The New York Rangers started off the 2023-24 season as good as they possibly could. After looking horrible during the preseason, they showed up when it mattered by beating the Buffalo Sabres, 5-1, in Buffalo in their home opener. They played an all-around terrific first game, and it was surprising to see given the struggles they had just weeks prior. While it has only been one game, there are some positives to take away from the game that the Rangers should build off of as the season continues and as teams start to figure out how to play against their new system.
The Terrific Neutral Zone Trap
When Gerard Gallant was the head coach, the Rangers didn’t play well in the neutral zone at all. They would just let their opponents rush through the zone and let them dump it into the defensive zone and they would start to put the pressure on. Now, under Peter Laviolette, it’s a whole new system that players have to get used to. The Rangers are now using the 1-3-1 set-up in the neutral zone. They have one forward up forechecking, while the other two forwards and the left-side defenseman stay at the red-line and the right-side defenseman stays back in the defensive zone. The Rangers executed this to perfection against the Sabres.
The Rangers were able to break up many of the Sabres’ attempts to get into the zone and the Sabres were never really able to set up in the offensive zone, unless it was on the power-play. The Rangers were able to read the plays well and this system even led to them getting the first goal of the game because it was Adam Fox who stepped up and made a play which led to the goal by Alexis Lafreniere. If the Rangers can keep playing this system well and make adjustments when needed, they are going to be tough to play against.
Sustained Offensive Zone Pressure
Another issue the Rangers had under Gallant was their constant lack of offensive zone pressure during the games. They would have their moments, but most of the time, they would dump the puck in and would never be able to retrieve it. They wouldn’t forecheck and their opposition would get the puck back and go the other way quickly. Now, the Rangers are still dumping the puck, but they are forechecking and forcing their opponents into turnovers and getting scoring chances. The Rangers had a few great chances to score against the Sabres off of their forechecking and their ability to get the puck quickly.
Related: Takeaways From Rangers Win Over Sabres
Another way the Rangers can now get sustained offensive zone pressure is they are better at carrying the puck into the zone if they can’t dump it in. This was a big focus for Laviolette during training camp. He wanted the Rangers to work on their zone entries because they have such talented forwards and defensemen who can skate well and who have the ability to carry the puck into the zone. This allows the Rangers to set up more plays in the offensive zone and makes them an even more threatening team to their opposition.
Shot Blocking
The Rangers faced penalty troubles late in the second and throughout the third period. One of the key aspects of the penalty kill was their ability to get in the lane and block shots from the Sabres’ top offensive weapons. The team had a total of 23 blocked shots throughout the game, but it was on the penalty kill that they really stood out. Both Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren made some key blocks, while Nick Bonino also made a few blocks himself. While it might not be possible to block all those shots each game, if they can maintain that same mindset, it is going to help their goalies and the overall team for the long haul.
Even though the Rangers have only played one game, these positives are a step in the right direction for where this team wants to go this season. They are playing a more structured game and that is going to cause more problems for their opposition going forward.
