Despite being the NHL’s top team, the New York Rangers have recently struggled on defense. The worst of these performances was during the Blueshirts’ most recent loss to the Islanders, when they entered the second period trailing three goals to none.
New York’s defense needs to improve in the last three games of the regular season to avoid another early postseason elimination.
1. The Trouba-Miller pairing needs to be split up immediately
In an unexpected turn of events, the Rangers’ second defensive pairing of Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller has collapsed and become an absolute liability on the ice. When Trouba was sidelined recently, Miller was able to thrive with Braden Schneider by his side. However, with the captain returning and the normal combination back together, neither player has been able to gain any traction.
If the Trouba-Miller duo remains intact in the playoffs, competing teams will surely take advantage of this roster weakness. Penalties, sloppy turnovers, and goals against are prevalent when both Trouba and Miller are on the ice together, so it would be in the Rangers’ best interest to split it up immediately and find a better combination in the final three games of the year.
2. Gustafsson out, Jones in
Erik Gustafsson is currently the team’s lowest-performing defender, despite the Trouba-Miller partnership being the worst combination. The veteran was signed by New York this past offseason on a cheap, low-risk contract, and it appeared to be a wise decision by Chris Drury early in the season. But whatever Gustafsson was doing took a sharp 180-degree flip, as his defensive play in the second half of the season has been nothing short of terrible.
While Gustafsson has recently been skating around creating a defensive liability, Zac Jones has been watching from the press box as everything falls apart. While Trouba was injured, Jones stepped up and shown that he could play in the NHL on a regular basis. He delivered steady defensive play, which, although not perfect, was far superior than what Gustafsson had been doing. At some point, Peter Laviolette must recognize that the best option is to slot Jones in and let him prove his worth in the playoffs.
3. The Rangers need to play a full 60 minutes of defense
In a broader sense, the entire defensive corps must improve its overall performance throughout each game. Too many times, the Rangers have fallen behind by multiple goals early, making it difficult for the offense to mount a comeback. Fortunately, the Rangers have been able to stage these comebacks several times this season, but that style of play will not transfer into playoff success.
In their most recent game on Long Island, the Rangers gave up three goals in the first period alone. The Islanders wreaked havoc on the defense. The Rangers quickly recovered in periods two and three, dominating for the final 40 minutes, but their first 20 minutes of bad play cost them the victory. If the Rangers want to advance in the playoffs, this cannot continue. A full 60 minutes of defensive perfection is necessary; nothing less.
Leave a Reply