The opening act of Pavel Dorofeyev’s Rangers tenure had already featured a slow start, with just two goals through 11 games. In the latest sample Monday, he’d strung together unsuccessful high-danger scoring chance after unsuccessful high-danger scoring chance.
But then head coach Mike Sullivan added another wrinkle to it, revealing that he temporarily removed Dorofeyev from their first power-play unit for staying on the ice too long and not changing smartly.
That issue applied to the Rangers’ entire first unit, Sullivan said, but Dorofeyev was the one held accountable when it materialized again. Dorofeyev admitted Wednesday that he needed to be better next time while also acknowledging that situations exist where it could make sense to stay on the ice longer. He accepted Sullivan’s decision, said he’s trying not to think about it and, later in the game Monday and in practice Wednesday, returned to work with the top man-advantage line.
But in a season-opening stretch where plenty has gone right for the Rangers, it marked the latest instance where the opposite has unfolded for Dorofeyev in his first season after a $77 million deal followed a trade from the Golden Knights.