Rangers at the Quarter Mark: A Team Still Finding Its Form
We're about a quarter through the NHL season already, and the New York Rangers seem to be a tough team to figure out. Coming into the season looking to redeem themselves for last season, the Blueshirts began the season with a fresh start behind the bench with Mike Sullivan. While the head coach has brought back confidence in most fans, there's still much to improve on with this Rangers team. They may not have had the most impressive start to the season, but some positives have emerged.
Defense Has Arrived
One of the most significant flaws of last season was an abysmal defense, but Mike Sullivan has definitely turned it around. The addition of Vladislav Gavrikov has done wonders for this defense, especially with Adam Fox at last finding the right player to pair with. They recover well and help drive offensive pressure, turning them into one of the best defensive teams to start the year. As of now, they await the return of Will Borgen, who's currently dealing with an upper-body injury. His return could be needed, but in the meantime, the youngster Scott Morrow continues to get his taste of the NHL.
Goaltending Continues to Shine
It was an up-and-down season last year for Igor Shesterkin, but who can really blame him? His start has been quite shaky this season, but it doesn't help immensely when you can't score. A confident Shesterkin remains as the backbone of this team, and as soon as he gets his confidence back, he'll continue to amaze those New York fans. As for the backup, Jonathan Quick, who would've thought a goaltender of his age would continue to be as stunning as he's been during his time in New York. This goalie tandem continues to stun the crowd, making goaltending an issue this season.
The Younglings
In a time when the Rangers' future looks questionable, the youngsters' production is always welcome. Making his debut in the NHL this season, Noah Laba has undoubtedly earned his place on this roster. With four goals and three assists so far this season, Laba has turned into one of the most encouraging parts of this Rangers team. He continues to make plays and has proven to be a legit prospect a quarter of the way through this season. With Brett Berard now on the ice with the Blueshirts, all New York fans can ask for is some production from these youngsters, no matter the results this season.
There's no doubt that this first quarter of the season has given the Rangers plenty more to improve on. With their elite goaltending, stunning defense, and young talent, there's some possible foundation for improvement as the season goes on. These Rangers are most likely far from playoff success right now, but positives like this are just the first steps toward what this team can be in the future. The rest of a long season remains for the Blueshirts. Let's see if they can show the NHL they're still a team to be taken seriously.
