9-1 Streak Raises Hope, Question for Rangers
Jul 15, 2016 10:53:36 GMT -5
Beans (BOS) and bjernagris (PHI) like this
Post by mbest (ANA) on Jul 15, 2016 10:53:36 GMT -5
9-1 Streak Raises Hope, Question for Rangers
After losing Evander Kane (74 pts last year) in a collision against Hartford Oct. 29, is this going to be a season of "what if?" for the Rangers, who are looking vastly improved after a shaky start.
The boys from Boston - Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes - have emerged to join center Derick Brassard in giving New York an elite first line. Kreider is well on his way to a career year, averaging nearly a point a game, while Hayes also appears to be hitting his prime, on a pace to double his point total from last season.
At the blue line, Nick Leddy and Cam Fowler are the league's top two defensemen in plus-minus and have combined for 7 goals and 24 assists in the first 21 games.
In net, 32-year old Jaroslav Halak is making his case in a contract year, topping the league in both goals against (1.83) and save percentage (.940).
In addition, the bottom lines have held their own. Antoine Vermette, the lone constant on the fourth line is a +7, while rookie center Brad Morrison has won 56.6% of his faceoffs on the third, which is actually skating more minutes than the second.
That second line has been a patchwork since Kane went down and not helped by center Derek Stepan having struggled the first month of the season. The Rangers are hoping Artemi Panarin, who missed two weeks with a back ailment, and newcomer Nikolai Goldobin will provide dangerous quickness on the wings but will it be enough to make up for losing one of the league's top goal scorers last season? Kane also brought a physical presence the Rangers now lack.
New York also needs to prove itself away from the confines of Madison Square Garden. Although the current 9-1 run started with road victories at Edmonton and Vancouver, the team is only 3-7 away from home. Five of the next six games are one the road. The Rangers also have only played just three games in the hotly contested Metro Division.
With Kane out, the Rangers
will need a big year on both
ends from Derek Stepan.
After losing Evander Kane (74 pts last year) in a collision against Hartford Oct. 29, is this going to be a season of "what if?" for the Rangers, who are looking vastly improved after a shaky start.
The boys from Boston - Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes - have emerged to join center Derick Brassard in giving New York an elite first line. Kreider is well on his way to a career year, averaging nearly a point a game, while Hayes also appears to be hitting his prime, on a pace to double his point total from last season.
At the blue line, Nick Leddy and Cam Fowler are the league's top two defensemen in plus-minus and have combined for 7 goals and 24 assists in the first 21 games.
In net, 32-year old Jaroslav Halak is making his case in a contract year, topping the league in both goals against (1.83) and save percentage (.940).
In addition, the bottom lines have held their own. Antoine Vermette, the lone constant on the fourth line is a +7, while rookie center Brad Morrison has won 56.6% of his faceoffs on the third, which is actually skating more minutes than the second.
That second line has been a patchwork since Kane went down and not helped by center Derek Stepan having struggled the first month of the season. The Rangers are hoping Artemi Panarin, who missed two weeks with a back ailment, and newcomer Nikolai Goldobin will provide dangerous quickness on the wings but will it be enough to make up for losing one of the league's top goal scorers last season? Kane also brought a physical presence the Rangers now lack.
New York also needs to prove itself away from the confines of Madison Square Garden. Although the current 9-1 run started with road victories at Edmonton and Vancouver, the team is only 3-7 away from home. Five of the next six games are one the road. The Rangers also have only played just three games in the hotly contested Metro Division.
With Kane out, the Rangers
will need a big year on both
ends from Derek Stepan.