Rangers still wrapping their heads around Mike Sullivan’s offense

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Rangers have not yet mastered the style of play they are working to implement as part of a new identity under head coach Mike Sullivan, but how could they in just 11 games?

When it’s as physically demanding and systematically detailed as it appears to be, the consistency may be a difficult element to nail down in the early days. Considering just how different Sullivan’s idea of a team game is compared to how they’ve played in the past, the Rangers are clearly in a discovery period as they learn to balance their commitment to both sides of the puck. 

“When we have a semblance of structure and a team game away from the puck, I think we’re a whole lot harder to play against,” Sullivan said Wednesday after practice at Rogers Place. “We cut not only the quantity of chances down, but the quality. And we think we’ve got two pretty solid goaltenders that are going to make some saves for us. That, by nature, is going to give us an opportunity to be in every game we play. And then we can have the ability to create offense through our defense. I still think there’s another level to our offensive game. I think we’ve generated, as I’ve said, we’ve generated a number of scoring chances. It’s not that we’re not getting looks. We had a number of looks last night again. 

“Bread [Artemi Panarin], for example, had three grade-A looks. He had two on the power play, and then he had one five-on-five when he was all alone at the net front. I mean, if he continues, get looks like that, I have to believe they’re gonna go in the net. Mika [Zibanejad] scores a great goal. We had a number of deflection opportunities. JT [Miller] was all around the blue paint.” 

Win or lose, the Rangers have limited opponents to two goals or less in six of their first 11 games. Between goalies Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick, opponents are always going to know what kind of challenge they’ll face in net when playing the Blueshirts. 

The low-scoring, low-event games the Rangers have found themselves in, however, reflect positively on the soundness of their defensive structure.