New York Rangers Notes

Rangers vs. Islanders: Another Good Win Against a Bad Team

Winning 4-0 over the Islanders just one day after winning 4-0 against the Predators is nice. But these are good wins over bad teams.

Joe Fortunato

04 Mar 2025 — 3 min read

I don't think it's a coincidence at all that the trades Chris Drury has made, coupled with the injuries that have piled up at forward and defense, has forced Peter Laviolette to actually roster the team in the most effective way all year. Kids litter the bottom six, and they're dogs. The defensive pairings work because there aren't any true anchors weighing it down anymore, and since the pairings are "no longer set" we can get combinations that actually work with one another. The new, fresh blood has been bought in, and J.T. Miller has changed the entire complexion of the organization by simply playing tough-as-nails hockey.
Now, the back-to-back shutouts came against two floundering teams who are bad at hockey and don't have the talent the Rangers do. That said, you're talking about an organization who lost just before the 4 Nations break to a Pittsburgh Penguins team without Malkin and Crosby in the lineup, returned from the break to lose 8-2 to the Buffalo Sabres, and then did everything they could to not try again against the Penguins the next night.
The difference between then and now? Well, it's a lot of what I put in the first bullet. Ryan Lindgren and first line Jimmy Vesey are gone, Zac Jones is getting actual run on the blue line, and Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann, and Jusso Parssinen have been inserted in the lineup. Calvin de Haan is an upgrade over Lindgren and has helped steady the defense. Four kids added to this group have helped change the complexion of the team. Oh, and J.T. Miller of course.
Igor Shestekin—who social media was ragging on for the opening goal that ended up being offside—quieted those haters for the rest of the game. He continues to elevate his game when it matters, and in moments where this game wasn't so out of reach.
I think it's hysterical that in dropping Jones to the bottom pair with de Haan, Laviolette inadvertently put together a super effective pairing. de Haan is, for all intents and purposes, the most boring defender of all time. But that means he can totally cover the defensive end to allow Jones to do his thing. And so far it's worked. Jones has confidence, he has zest, and he is always getting pucks on the net. Why the Rangers have decided this is not someone they want to give a real run to I have no idea.