretty good job as he's come in here.’’
Vesey is a lefthanded shot whose primary position before last season, was left wing. Pitlick is a righthanded shot who is a more natural right wing. The Rangers are 2-0 with Pitlick in the lineup and 2-2 with Vesey in the lineup entering Thursday. Vesey had an assist and was plus-1 in his four games. Pitlick had no points and was even in his two games.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the fourth line, with Vesey on it, had outscored opponents 1-0 and produced seven scoring chances, compared to allowing nine. With Pitlick, the line had neither scored nor allowed a goal, and produced four scoring chances, while allowing 13.
Blue notes
Goaltender Jonathan Quick made his second start for the Rangers. He won his first start on Saturday in Seattle . . . According to the NHL’s new Edge statistics package, the Rangers spend 42.9% of the game in the offensive zone, which is fourth-highest in the league, behind Carolina (47.1), Calgary (43.8) and New Jersey (43.5). The Blueshirts spend 38.8% in the defensive zone, which is seventh-best in the league … Before the game, the Oilers inducted two players into their team Hall of Fame: D Charlie Huddy and C Doug Weight, who began his career with the Rangers before being traded to Edmonton for Esa Tikkanen.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
More Rangers
