The New York Rangers continue their impressive start to the season with a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night in what was a complete team effort.
The Rangers have now won their first five home games of the season, which marks their best home start since opening the 1990-91 season with eight straight victories.
Here are five takeaways from Tuesday night’s win for the Rangers:
The Tye Kartye-J.T. Miller-Alexis Lafrenière Line Thrives:
Mike Sullivan recently made a switch to the Rangers’ top-six forward unit, which included putting Alexis Lafrenière on a line with J.T. Miller and Tye Kartye.
A line that previously struggled to score goals has exploded offensively with the addition of Lafrenière.
On Sunday night against the Vancouver Canucks, Kartye scored two goals, and their success carried over into Tuesday night.
Lafrenière scored two goals in the first period against the Lightning, as he is tied for second in the NHL with seven goals in eight games.
The 25-year-old forward is playing with a newfound confidence and offensive swagger that personifies his first-overall pick status.
“He's evolving into that next phase of his career,” Miller said of Lafrenière. “He's getting to that point in his career where he's learning a lot, and he knows what works and what doesn't. He's got such an elite talent level and offensive instinct, but he doesn't need much to get open. He's playing with a lot of confidence. It's fun to play with him. I’m just happy for him.”
Both of Lafrenière’s goals wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Kartye, whose strong forecheck helped lead to the first goal and whose full-ice, backhanded pass led to the second goal.
Kartye is a player who has predominantly played a bottom-six role throughout his entire career but has taken advantage of his opportunity in a top-six role, fitting right in with Miller and Lafrenière.
“It's honestly not surprising. We played about 25 games together at the end of the year last year, and I think he produced pretty well,” Miller said of Kartye. “So he's got a lot of things to like about his game. Obviously, aside from his work ethic that everybody sees, I think he's got more skill than we think. He just plays a straightforward game, making the most of a great opportunity. I love playing with him. It's easy to play with guys like that, hardworking left wingers that just work and play 200-foot hockey, and he has enough skill to hurt you when he gets free.”
Will Cuylle-Noah Laba-Eeli Tolvanen Continue To Be A Steady Force:
Sullivan has made a number of line changes to kick off the season, but one line he hasn’t broken up is the trio of Will Cuylle, Noah Laba and Eeli Tolvanen.
This newly assembled third line has brought an element of balance to the Rangers’ lineup, as they’ve been tasked at times with matching up against the opposing team’s top lines while being trusted in defensive zone situations.
Between the three of these players, they play with a strong physical edge, as indicated by Cuylle’s 11 hits on Tuesday night, as well as a speedy game, which allows them to be effective on the forecheck and at keeping pucks in the offensive zone.
The line’s hard work has finally translated into offense, with Cuylle scoring two goals over the past two games, including one against Tampa Bay.
“I think Laba’s line is really starting to build chemistry, and they’re also building an identity for the line and what their contribution is to helping our team win,” Sullivan said. “They get a lot of D zone starts against top top lines. They defend hard, but there's an offensive dimension to their line, all three of those guys. I think that's an important element of having a third line that's capable of playing on both sides of the puck.
“There's more dimension to their line, and that's the conversation that we had with all three of them when we put them together. Is here's how we envision you guys helping us have success here and helping us win. I think the last two or three games, their game has been at another level. It's almost like it's been an aha moment for them to know what they're capable of… I think they’re establishing an identity for themselves that they embrace and understand.”
Dylan Garand Receives His Flowers:
With Igor Shesterkin suffering a season-ending injury last week, Dylan Garand was tasked with the difficult responsibility of taking on the Rangers’ starting goaltending role.
Through two games, Garand has answered the bell, recording two wins with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
On Tuesday night, the 24-year-old goaltender once again appeared to be cool, calm and collected in net. He made 25 saves in a winning effort, and in the third period, fans began to chant “Dylan, Dylan!”, reminiscent of their “Igor, Igor!” chant.
“That felt really good,” Garand said about the fans chanting his name. “Honestly, it felt a little bit weird. Those chants are typically reserved for Shesty. It was a little weird in that sense, but felt so much support from these fans. It really meant a lot to me.”
While the Rangers have been playing well defensively in front of him, Garand has continued to make timely saves when the team needs him to and has turned a position widely perceived as a glaring weakness following the Shesterkin injury into a legitimate strength.
“I’m thrilled for Dylan,” Sullivan said. “He’s a great kid, he works extremely hard. He made some timely saves for us… Give Dylan credit, he played extremely well for us.”
Pavel Dorofeyev Sees Decreased Role For The Second Straight Game:
In eight games, Pavel Dorofeyev has recorded just one goal and three points, with Sullivan emphasizing that Dorofeyev was ‘fighting it” when referring to his offensive game.
On Sunday, Sullivan took Dorofeyev off the first power-play unit in favor of Gabe Perreault to open up the third period.
Despite starting Tuesday night’s game on the first power-play unit, Dorofeyev was yanked out of his position in the second period, as Perreault replaced him once again.
The 25-year-old forward also finished the night with 15:56 minutes of ice time, ranking ahead of only Eeli Tolvanen, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Matt Rempe and Cole Beaudoin in time on ice.
In an effort to filter Bjorkstrand into the rotation a bit more, as he was playing a fourth-line role, Bjorkstrand took some of Dorofeyev’s shifts on a line with Perreault and Mika Zibanejad toward the end of the contest.
“We obviously know and believe that Pav is a pretty good offensive player with pretty good instincts, and so you know he's a big part of this team,” Sullivan said after Tuesday’s morning skate. “He will continue to be a big part of this team moving forward. We're trying to find a way to help him capture his best game.”
Rangers Build On Team Identity:
The Rangers’ impressive 6-2 start to the season is a byproduct of the impressive team game they continue to put on display.
Compared to last season, the Rangers are playing like a completely different team despite having relatively the same personnel.
It starts with their well-structured defensive play, which has resulted in very few chances against, with the Blueshirts being able to protect leads particularly well throughout this eight-game stretch.
“I think we’re really starting to establish an identity, what Rangers hockey looks like when we are at our best,” Sullivan said. “It starts with our commitment to check… It’s five-man participation. I think these guys value playing away from the puck.”
New York’s offensive game is also noticeably quicker compared to last season. They are breaking out the puck well, which was a point of emphasis going into the offseason, and creating chances off the rush as well as through the forecheck.
There’s a positive energy around the team that is radiant in the locker room and directly reflected in its play, which has Sullivan encouraged about what the Rangers are starting to build.
“We’re building a team identity. It’s fun to stand behind the bench, watch these guys compete, listening to the chatter on the bench and the team talk on the bench in between shifts and they're cheering for each other,” Sullivan emphasized. “It’s a lot of fun to be a part of. As a coaching staff, we can see these guys coming together as a group. They are getting closer and closer with every experience they go through, and it’s fun to watch.”