At the beginning of the 2023-24 season, the New York Rangers embraced new head coach Peter Laviolette’s defensive structure and ran with it. In their first five wins, the Blueshirts held their opponents to one or fewer goals, and held their opponents to three or fewer goals in their first 14 wins.
The recipe for success was simple: play a structured, defensive-style game and rely on your special teams and offensive talent to capitalize on the opportunities presented during the game. It worked, propelling the Rangers to the top of the league standings, but that defensive structure evaded them as injuries started to hit and play loosened.
Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers’ Vezina-winning goaltender, hit a rough stretch, and without his usual heroics, the Blueshirts faltered. Before the Rangers victories over the Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins, Laviolette’s team had allowed four or more goals in four of five contests.
They were terrible in their own zone during Shesterkin’s three starts over that span, allowing 17 goals over those games and seemingly reverting back to the defensive play that ended their season prematurely in years past. But a gut check and bounce back has occurred over the last two games that better resembles the style of play in which the Rangers found success early on.
A 5-1 win over the lowly Ducks and a 2-1 overtime win over the Atlantic Division top dogs, the Bruins, look to have the Rangers back on the defensive track they need to be on. On Tuesday, the Rangers will travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs, a team that potted seven goals on them on Dec. 12.
The emphasis on defense and the defense-first approach that has carried the Rangers to a historic start must remain at the forefront as they look to exact revenge on a talented Toronto squad. Before looking too far ahead, let’s examine the improvement made over the last two contests.
Rangers Shut Down Ducks, Bruins
Since his return from injury, Adam Fox has yet to look like himself. Call it rust or just a bad stretch, but he has found his game in the Rangers’ last two victories, a welcome sight for a team looking for answers in their defensive zone. The Rangers have tightened things up as a collective group, especially in the game against the Bruins, a crucial contest to right the ship for Shesterkin.
The matchup against the Ducks started similarly to their previous defeats, with Anaheim scoring first and…
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