Rangers must find their answers from within in second half
New York Rangers Peter Laviolette, top center, watches a replay review in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. Credit: AP/Lynne Sladky
The Rangers felt oh, so much better about themselves after scoring seven unanswered goals and defeating the Senators in Ottawa on Saturday night, 7-2.
That was the way to go into the All-Star break, especially after Friday’s disappointing 5-2 home loss to Las Vegas.
But coach Peter Laviolette — a former Islanders coach who tied Islanders legend Al Arbour for seventh place in NHL history with his 782nd victory — said: “We needed [Friday] night’s, too. It’s disappointing. We’re in the business of winning.”
Business was pretty lousy before the Rangers erupted for five goals in the second period and two more during garbage time in the third.
Seven goals for seven scorers. The magnificent seven were Alexis Lafreniere, Chris Kreider, Zac Jones, Jonny Brodzinski, Blake Wheeler, Artemi Panarin and Kaapo Kakko.
This is how the Rangers are going to have to play when they resume after the All-Star break at home against Colorado on Feb. 5. No, not scoring seven goals a game, but by getting contributions up and down the lineup.
It’s natural to keep one eye on the March 8 NHL trade deadline and think the cavalry is coming for the Rangers.
It’s not.
General manager Chris Drury is going to have to use all his math whiz skills to add to the roster because the Rangers are too (salary) capped out to make any really big moves.
Sure, Drury can — and most likely will — add some useful pieces, most notably a third-line center. He might be able to use the remaining contract money of injured Filip Chytil to add another player. The Rangers announced Sunday that Chytil isn’t going to return this season after he suffered a scary setback during the morning skate on Friday.
But if the Rangers are going to be as good as they were in the first part of the season — when they were very, very good and took the lead in the Metropolitan Division -— for the most part, the answers are going to have to come from the guys already in the room.
That means the stars, especially All-Star goalie Igor Shesterkin, playing their best hockey when it counts most. Shesterkin has not been great. But he has it in him to be great at any time, and for long stretches.
It means the goal-scorers must show the same tenacity they did in the second period on Saturday, when the Rangers were relentless and didn’t stop until the Senators were pounded into submission.
It means the second and third and fourth lines are going to have to pitch in the way they did earlier in the season. Laviolette has to work his magic to find the right combinations — and not be reluctant to try new ones.
It means the defense crew, which already has played through an injury to Adam Fox and now is dealing with one to Ryan Lindgren, has to find six reliable, error-free bodies to send out in front of Shesterkin.
It means backups such as Jones and Connor Mackey have to contribute when called upon, as the two defensemen did on Saturday in the absence of Lindgren and Jacob Trouba (suspended for two games by the NHL for elbowing Las Vegas’ Pavel Dorofeyev in the head on Friday night).
Jones, the handy seventh defenseman, was a team-high plus-4 on the night. Mackey, who was called up from Hartford (AHL) on Saturday and flew from Cleveland to Newark to Ottawa, sparked the Rangers’ surge when he dropped the gloves with Senators star Brady Tkachuk with the Rangers trailing 2-0 in the second.
"It gets the boys fired up, that's for sure," Jones said. "That was great.”
Sure, it was only Ottawa. But if the Rangers use the same whatever-it-takes mentality over the final 33 games, they can maintain their status atop the division and be a force in the playoffs.
It’s the only way. There is no cavalry coming to the Garden. The Rangers are going to have to be their own cavalry.
Two sent to Hartford. On Sunday, the Rangers sent Mackey and Jake Leschyshyn to Hartford (AHL).
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
