N.Y. Rangers: Mix and Match Madness

From the desk: RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

THURSDAY

Rangers    3

Sabres       2

FINAL/OT

Nice way to score your first NHL goal ... Colin Blackwell recovers the puck in the neutral zone and handles it into Buffalo's end.  He finds Alexis Lafreniere on the left wing, who wrists the puck past Buffalo goalie Linus Ullmark's stick side at the 2:47 mark of overtime.  It's Lafreniere's first NHL point through his first seven games.  To date, he has taken 13 shots on goal for an average of 1.8 shots per game.  However, four shots came Thursday against Buffalo.  It appears, then, Lafreniere is getting a little more comfortable.  

Now, if only Coach Quinn can just stop shifting Lafreniere up and down the lines.  That said, Coach Quinn, this season, also had Lafreniere switch sides and played him on the right wing.  It just makes me wanna scream, STOP!  Can we please give this kid some stability and line continuity?  The loss of Filip Chytil complicates matters.  Do you want Lafreniere playing with Ryan Strome or Brett Howden?  If you're going to play him on the first line, keep him on the first line.  If you want him playing on the third line, keep him on the third line with Colin Blackwell and Philip Di Giuseppe?  At least Di Giuseppe brings some physicality to the ice.  The point being, stop coaching in a panic, and let's settle the third line.  Start giving the lines some routine and stability.

How about winning some more face-offs!

The Rangers' biggest problem has been in the net.  But as I keep saying ... you can't be disappointed with what you do not expect.  Like the forward lines, just let the young goaltenders play.  Making his fourth start, Shesterkin faced 25 shots and stopped all but two (one even strength, one on the penalty kill) en route to his first win of the season.

N.Y. Rangers: Education of the Young Blueshirts Continues

From the desk: RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

DEFENSE

Fifteen Goals Against 

3rd Least East Division

PENGUINS SHMENGUINS ... ON TO BUFFALO and #SABRESMAFIA

Two blown third-period leads, two straight losses against the Penguins, and three losses in a row.  The Rangers are now 1-3-1 in a 56 game regular season.  

I don't mind, because I have no expectations.  Into the fire, let them play.  For now, I'm content with letting these young Blue Shirts learn how to lose.  By that, I mean coming to understand the fine line between playing sixty minutes and everything else.  It's part of the process.  If I may, the devil is in the details.  This is still a rebuilding team.  Therefore, I'm more interested in development, improvement, and progress. 

In the meantime, my eyes are peeled on Filip Chytil.  The biggest reasons are because on occasion he centers Alexis Lafreniere just as Coach Quinn has a tendency of shifting Kaapo Kakko up and down in lines.  Chytil, 21-years old, through five games, has two goals and one assist while averaging just under thirteen minutes of tice time.  Meanwhile, through five games Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko have posted a total of just two points.  Chytil assisted on Kaapo's second period goal in their second tilt against the Islanders.  Sunday's game against the Penguins was another instance wherein Kakko was lined up with Chytil and Philip Di Giuseppe who by the way has four assists in four games.

On that note, I prefer Coach roll out four lines more consistently.  What coach on occasion wouldn't want to add Artemi Panarin next to Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.  But I ask discipline of my coach.  I also want to see Brendan Lemieux more, and if that means next to Brett Howden and Julien Gauthier or Di Giuseppe on an acceptable rotational basis, so be it. 

CENTERS of ATTENTION

• Mika Zibanejad - 5 games; one goal; one assist; (-2); leads team w/ 16 SOG; 19:57 minutes.
• Ryan Strome - 5 games; one goal; no assists; (-1); second on team w/ 14 SOG; 20:11 minutes.
• Filip Chytil - 5 games; two goals; one assist; (+3); 12 SOG; 12:56 minutes.

As we know, the defense was a big problem last season.  So far, they've allowed the third least goals within the eight team East Division.  Only the Devils and Islanders have yielded less.  Adam Fox is fast becoming a star, and for the moment, Ryan Lindgren is winning the day.  Along with Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller, the four are settling the blue line.  Lest we forget the Rangers potentially still have more talent on the way.  Therefore, this is still a work in progress.  In the meantime, I can do without Jack Johnson's experience.  He is wasting roster space and stealing minutes away from, say, Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Smith.  I imagine Tony DeAngelo is still trying to regain a comfortable space within the locker room, but his play, coming off a 53-point season in 68 games, speaks for itself.  Brendan Smith is still capable on a third pair for as long he's not opposing top line forwards.  But I'd still rather see Smith with DeAngelo in a somewhat regular rotation than having Jack Johnson on the ice.

UPDATE: Jan. 26, 2021, 1:26 p.m.

NYP - FILIP CHYTIL OUT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS