The Hudson River Rivalry is back in New Jersey, and the Rangers are bringing a few familiar difference-makers into a matchup that already has plenty riding on it. With the Devils getting strong production from Jack Hughes and Jasper Bratt, the Blueshirts will lean on Alexis Lafrenière, J.T. Miller and Will Cuylle to help tip the balance.
Lafrenière has been exactly the kind of impact player Rangers fans have been waiting for. Through eight games, he has piled up 10 points and keeps looking better with each outing.
The matchup with Hughes adds another layer, too. When those two are on the ice, the game has a chance to turn in a hurry.
Miller has also been a steady presence for New York. The captain has been producing with Lafrenière on his wing to open the year, while Tye Kartye has also benefitted.
Three of Miller’s five assists have gone to Lafrenière, and the other two have set up Kartye. Whatever was bothering him last season appears to be behind him, and the Rangers are getting the Miller they saw in Vancouver.
If New York keeps winning and playoff talk starts to creep in over the next few months, No. 10 is going to matter a lot. His leadership will outweigh his performance on the ice.
Then there is Cuylle, who brings a completely different kind of problem for the Devils. He went to work against the Tampa Bay Lightning with 11 hits and a goal, and he is coming in looking to do it again.
Against New Jersey, though, the scoring has not come easily; he has just one goal in 11 games against the cross-river rivals. Still, Cuylle to continue to step up in his absence.
In Other News...
Rangers' Hot Start Is Changing One Big Offseason Pressure
The Rangers have spent the first few weeks of the season making a pretty strong case that their offense can carry more weight than expected, even with Igor Shesterkin out for the year. A 6-3-0 start has been built on depth and production across the forward group, with Alexis Lafreniere setting the tone and multiple skaters chipping in early. For a team that entered the year with questions about how much firepower it could really count on, the opening stretch has offered a reassuring answer.
It also changes the way the front office has to look at next offseason. The market for top scoring forwards was already shaping up to be tight, and some of the names that might have fit the Rangers' wish list are no longer likely to be available after agreeing to long-term extensions. That leaves New York in a familiar spot, with a hot start improving the mood now, while also narrowing the pathways to adding more punch later. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Blue Line Problem Is Turning Into A Bigger Lineup Debate
Through nine games, the Rangers blue line has started to look less like a settled unit and more like a nightly puzzle. The staff has been leaning on Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi in a shutdown role against top competition, but the pairing has not delivered the kind of steadiness the club needs when the matchups get heavy, and the numbers around zone starts, shot share and chances against have only sharpened the discussion.
With the early sample now large enough to raise real questions, the conversation has shifted from simple pairing preference to lineup construction. There are ways to reshuffle the defense and try to find cleaner fits, but the bigger picture remains tangled because Scott Morrows clearest path into the lineup does not appear to be through a routine rotation. For now, the Rangers are left weighing whether a change on the back end needs to come from reworking combinations or waiting for a more significant opening. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Forward Shuffle Opens Door For Another Veteran Chance
The Rangers early-season injury fallout has already forced a steady series of roster adjustments, and the latest shuffle on the forward side gives another veteran a chance to step back into the lineup. With Igor Shesterkin out for the season and James Reimer brought in on a PTO to help stabilize the goaltending situation, New York has had to patch holes wherever it can while also leaning more heavily on Dylan Garand.
On the skaters side, the moves have opened the door for Taylor Raddysh to get another look after time in Hartford, while the team continues to juggle young depth around him. The Rangers also had to sort out additional roster spots by moving Cole Beaudoin back to Hartford and bringing up Justin Dowling, a set of transactions that reflects how quickly the depth chart is shifting as the club tries to stay afloat through an ugly stretch of injuries. [Read more 🡒]