NY Rangers projected lineup: Peter Laviolette's competitive practices set the tone

COLUMBUS - There were several highlights from the Rangers' rousing 5-1 win in Thursday's season-opener against the Sabres, but the team's most galvanizing sequence was obvious to those in the locker room.

Sitting on a 3-1 lead midway through the third period, back-to-back New York penalties in a span of 1:49 gave Buffalo an opening for a comeback.

Not only did the Blueshirts squash those hopes with what head coach Peter Laviolette described as two "courageous" penalty kills, but Chris Kreider provided the exclamation point by netting his eighth career shorthanded goal to send the bench into hysterics.

"That kill, specifically, the energy on the bench and on the ice – when you see (Nick) Bonino, (Ryan Lindgren), (Jacob Trouba) laying themselves out, blocking two or three shots and eventually getting the puck out, and then we go down and score – it felt like a playoff game," defenseman Braden Schneider said following Friday's practice at Nationwide Arena. "Everyone was up on their feet, cheering over the boards. It was just such a fun ride. You could feel the group really tie together and feel as one in that moment."

It carried extra meaning in the aftermath of a training camp that was all about digging deep.

Laviolette set that tone at his introductory press conference in June when he memorably proclaimed, "It's that grind in the game that makes teams great."

Everything he's done since then has been aimed at embracing that hard-working mantra.

"He's preached that what you do in practice translates directly to a game, and I think every practice – even (Friday) in the middle of two games – we're still competing and trying to beat one another," Schneider said. "Watching (Thursday) night how it all came into play, I felt like everyone was having fun and working their hardest to win. It was just a fun environment to be a part of."

Laviolette's practices have been detailed, fast-paced and grueling − not just because they're longer than we typically saw under previous coach Gerard Gallant, but because every session is focused on creating competition.

That's a calculated strategy, according to the longtime NHL bench boss.

"There are a lot of reasons why I came into camp with a certain mindset," he said. "Part of it was just myself and evaluating the job I did (as Washington Capitals coach) and the job I want to do. And then part of it, I was watching deep into the playoffs, and you see the level that it takes for teams to get to the final four or to the finals, to become Stanley Cup champions. It just kind of reconfirmed everything, for me, and what I would like to see or what I would want it to be in training camp or in practice.

"To me, those are habits that can be instilled in people, in a team, in an identity. It's something that we've harped on."

Each day, the team is split in half − one wearing blue, the other wearing white − and every drill has a winner and loser. Once one side prevails, the other is responsible for push-ups, extra conditioning skates or some other form of punishment.

Adding those stakes has noticeably upped the intensity.

"Naturally, we're all extremely competitive people, so I think we enjoy competing, even in practice," forward Barclay Goodrow said. "When you're keeping score and there's something on the line, it brings the best out of you and ultimately prepares you for games. Even just one-on-one battles, stick battles, trying to come up with the puck every time – I think that transitions really well into games."

Over time, the goal is to foster a collective resolve to do whatever it takes to win.

A primary example was the 23 blocked shots the Rangers racked up in Buffalo, including a team-high eight from Trouba and two especially painful blocks from Lindgren during those late-game PKs.

Players were still gushing about it the next day.

"It's huge to see guys laying out for blocks at the beginning of the season," Goodrow said. "You could tell how important getting a win in the first game was."

That heart and desire also leads to heightened focus on the finer details of how Laviolette wants his team to play, including the 1-3-1 forechecking system he's implemented.

By sticking to that structure and effectively clogging the neutral zone, the Rangers limited the Sabres to just four high-danger scoring chances and zero rush opportunities at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.

"You could see that they were a little frustrated towards the end of the game," Goodrow said. "They didn't have much on the ice, so I think that means we're doing our jobs. It's not perfect yet. We're still working on it, but it's good to see when we do it well, the results kind of speak for themselves."

The next challenge is to maintain that edge throughout a long season, beginning with game No. 2 on Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Blue Jackets.

It won't be easy, with ebbs and flows sure to come over the course of 81 more games, but their early commitment to Laviolette's brand of hockey has been encouraging.

"What I love is that they’ve bought into it," the coach said. "They're working hard and they're competing hard, and it’s been pretty consistent. There hasn't been a practice where you've had to stop and reel it in and say, ‘What are we doing today?’ And, so, they’ve bought in to it, and that, to me, is promising. That's when your team can take steps in the right direction with regard to that style or that type of play."

NY Rangers projected lineup: Game 2 at Columbus Blue Jackets

When: Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.

Where: Nationwide Arena in Columbus

TV/Radio: MSG Network/98.7 FM

Forwards

Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)

Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Filip Chytil (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)

Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Blake Wheeler (RW)

Fourth line ⊳ Barclay Goodrow (LW) ⋄ Nick Bonino (C) ⋄ Jimmy Vesey (RW)

Defensemen

Top pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)

Second pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)

Third pair ⊳ Erik Gustafsson (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)

Goalies

Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin

Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick

Healthy scratches: D Zac Jones and F Tyler Pitlick

NOTE: This lineup is subject to change.

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: Rangers lineup vs. Blue Jackets: Peter Laviolette sets tone