BUFFALO – By this point, we’ve heard the stories about a long summer filled with grueling training sessions and restless nights.
The New York Rangers were stunned by last spring’s first-round defeat – a humbling experience that served as both harsh reminder of how fleeting success can be in the NHL and motivation for the 2023-24 season.
The only cure for that heartache, we’ve been told, is getting back on the ice, with their first chance to do that in a game that counts coming in Thursday’s 7 p.m. opener against the Sabres at the KeyBank Center. And while that may be true, Mika Zibanejad is here to offer some perspective.
“I know the focus becomes on last year’s playoffs and what went wrong and what we didn’t do well and all that stuff,” the team’s reigning MVP said following Wednesday’s practice at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown. “But I think we’re confident in the group that we have in here – that we’ve done some really good things over the last few years that put us in the spot to even put in that category.”
Allow No. 93 to elaborate.
“That’s obviously a really disappointing exit last year, so take that with some type of confidence, too – that the expectations are there because, I think, we’ve shown that we’re capable of doing something,” he added. “If we weren’t capable, I don’t think anyone – you, media, us – would have the expectations that we do. That’s obviously a good thing, and that’s something that we have to embrace.”
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At this time last year, the Rangers were basking in the glow of their surprising run to the 2022 Eastern Conference Final. They were being showered with praise, fueling the narrative that they belonged on the short list of Stanley Cup hopefuls. But now they’ve been forced to recalibrate.
They can thank the New Jersey Devils for that. After the Blueshirts took a 2-0 series lead, their Hudson River rival blew past them by taking four of the final five games, seizing the title of up-and-coming contender in the process.
“It always stings,” captain Jacob Trouba said. “But that one was kind of a pit in the stomach for a long time.”
The Devils looked like the hungrier team – more skilled, more structured, and especially faster. They swarmed the Rangers, who never found the right countermoves or the next gear to match them.
Team president Chris Drury didn’t have the option of making drastic changes to the roster, his hands tied by a flat salary-cap era that’s limited flexibility for many of the NHL’s top teams. Instead, he responded to Jersey’s gut punch by parting ways with head coach Gerard Gallant, who lasted only two years despite registering at least 107 regular-season points in both of them.
In comes Peter Laviolette, who’s being relied on as the primary offseason acquisition.
The veteran bench boss, who will begin his 22nd NHL season with his sixth different team, has run a much more demanding training camp than these Rangers are accustomed to, with longer sessions, ramped-up conditioning and a more hands-on approach.
The players, for their part, are welcoming it.
“Last year, it was a little more laid back, and I think we were maybe not as prepared as we should have been going into the first little bit of the season,” center Vincent Trocheck said. “It’s a little bit tougher of a camp, for sure. I think guys are definitely going to be in shape coming out of it.”
It’s all part of Laviolette’s effort to form an identity and bring “direction,” as Trouba put it, that may have been lacking under Gallant.
It’s hard to argue with the Rangers’ talent – not with a Norris Trophy winner (Adam Fox), a Vezina Trophy winner (Igor Shesterkin) and a host of skilled forwards ranging from established stars (Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin) to first-round picks with big upside (Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière). But their new coach seeks to mold them from a finesse squad into a relentless outfit that brings playoff intensity on a nightly basis.
“I could talk about teams that make it deep into the playoffs – to the final four, the final two, the Stanley Cup champions. There’s a certain attitude that they play with,” he said on the opening day of camp. “There’s a work ethic that goes behind that. And, so, I think it’s a combination of both. I’ve never wanted to be only a skilled team and I’ve never wanted to be just a hard-working team. (It’s) when you can combine the two.”
Turning up the heat is an important first step, but there’s more to it than simply trying harder.
The Rangers looked like they were skating in quicksand next to the speedy Devils, with Laviolette charged with finding ways to close that gap. Some may question how a core that remains largely intact can suddenly become faster, with the answer – they hope – coming from a direct, aggressive system that attacks, creates rush opportunities and emphasizes quicker decision-making.
“(Laviolette) knows what kind of players are in here, and I think the belief is that we can play that way,” Zibanejad said. “It’s not always just about having the fastest guys. If you move the puck quick, if you exit your zone, I think the team could look fast, even though you don’t have all the fastest players.
“We have some,” he added, motioning to Kreider at the next locker. “But in general, as you play as a team, and I think you’ll look faster, too, when you’re all connected in how we exit the zone, how we get through the neutral zone, how we get onto the forecheck and how we move. … I think we have it in us.”
There will likely be growing pains associated with Laviolette’s up-tempo style, particularly when it comes to learning his left-wing-lock forechecking system and high-cycle, constant movement philosophy on offensive possessions. Although, as the coach noted, history is littered with examples of teams took time to adapt and others that received an immediate jolt.
“Some teams have had to go through some stumbling blocks,” he said. “Some teams have hit the ground running.”
The Rangers are hoping they fall into the latter category, but the true test won’t come until they get a chance at playoff redemption.
In one year’s time, they went from youthful team on the rise to a group facing doubts about whether they can live up to the hype. Now they have an opportunity to change the story arc again, fueled by the reality that their window to win can close in an instant.
“It’s something that actually (newly signed veteran Blake Wheeler) talked to me about early on,” Trouba said. “Everyone’s kind of at different stages in their career on a team, and the chances are not forever. That’s something that was told to me when I was very young. It’s never something I’ve really taken for granted – an opportunity to make an NHL team and play NHL games; to play a season and have that opportunity.”
“You never want to look back when it’s all over and say you let one slip away or you didn’t give it everything you had for the one year,” the captain added. “You just don’t want to have any – regrets isn’t the right word, but you want to take advantage of every opportunity that you have. It’s a privilege. Understand that it’s an honor to be able to play in this league, so take advantage of it.”
NY Rangers projected lineup: Game 1 at Buffalo Sabres
When: Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.
Where: KeyBank Center in Buffalo
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) ⋄ Tyler Pitlick (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: F Jimmy Vesey and D Zac Jones
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: NY Rangers projected lineup for opening night in Buffalo
