NEW YORK – In their first meeting against the New Jersey Devils since last spring’s playoff decider, the Rangers dropped a 3-2 preseason result Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Igor Shesterkin was the best player on the ice for the Blueshirts, stopping 20 of the 21 shots he faced in two periods of action. He made some brilliant saves early on while the rest of the team looked a little behind.
Will Cuylle:The prospect positions himself as the next man up
But goaltending is one of the safest things on this list. Here are three takeaways about some pending decisions and people trying to make a good impression:
The top line remains a work in progress
Thursday represented the first preseason game for Mika Zibanejad, who was removed from Sunday’s intrasquad scrimmage with a minor upper-body injury but returned to practice the next day. The Blueshirts’ No. 1 center said they were “very careful,” while joking, “I’m 30 now.”
Getting him back so quickly was an encouraging sign, but the rust was evident. Zibanejad almost predicted it before the match when he said: “It will be a bit of a shock to the system.” He was the only Ranger to finish minus-2 and missed most of his six shot attempts, although he won 65 percent (13 for 20) of his faceoffs.
His reply wasn’t much better.
For the first week of training camp, it appears Peter Laviolette’s preferred first line is Zibanejad, Chris Krieder and Alexis Lafreniere. Before the game, the head coach praised what he saw from Lafrenière as he made the transition from left wing to right wing.
“Really responsive, really easy to talk to, really easy to coach,” Laviolette said of the 21-year-old. “He didn’t come in and say, ‘Honestly, I can’t figure out how to get out on the right wing.’ “I don’t think it really affects him that much. And I think the more he does it, the more he sticks with it, it’s an opportunity to potentially play in the top six.”
He added: “This line is up for a reason (Thursday), to take a look.”
The look was disappointing, with this trio being outscored, 5-1, according to Natural Stat Trick, while failing to generate any high-danger scoring chances.
“I thought the second (period) went well; there was a bit of inconsistency in the first and third,” Laviolette said of that trio. “But it was Zibanejad’s first game and he didn’t get the reps in practice that you probably would like. So, it’s a step, and we’ll look to bring them back and see what they can do.”
It will be interesting to see if Laviolette keeps these three players together in the coming days and gives them time to work out the kinks, or if he pivots to other top-tier combinations. He tried Zibanejad with Artemi Panarin and Blake Wheeler earlier in camp, while Kaapo Kakko had success last year playing with Kreider and Zibanejad.
They have two weeks of camp left to evaluate their options and make a decision.
Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller take a look
Laviolette also said he wants to try different defensive pairings, rather than relying on what we’ve seen in recent years.
That led to an exciting Miller-Fox pairing on Thursday, which intrigues the coach because “their offensive potential is really high.” That didn’t come to fruition in this game, however, with the Rangers being outscored, 8-3, while on the ice together at five-on-five and struggling to put together many threatening possessions. This duo combined for a single shot on goal.
“In the second half, I thought we were good, and then there are some things you wish you could change or do differently and come back,” Laviolette said. “But again, it was a first look for me and for them. And so, there’s good and bad in both.”
The reasonable conclusion is that they will start the season with their usual Fox pairings with Ryan Lindgren and Miller with Jacob Trouba, but Laviolette indicated he wants the option to change when the situation demands it.
“That’s what preseason is for,” Fox said. “You mix and match, you see what works and what doesn’t, and you kind of get your legs back. This is our second game in a few months. I’ve been with Key on the same team and I I’ve seen enough, but obviously being there is a little different and learning their habits.
Cuylle and Othmann continue to impress
While the top line and top D had inconsistent nights, a few prospects who are on the cusp of NHL opportunities continued to impress.
Both Brennan Othmann and Will Cuylle landed on the scoresheet. The former scored the Rangers’ second and final goal – a quick shot from the right circle after Erik Gustafsson missed a puck and broke his stick – while the latter added an assist on Gustafsson’s goal earlier in the game . But it wasn’t just the points that stood out for these two promising young attackers.
Othmann stood out on the forecheck and made a few one-on-one defensive plays, including a first-period takedown that led to a two-on-one rush and a few scoring chances for the Rangers. He finished with six shot attempts (three on goal) and three hits in 14:48 on ice.
Cuylle showed off his strength and physicality with three hits, including one along the boards in the second period that sent Devils defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon to the ice. He also had six shot attempts, including one that hit the post in the second period, as well as three shots on goal in 14:39 TOI. He also made an appearance on the penalty kill as he continues to show improvement in his overall game.
Both remain relatively distant from making the NHL roster out of camp and will likely start the new season with AHL Hartford, but neither seems out of place. They generated offense, played with advantage and hustled in all areas.
The more they accumulate these encouraging performances, the sooner their chances could present themselves.
“I thought they were both pretty strong in their game,” Laviolette said. “Those guys were good. I noticed them quite a bit. Othmann had a good jumper. He had a few chances to score. Cuylle, I thought, got better as the game went on.”
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Learn more about his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.