The Rangers are off to a solid start, and now comes the first real lineup wrinkle of the season.
New York enters Sunday’s home game against the Utah Mammoth at 2-1 and riding a two-game win streak after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. The early results have been encouraging, and a big reason is the work at the back end: Igor Shesterkin and Dylan Garand have allowed just one goal over the last two games.
Still, even with the wins piling up, the Rangers are adjusting their forward group ahead of the Mammoth matchup. Sunday will be Vincent Trocheck’s first return to MSG, and it will also be Sean Durzi’s first game against his former team, but the more immediate change is up front.
Per Mollie Walker, the morning skate lines had Tye Kartye moving into the second line with J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev, while Oliver Bjorkstrand dropped to the fourth line with Joe Veleno and Jaroslav Chmelar. The rest of the setup stayed the same.
That means the Rangers are breaking up what had been one of their most effective combinations through three games. Bjorkstrand, Miller and Dorofeyev have looked like the team’s best line so far, so the move is a little surprising on the surface. But with both Bjorkstrand and Kartye sitting on one assist apiece, Mike Sullivan appears to be looking for a spark that might turn chances into goals.
The only other note from the skate was Chmelar holding down the fourth-line spot. That role has been fluid depending on the opponent, but he has impressed enough to be in line for a third straight game. The rest of the lineup and pairings remain unchanged as New York tries to make it three wins in a row.
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