qualifiers
The NY Rangers and NJ Devils kick off their first round tonight in Newark, as Battle of the Hudson gets renewed for the first time in a decade. These teams will likely meet in the playoffs for years to come, and as scary as it sounds, this year’s edition of the Devils may be the weakest we’ve seen in years to come. The Rangers need a short series win, and there are 3 key keys to the Rangers beating the Devils in the short series.
Before we get started, I don’t take the easy route and list Igor Shesterkin as one of the keys. This is a given.
Key 1: Block the neutral zone and take care of the disc
The theme of the previews this week was rush opportunities. They are the devils bread and butter, and that is how they generate so many high risk opportunities. 4 games this season, the Devils got 7.25 odd man lunges every 60 minutes with equal force. They’ve had 21 shots per game in their prime.
This is a testament to the way Lindy Ruff teams play the game. They are fast, aggressive and transform quickly. The difference between the Devils and the Rangers when Ruff was here is that the Devils have players pull it off without sacrificing the team’s defense.
The best way to counter rush teams is to get better at breakouts, zone exits and through no-man’s-land. Unfortunately, this is a weakness for the Rangers, as they simply don’t have the drives on the blue line, with the exception of Adam Fox, to do so effectively.
In the playoffs, these rush opportunities usually start to disappear as teams begin to block the no-man’s-land and take better care of the puck. This is how the Rangers will need to break the demons system. Short, quick passes to break up the aggressive 2-1-2 check, followed by speeding through no-man’s-land on the breach. Defensively, pull the lanes in the neutral zone and use the force out.
If the Rangers can cut rush chances fairly consistently, it forces them into a dump-and-chase game. The Rangers are a puck recovery team, who play to their strengths.
Key 2: Turn on powerplay
This goes without saying, but the powerplay will make a difference in this series. The first round is usually called tighter than the others, though that’s just my – potentially biased – point of view. More calls means more opportunities for a solid performance in the Rangers powerhouse.
If the Rangers powerplay can get hot, it will cover any 5v5 issues the Rangers might have. Remember, Rangers simply need to tread water at 5v5, especially considering how good the Devils are at even strength, but this only matters if the powerplay is converted. The Devils have a strong penalty, so that’s easier said than done.
Solid play combined with decent 5v5 play gives Rangers the advantage. A weak powerplay no longer gives them this advantage, instead shifting focus to the equal powerplay. That would serve the devils.
Rangers don’t need to be perfect, but timely powerplay goals will matter.
Key 3: Offensive zone timing
Hockey is a complex game with sometimes very simple strategies. Another way for Rangers to stifle the Demons’ offensive firepower is to simply keep their weapons hanging in the defensive zone. “Simply” is defined here loosely, because it’s much easier said than done, especially with how good the demons are.
The advantage that Rangers have is the sixth-place finisher. Kid Line specifically is very good on the course, generating quality off-course opportunities with extended zonal time. If there is an x factor, then it is.
As long as the current fourth line remains intact, meaning there are no injuries to the Raiders, the Rangers will have another grinding and cycling streak. They may not score much, but just playing in the offensive zone is more than enough for their role.
The Rangers’ weakness will be the Artemi Panarin line. Neither Panarin nor Tarasenko are referred to as play drivers, and they don’t really need to be recognized for how good they are, especially Panarin. However, a team like the Devils can exploit this and keep them pinned on their end. I expect the demons to match accordingly.
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Rated: Playoffs