The New York Rangers are Rolling to Start the Season

The Rangers are looking solid in the first 13 games of the season as they sit in first place in the Metro division, second in the conference, and tied for third overall in the league with a 10-2-1 record. 

There are a lot of reasons for the Rangers success early in the season. 

Peter Laviolette comes in and immediately makes an impact by switching up the lines. 

Offensive Lines

Chris Kreider   Mika Zibanejad Kaapo Kakko

Artemi Panarin  Filip Chytil Alexis Lafreniere

Will Cuylle   Vincent Trocheck Blake Wheeler 

Barclay Goodrow Nick Bonino Jimmy Vesey 

It isn’t easy to have immediate chemistry when you play with guys you may not be used to but the Rangers seem to be doing just fine as the team averages 3.3 goals per game (12th in the league). It seems so obvious that Lafreniere should be on a line with Panarin, yet that wasn’t done last season. Lafreniere is already on pace to have double the amount of goals as last season and having the best passer on the team is a big reason for that. The one change I would suggest would be switching Kakko and Wheeler. Both players have two points on the season and have struggled to get going so maybe switch that up to see what happens. 

Player Impacts

The Rangers are also seeing some solid production from players like Cuylle, defenseman Erik Gustafsson, and backup goalie Jonathan Quick. 

Cuylle, only 21 years old, has provided 3 goals and 2 assists through 13 games coming off the third line. It may not seem like a lot, but for someone who is very young and averages only 12 minutes per game, you can’t complain. 

Gustafsson has been a solid third-line defenseman who has done it on both sides of the ice. Offensively, he has 3 goals and 6 assists which puts him at 6th on the team in points. He has the potential to put up high numbers on offense as we have seen in the past (60 points with the Blackhawks in 2018-19 and 42 points in 2022-23). Defensively, he has a +/- of +6, which is second on the team behind only Keandre Miller. 

Quick was an interesting signing in the offseason. In his prime, he was one of if not the best in the league, but at 37 years old I wasn’t sure if he still had it in him to be a solid backup, but he has been nothing but great in net. He is 3-0-1 in four games started this season and has a 1.77 GAA and a .935 save percentage. With Quick’s performance to start the season, the team knows they have a reliable backup which can give Shesterkin more days off so he can be fresher late in the season. 

Special Teams 

The special teams have been incredible this season. The power play converts at 35.7% which is second-best in the league behind the Devils. Seeing Panarin, Zibanejad, Kreider, and Trocheck coming out for a power play is a terrifying sight. Looking at the defensive side, the penalty kill converts at 86.4% which is tied for sixth in the league. Both Shesterkin and Quick are injured so not leaving Louis Domingue out to dry on the penalty kill is huge. 

Patrick Kane

A possible reunion with the Rangers is brewing as Kane is close to making his decision on where he will play this season. It seems like Kane wants to stay in the Eastern Conference as I have heard teams like the Red Wings, Panthers, and Maple Leafs are interested in the three-time champion. Finish what you started with New York and come back to the Garden.