As the Rangers have stumbled through mediocrity this season, Alain Vigneault has been looking for answers. Perhaps he’s finally discovered a few.
The Rangers’ coach recently stated that he believed there was a lack of chemistry among specific lines or pairs of defenseman. Out of desperation, he started Brad Richards as a third-line winger beside youngster J.T. Miller in Friday night’s disheartening 5-3 loss to the Islanders. That experiment failed, but after some more tinkering—and wins in their last two games—the Blueshirts appear to be coming together for their coach.
“Before the 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 following Monday’s victory against Toronto. “Richie is one of our most talented offensive players, and we wanted him in the middle. I’m willing to play on the wing, which puts Richie in the middle, and we’ve found some chemistry during the previous two games.”
Brassard performed the majority of the work on the Rangers’ third goal on Sunday night, carrying the ball the full length of the ice and around the Minnesota net before passing to Zuccarello on the doorstep for an easy slap-shot finish. While Brassard created the play, Zuccarello found an open place on the ice between five Wild defenders for the one-timer. Chemistry was their most effective weapon.
“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 third-place 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.
