After a Presidents’ Trophy-winning 2024 season and finishing two wins shy of a conference championship, the New York Rangers were expected to be Stanley Cup contenders this season.
Following a business-as-usual 12-4-1 start, the Rangers went on a catastrophic run from mid-November to December, going 4-15-0 and dropping like a stone towards the bottom of the league.
However, New York has gone 5-1-2 since the calendar flipped, including wins over Las Vegas and New Jersey.
New year, new Rangers?
Coach Peter Laviolette has changed the team’s defensive alignment, returning to the 1-3-1 that served the team well last season. That said, no structure works without application, and after six weeks spent moping about the loss of locker room leaders Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba, the team seems to have rediscovered their verve.
New York’s engagement on the forecheck and high pressing over the past few weeks is in direct contrast to their passiveness through December. An improved defense flows up and down the ice, supporting the Rangers’ all-world goalies while giving the forwards better opportunities on the rush or when cycling the puck.
The Rangers’ fourth line — Sam Carrick, Adam Edstrom and currently Matt Rempe, though Rempe’s spot does tend to be rotated — have been a bellwether for New York. The trio are relentless on the forecheck. Edstrom and Rempe are giants who force the opposition to move the puck a shade quicker than is ideal when they approach a battle in the corner. Carrick (6-foot, 200 lbs.) plays bigger than his size.
Carrick has recently seen an uptick in ice time, earning time on the penalty kill and overtime units. Never a prolific scorer, he has five points in his last four outings now that he’s seeing the ice with better players. He scored the OT winner against the Devils, had a pair of assists against Utah and was involved in both goals against Colorado, including a short-handed tally where he skated away from (checks notes) Cale Makar.
