Rangers’ mix finally might be right match
AS THE RANGERS have wandered through mediocrity this season, Alain Vigneault has been searching for answers. Perhaps now he has finally found a few.
The Rangers’ coach recently said he felt there was a lack of chemistry between specific lines or pairs of defensemen. That desperation led to him starting Brad Richards as a third-line winger along with rookie J.T. Miller in the disappointing 5-3 loss to the Islanders Friday night. That experiment didn’t work, but now after some more tinkering — and wins in their last two games — the Blueshirts finally seem to be coming together for their coach.
“Before last game (against Minnesota), me, Richie (Richards) and Zucc (Zuccarello) talked about making it work as a line, and finding chemistry,” Derick Brassard told the Daily News after Monday's win over Toronto. “Richie is one of our best offensive players, and we wanted him in the middle. I’m willing to play the wing, and that puts Richie in the middle, and in the last two games we’ve been able to find some chemistry.”
Brassard did nearly all of the legwork on the Rangers’ third goal on Sunday night, carrying the puck the entire length of the ice and around the Minnesota net before dishing to Zuccarello on the doorstep for an easy slap-shot finish. But while Brassard made the play happen, Zuccarello still found the open spot on the ice between five Wild defenders for the onetimer. Chemistry was the best weapon they had.
“We have four lines that are working, and that’s what we want,” said Carl Hagelin, who has three goals in his last five games. “You want a little more consistency in the lines so you get to know each other more, so you can roll all four lines without missing a beat.”
In the last two games, Vigneault has gone with lines of Hagelin, Miller and Benoit Pouliot; Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and Rick Nash; Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore, and Derek Dorsett; and the Zuccarello-Richards-Brassard combo. The Rangers still aren’t scoring furiously, but at least they seem to be jelling.
“That’s what you need, especially in the sequence we were in four games in six nights, that’s a lot of hockey,” Vigneault said. “You need your bench. You need to play four lines, six (defensemen).”
The Rangers (18-18-2) are still very much alive in the Metropolitan Division, heading into the holiday break in a thirdplace tie with Philadelphia at 38 points. And though the Rangers only went 3-4-2 on their nine-game home stand, the Garden crowd finally seemed to appreciate their effort in the last two victories.
“That last two games it has been unbelievable,” Zuccarello said. “I don’t know if it’s the Christmas holiday or what it is, but it’s been unbelievable.”
NET MINDING: Vigneault will not discuss his goalie situation until after the holiday, but it would be no surprise to see more of backup Cam Talbot, who got the wins on Sunday and Monday and is 8-2 this season with a .938 save percentage and 1.60 goals-against average. ... The Rangers next play at Washington Friday night when the league schedule resumes.