Game 1 lineup: Rangers have proof of concept that they can slay 'monster' Hurricanes
TARRYTOWN – The Rangers say they aren’t putting much stock into the carryover effect from their comeback series win over the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2022 playoffs.
After all, it’s been two years, with players coming and going on both sides and the Blueshirts introducing a new head coach in Peter Laviolette. But while that’s all true, the significance of beating that team at that particular point in time resonates to this day.
“They were the monster out of our division,” defenseman Braden Schneider said following Saturday's practice at the MSG Training Center. “Just the way they play, it's hard. It's hard to play against, and I think for our group that taught us a lot, because you’ve got to be willing to fight back. They’re a team that's going to come at you with everything they’ve got every night, so you’ve got to make sure that you're ready to come back at them and make sure that you're countering right back. I thought that series represented a lot, and it helped us build a lot as a group.”
The Rangers entered those playoffs having lost six of their previous seven games against the Hurricanes, including a three-game sweep in the 2020 bubble. Then they fell behind two games to none, amplifying cries that they couldn’t handle Carolina’s collective speed and swarming forecheck.
By winning four of the final five games to capture the series, they slayed the proverbial dragon and announced their presence as a team the rest of the NHL had to take notice of.
“Two years ago, it’s a long time ago,” captain Jacob Trouba said. “But we built that confidence of knowing that we can play in Carolina.”
Will that matter when the puck drops at Madison Square Garden on Sunday at 4 p.m. to begin the latest chapter of New York vs. Carolina?
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Previous Rangers coach Gerard Gallant used to say he didn’t believe in momentum carrying from one playoff game to the next, let alone one year to the next (or two). But there was undeniable value in proving to themselves that they can outlast the mighty Canes.
The last two regular seasons have been proof of concept, with the Blueshirts taking five of the last seven head-to-head meetings. It hasn't changed the difficulty of fending off Carolina's waves puck-hunters and volume-shooters, but it's created a distinct belief that they can persevere in the face of such relentless pressure.
"They're tight on you," Adam Fox said. "They've had success for a reason. They play a good brand of hockey. They're honest, they're tight-checking, and I think that first pass and communication to try and get a little separation space is super important. We've seen them a lot over the last couple of years, so we have an understanding that doing those things is pretty important, because if they get on you and get their forecheck going, it's going to be probably a long night in your zone."
The Rangers will take comfort in knowing they have their best puck-moving defenseman ready for Game 1, with Fox returning to practice Saturday after missing the previous two for maintenance purposes. He didn't want to outright confirm that a leg-to-leg collision with Washington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen in last Sunday's first-round series-clinching win was the cause, but Fox did smile and remark, "He got a piece of me."
Clean, decisive connections from defensemen like Fox ahead to the forwards on Blueshirts' breakout attempts will be critical in this series, as will outworking the smothering Hurricanes once they're set up in the offensive zone.
The Canes' man-to-man defensive scheme is one of the toughest to beat in the NHL − it's a major reason why they allowed the fewest shots per game (25.6) of any team in the league this season while ranking third in expected-goals against per 60 minutes (2.29), according to Evolving Hockey − but it's not impossible to find holes if you make quick decisions and match (or exceed) their hustle.
"In theory, you beat one guy, and you should kind of be going at it alone," veteran forward Jimmy Vesey said. "But I think it's a lot of hard work, with five guys in the offensive zone working together to get some motion and cut backs, overlaps – things like that – and eventually break them down."
The Rangers may be in a better position to do that than they have been in previous seasons.
Not only did they infuse their lineup with speed by adding forwards Jack Roslovic and Alex Wennberg at the trade deadline, but they've adopted a grinding mindset that became Laviolette's top priority the day he was hired last summer. His practices have been noticeably more intense, with the coaching staff fostering competition through daily contests within each drill. That resulted in a team that played with increased fervor and maintained that standard all season, leading to the fourth Presidents' Trophy in franchise history.
"I have no complaints about the way we practice," Laviolette said. "I mentioned that to the players the other day, because when you're coming off a couple of days off, you decompress a little bit, then you’ve got to ramp right back up. And, so, I think just the way that we've done it all year, it’s just how we're expected to go out and practice.
"That starts with, I think, a plan that all the coaches help with, but certainly the leadership group and the players and making sure that you go out and actually play at that pace or compete at that pace. I do think it translates. That was part of the whole thought process going into the year – that we were going to practice and play at a level that we thought could make us successful. I think that the guys, to their credit, are trying to play at that level."
That collective dedication − "That grind in the game that makes teams great," as Laviolette put it at his introductory press conference − has prepared the Rangers to go toe-to-toe with one of the NHL's hardest-working teams. But it traces back to 2022, when they overcame both internal and external doubts to conquer an opponent who's standing in their way again two years later.
"We didn't quit in that series," Schneider said. "They’re a team that you can't back down from. They always have strong starts and they come out hard. You’ve got to make sure that you're ready to throw the next punch back. That's something I remember a lot from that series. It's going to be a challenging one this year, too."
NY Rangers (4-0) projected lineup: Game 1, second round, Carolina Hurricanes (4-1)
When: Sunday, May 5 at 4 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV/Radio: ESPN/98.7 FM
Forwards
Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Jack Roslovic (RW)
Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)
Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Alex Wennberg (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey (LW) ⋄ Barclay Goodrow (C) ⋄ Matt Rempe (RW)
Defensemen
Top pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)
Second pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)
Third pair ⊳ Erik Gustafsson (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)
Goalies
Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin
Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick
Healthy scratches: F Jonny Brodzinski, G Louis Domingue, F Adam Edström, D Zac Jones and D Chad Ruhwedel
Long-term injured reserve: F Filip Chytil (upper body) and F Blake Wheeler (lower body)
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Game 1 lineup: Rangers have proven they can slay 'monster' Hurricanes
