Rangers off to 2-0-1 start but still fine-tuning their defense early in the season

GREENBURGH — The sample size is infinitesimal. Three matches into an 82-game season is not enough of a body of work to make an informed opinion.

So, no, Braden Schneider is not especially panicked about the Rangers’ defensive play. But that also doesn’t mean he and his fellow defensemen aren’t fine-tuning their individual and collective play in their end of the ice.

“Playing defense takes more time and it’s something that you need to work on,” Schneider told Newsday after practice Wednesday at the MSG Training Center. “Each night we’ve gotten better at it and I think that’s the main thing. It’s a focus for us and we want to make sure that we’re not giving up those big chances and keeping things to the outside.”

Entering Thursday night’s game against the Red Wings in Detroit, the Rangers (2-0-1) have allowed seven goals in three games. It is something of a misleading statistic because the Rangers shut out Pittsburgh, 6-0, on opening night and are coming off a solid performance in Monday's 4-1 win over the Red Wings. Their other game was Saturday when they hit a speed bump in the 6-5 overtime loss to Utah Hockey Club.

In that game, the Rangers were “spread out” due to Utah’s speed, according to Schneider.

“They want to create off the rush,” Schneider said. “Anything that we give them, they’re a team that’s going to take it and run with it. So I think it was partly us not executing on some plays and creating those gaps, and partly just not being in the middle of the ice and defending from the inside out.”

What was the biggest change from the loss to Utah and the win over the Red Wings?

“We played . . . good enough defensively, I’ll say,” defenseman K'Andre Miller said. Detroit had a 32-28 advantage in shots, but the Rangers out-attempted the Red Wings, 59-54. “We did a good job of progressing. That was one of the big things coming from the Utah game, just kind of cleaning up defensively, not giving so many rush attacks and odd-man rushes against. So I think just cleaning that up and making sure we have numbers above their guys.”

And when there were breakdowns, the presence of Igor Shesterkin in goal was beneficial.

“You have a pretty good safe spot back there,” Miller said. “He’s a gamer. He’s going to do his job. He’s going to do everything [he can] to keep that puck out of the net.”

Blue notes

Chris Kreider did not practice due to illness but Peter Laviolette said he would travel with the team to Detroit . . . Ryan Lindgren (upper-body injury) was a full participant in practice, but it does not seem he will be an option to play on the upcoming three-game road trip. Laviolette said the defenseman was “listed the same way . . . he was out there today for practice with no restrictions." . . . Jonathan Quick was the first goalie off the ice at practice, which could be a sign that he will make his first start of the season against the Red Wings.