As head coach Peter Laviolette ‘s team enters the regular season’s final stretch, they have questions unanswered. Here, we shall explain why the New York Rangers ‘ defensive pairings need adjustments. The Rangers earned two valuable points after defeating the Minnesota Wild 5-4 after overtime at Madison Square Garden, but they lost 4-0 to the New Jersey Devils last Saturday, making their playoff push even tougher. Reality might be firmly setting in after the 5-1 downing of the Blueshirts to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Why the New York Rangers Should Change Their Defensive Pairings
The New York team find themselves in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points, nowhere near the New Jersey Devils, who have 89 points.
While the win over Minnesota and the previous win over the San Jose Sharks by 6-1 showed that the Rangers have a great offensive capacity, we are still talking about a team that concedes goals far too easily.
With all the current positioning details out of the way, here is our analysis. We will discuss how a key change could boost the New York Rangers defensive performance, based on the statistical data and previous partnerships.
Just How Should They Shuffle Things Around
The New York Rangers ‘ defence would improve by trading K’Andre Miller for Carson Soucy in pairings, especially in this crucial final stretch to qualify for the playoffs.
K’Andre Miller is a defenceman with good puck handling and offensive projection, but in the latter aspect, he has been quite inconsistent in recent games. In fact, in the last ten games, Miller has only contributed five points (two goals, three assists).
On the other hand, Carson Soucy is a more physical and confident defenceman, but with little offensive aggressiveness (two points in his last ten games). Therefore, if the Rangers move Soucy to the second pairing with Will Borgen , the team would be more defensively sound in this period. And moving Miller up to the first pairing with Adam Fox would take advantage of his offensive profile and the past chemistry that has existed between these two players.
The bet is to balance the pairings, having one offensive and one more solid. Fox needs a partner to complement his offensive style. Despite going pointless in his past three games, he had collected seven in the five prior to that span. Pairing him with Miller would be ideal. Also, considering the youthful approach Chris Drury and Laviolette are taking to the team, it will be important to consolidate a young defensive duo for the long term (Miller is 25, Fox is 27).
Why It Is Important to Have a Balanced Defensive Structure
A clear example of success in terms of having balanced defensive pairings is the 2024 Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers .
The Panthers had an offensive and defensive pairing with Gustav Forsling , noted for being mobile and having a good first pass, and Aaron Ekblad , a more physical player with a powerful shot. They also had a more hybrid pairing with Brandon Montour , with an offensive profile, and Dmitri Kulikov, a pure defender and outstanding in hits and blocks. In addition, there was the pair formed by Niko Mikkola and Oliver Ekman-Larsson , Penalty Kill specialists.
The Panthers, with these pairings, on average conceded 2.68 goals against per 60 minutes (fifth best in the NHL). They had a PK of 82.5% (sixth best), and their Expected Goals Against (xGA) was 2.42 (fourth best).
The Florida team has a very clear lesson for the New York Rangers; it’s not enough to have a Norris Trophy winner like Adam Fox . You also need a mobile defenseman, like Miller, a physical defenseman, like Soucy, and to have well-defined roles.
The Panthers won with balance, not individuality. If the Rangers want to aspire to go far this season, it’s a good idea for them to “mimic” this model.
Main Photo Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
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