The preseason is finally over, the last year with six games. Perhaps when the matches are important on Tuesday, the Rangers will also make full effort. A 2-3-1 record in the preseason reflects their efforts. When they were on, they looked great. When they lost It was for shameful reasons. There are many difficult decisions in the coming days that will probably not make much of the fan base happy for the opening evening, but at least things are not permanent from Game One from a schedule position.
One of those difficult decisions is something to do with Noah Laba. If you are noticed in the preseason and you will be noticed and rewarded with a schedule, Laba did exactly that with 6 points in 6 preseason games. He is not yet a point per game player (still?), But I think he is a better option at 3C than Juuso parsinen, who was up and down the entire preseason.
Laba in a small monster proved that he has the start of a good two -way center. He can score and make plays and is not slow on defense. Not many 22 -year -olds have that kind of defensive instinct of the Hop and Laba looks like he can handle it. There is still a chance that he will not break the camp with the Rangers, because they find out how they can manage some other players, but if that happens, he will be back in a short order.
There will be some growth pains with the schedule while adapting to a completely different type of coach and system. Expect a bit of a rough start, similar to what the Rangers 2013-2014 looked under Alain Vigneault before everything clicked. The first 10-15 games under Sullivan can sometimes become ugly, so patience is the key.
In these lines, there were many questionable plays in the course of the preseason by a defense group that wonders me whether GM Chris Drury will add different staff in the course of this season. Adam Fox, Vlad Gavrikov, and Will Borgen seem to adjust the best in the beginning, but Carson Soucy, Urho oftenaananen and roasts Schneider – back of injury – watch as if they are defensive to start the season.
From a purely hockey position I am curious how Artemi Panarin looks like when the season starts on Tuesday. He did not play in one of the presidential games due to injury and usually only skated in addition to a few exercises with the team. Is a slow start a possibility because he could not shake the rust before the regular season? He is an incredible talent and that talent can buy him time if he adapts to the Sullivan system.
The same can be frankly for JT Miller. He played for Sullivan on 4 nations and got a goal in his one preseason -but the mystery surrounding his injury still makes me wonder how he will look out of the gate.
I am strengthened for a regular seasonal hockey. The Rangers should be better this year, the bar is on the floor, but even if they are not Gavin McKenna, could be a nice comfort prize.
#Rangers #Summary #wrap #preseason