3RD DEGREE
Rangers burned by new defensive pairing
As far as the Rangers’ third defensive pairing is concerned, it’s a concern.
Having been a weak spot for the Rangers nearly all season, the bottom pair has seen a plethora of combinations. The most recent duo of veteran Patrik Nemeth and rookie Braden Schneider inspired a heap of encouragement when they were first partnered up, especially with the rumored upside to Schneider and the promising way he handled his NHL debut.
The two struggled mightily in the Rangers’ come-from-behind victory over the Coyotes on Saturday. The Rangers came out flat after a strenuous night of travel, and the Coyotes swarmed in the opening 20 minutes. The Rangers were hemmed in their zone when Arizona defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere put a long shot on net, which Loui Eriksson got a stick on before Liam O’Brien cleaned it up for the 1-0 lead at 2:29.
Nemeth overplayed Eriksson and O’Brien was left wide open.
Arizona took a 2-1 lead less than seven minutes into the game, when the Coyotes began working the puck behind the Rangers net after goalie Igor Shesterkin lost his stick. Nemeth and Schneider were caught chasing the play, allowing former Islander Andrew Ladd to put one in all alone right in front.
Nemeth and Schneider may be the Rangers’ best combination at the moment, which says something about the state of the third pair. The last defenseman who lined up next to Nemeth was rookie Nils Lundkvist, who has a completely different playing style than the 6-foot-2 Schneiders.
On paper, the Nemeth-Schneider pairing is the closest duo available within the Rangers that head coach Gerard Gallant and general manager Chris Drury likely want on the back end.
However, the product on the ice hasn’t been as imagined. While Nemeth brings maturity to the Rangers, as well as experience, the Swede is minus-12 on the season. He wasn’t able to balance the back end alongside Lundkvist, who is now in AHL Hartford.
Nemeth may not be the anchoring defenseman on the third pair, but he could fit in a supporting role. If the first half of the season has revealed anything about the Rangers, it’s the need for another reliable stay-athome defenseman.
➤ Hosting their sixth annual Pride Night, the Rangers will show their support to the LGBTQ+ community on Monday when they welcome the Kings to Madison Square Garden. The first 10,000 fans to arrive will receive a Delta pride-themed tote bag.
The Rangers’ pride warm-up jerseys and sticks will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going to Covenant House, an organization dedicated to providing resources to address youth homelessness, as well as the Garden of Dreams Foundation.
➤ The Rangers assigned forwards Jonny Brodzinski, Tim Gettinger, Anthony Greco and defenseman Tarmo Reunanen to AHL Hartford on Sunday. Additionally, defenseman Jarred Tinordi was placed on waivers.