by Only four defense pairs in the NHL have been on the ice for at least 3,600 minutes at five-on-five in the four seasons beginning in 2020-21. Two of them belong to the Rangers, who completed a study on backfield stability.
From the moment K’Andre Miller left Wisconsin to turn pro under then-head coach David Quinn in 2020-21, the top four were untouched except for injuries. Miller skated on the left side with Jacob Trouba, while Adam Fox skated on the right side with Ryan Lindgren. They were the equivalent of 1A/1B matchup pairs.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Carolina’s Brady Skjei-Brett Pesce tandem (first) and the Kings’ Drew Doughty-Mikey Andersson joined the two Rangers pairs with that ice time threshold.
But partly because of the upper-body injury Lindgren suffered in the preseason’s second exhibition game, which ranked No. 55 on IR, and partly because head coach Peter Laviolette wanted to see a different look, the Blueshirts opted for three brand new pairs in the first two Games of the season.
The first pairing consists of Miller on the left and Fox, which combines the club’s two most mobile and offensively talented defenders. This look has been talked about for several years, and prior to Wednesday, the young defensemen had gone 337:34 at five-on-five over the past four seasons, but had only started as a pair in five games prior to that.
The second pair had Trouba on the right side, but right winger Braden Schneider moved him to his offside for the first time in his 207-game NHL career, which began in mid-2021-22. The move was certainly triggered by the head coach wanting his top four defenders to make up the top four, but the rise of Rookie Righty – or Righty Rookie? — Victor Mancini was also a major factor in the decision.
The 21-year-old entered rookie camp last season after leaving Nebraska-Omaha with a total of 17 professional hockey games on his resume, including seven in the regular season and 10 in the playoffs. He immediately made an impression that stuck. He and Zac Jones form the young, third couple.
But while the revamped defense worked like clockwork in Wednesday’s 6-0 win over the Penguins in Pittsburgh, the club’s cautious approach faltered in the Garden’s 5-6 overtime loss to Utah confused on Saturday evening.
The game was played at a fast pace. There were plenty of chances on both sides in this chaotic display of pond hockey that saw the Blueshirts rally from 4-2 and 5-3 deficits, only to lose as the Yoots trailed a 2-on-1 battle Netz won, with Clayton Keller defeating Igor Shesterkin at 4:05 OT.
The Rangers have had games like this in the past with their standard pairings. But the Blueshirts gave up big chunks of prime ice in the defensive zone when there appeared to be confusion in coverage. The defense cannot be blamed for the fact that the home team was unable to contain their hyper-opponents through the neutral zone despite repeated retreats.
And Fox, who logged 23:34 minutes of ice time, didn’t believe in the theory that unfamiliarity led to mishaps.
“I don’t know, you could use that as some kind of excuse,” Fox said. “But it’s still early in the season and both teams are making mistakes.”
The analytics look pretty good, the Miller-Fox pair posted a 90.36 xGF in 16:27, while scoring two goals and not doing anything about it – and a gimme that Miller sent into the air instead of the net.
The Schneider-Trouba pair had their mishaps, with the captain sliding into no man’s land for Utah’s opening goal, but the tandem recorded a 54.8 xGF during the game with one goal scored and two goals conceded.
Of course, Schneider took advantage of the offside position in the defensive zone and attacked from the left before beating Connor Ingram at 17:59 of the second minute to cut the lead to 5-4.
The Jones-Mancini pair had an xGF of 51.72 in 13:00 and didn’t look out of place in a turbulent affair that at times was reminiscent of 1980s hockey. Get this: The Yoots scored on five of their first 14 shots.
Lindgren continues to skate with the team, but he wears a non-contact jersey and a full visor. The hierarchy will face a roster decision if No. 55 is cleared to play ahead of the coaching staff’s lineup decisions. The Blueshirts face the Red Wings at home on Monday before a three-game trip to Detroit, Toronto and Montreal.
The club currently has seven defenders, with Chad Ruhwedel serving as a reserve player. He demands waivers. Not Mancini. But if the rookie stays on the right path, there’s no reason to send him to the AHL.
And if Schneider is comfortable and effective offside, Lindgren could slide forward on Mancini’s left on the third pair, pushing Zac Jones into the stands.
This could be the start of something new.
