The New York Rangers keep stacking wins, and the latest one gave Mike Sullivan another reason to like what he saw from his new-look second line.
Sunday’s victory over the Utah Mammoth was New York’s third straight overall and its second straight at home, a run that adds to the sense that this team has taken a real step forward. That was the expectation after an aggressive summer, and so far the Rangers are backing it up on the ice.
Sullivan entered the season with a fairly clear idea of how his lines would look once camp and the preseason wrapped up, and he hasn’t had much reason to tear that blueprint apart. But he did make one notable adjustment in the recent win over the Detroit Red Wings, moving Tye Kartye up while sending Oliver Bjorkstrand to the fourth line. The same combination stayed together against Utah, and the results were strong.
In 10:43 of ice time together, J.T. Miller, Pavel Dorofeyev and Kartye posted a team-best 79.2% xGF.
Dorofeyev led the trio individually with that same 79.2% mark, continuing to show up as a real driver for New York. He didn’t score, but he did pick up an assist.
Miller also got on the board, scoring his first goal of the season. Kartye, meanwhile, was part of a line that kept tilting things in the Rangers’ favor, with both he and Miller finishing above 60% in xGF.
Bjorkstrand’s move down the lineup was harder to fully judge because of what happened elsewhere. Joe Veleno, the fourth-line center, went down early with an injury, and Sullivan had to shuffle his centers while still trying to keep Bjorkstrand and Jaroslav Chmelar involved.
Even with that complication, the early read on the second line was encouraging. The Rangers are winning, the pieces are fitting better, and they’ll try to make it four straight Tuesday against the New York Islanders.
In Other News...
Rangers Are Building Something At MSG And Fans Can Feel It
Madison Square Garden had a little extra edge to it Friday night, and the Rangers fed off it. New York beat the Utah Mammoth 4-2 behind Igor Shesterkin, who stopped 27 shots and even picked up an assist, while the club closed strong with three third-period goals to turn a tight game into another convincing home result. Utah did get a power-play goal, but the Rangers kept their composure and found a way to finish on the right side of a game that felt like more than just another regular-season date on the calendar.
Vincent Trochecks return to the Garden added another layer to the night, with the former Ranger now skating for Utah after the trade that sent him out of New York. The matchup had the kind of familiar faces and late-game urgency that can make a building buzz, and the Rangers looked like a team comfortable playing in that atmosphere. For a club trying to keep building momentum at home, it was the sort of win that gives fans a reason to believe there is something taking shape at MSG. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Suddenly Have A Center Depth Problem They Can't Ignore
Joe Velenos night ended almost as soon as it began against the Utah Mammoth, and the Rangers were left sorting through the fallout of a lower-body injury that came early in the first period. Veleno was hurt while trying to slow down a Mammoth forward and needed help off the ice before being ruled out for the rest of the game, an abrupt exit for a team that has leaned on its center depth to keep things steady.
The concern for New York goes beyond one lost shift because the roster does not currently feature an extra center. If Velenos injury keeps him out longer than just one game, the Rangers may have to look to Hartford for reinforcements, turning a single in-game injury into a depth problem they cant really afford to let linger. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Win At MSG Came With One Immediate Concern
The Rangers got the kind of result they needed at Madison Square Garden, beating the Utah Mammoth 4-2 in a game that had plenty of scoring and just enough pushback to keep the crowd engaged. Vladislav Gavrikov, Gabe Perreault, J.T. Miller and Eeli Tolvanen all found the net for New York, while Nick Schmaltz and Andrew Peeke answered for Utah, giving the home side a win that looked comfortable enough on the surface.
Joe Velenos exit was the immediate concern, though, and it cast a shadow over an otherwise productive night. Veleno was hurt in the first period and had to leave the game, a development the Rangers will be watching closely as they sort through what the result means and what the next lineup decision might have to be. [Read more 🡒]