Although it is only the preseason and the main New Jersey Devils players are in Czechia for the 2024 NHL Global Series, these back-to-back games, a Rangers road loss and Rangers home win, were still significant Hudson River rivalry matchups. The preseason and training camp help players, especially the younger or less NHL-experienced ones, develop and show off their skills. In light of that, here are some lessons that can be learned from the strengths and weaknesses during the back-to-back preseason Rangers vs. Devils games.
Weaknesses During Rangers 3-1 Loss On Monday To Devils
1. What the Two New Jersey Devils Goals in the First Period Had In Common
First Goal – Brian Halonen
In the time before the Devils first goal, we should applaud 22-year-old Blueshirts left-winger Brett Berard’s ability to view and read the play. From behind the net, he saw 29-year-old Devils centre Max Willman going for the puck near the bottom left of the right offensive zone faceoff circle. From there, Berard skated quickly towards Willman to get the puck.
This is where the weaknesses begin. Willman kept the puck away from Berard and sent his hard pass, from well behind the Devils blue line, all the way through the neutral zone. The three Rangers in the neutral zone were unable to intercept the pass. Brian Halonen, a 25-year-old left-winger, picked up the puck on the other blue line, and went on a breakaway. Despite being chased by young Blueshirts centre Adam Edstrom and defenceman Brandon Scanlin, Halonen scored a wrister to make the score 1-0 Devils.
Takeaway: it is important for the Rangers to read the play and watch for when one opposing player is near or can get near the Rangers blue line without any Rangers traffic in front of him in the defensive zone, as well as intercept hard passes from across the opposing blue line. If the Rangers traffic behind can’t skate and catch up to the opposing player on the breakaway, he may end up alone in the slot and score.
Second Goal – Nathan Legare
Subsequently, the second goals problems started with an offensive zone puck battle involving Devils defenceman Will MacKinnon and 21-year-old Rangers right-winger Jaroslav Chmelar. After the puck came loose, Devils left-winger Samuel Laberge picked it up along the boards. His hard pass, from a similar location to Willman’s previous assist, went past three Rangers before 23-year-old Devils right-winger Nathan Legare grabbed it near centre ice. Legare went on the breakaway, and despite Rangers blueliner Blake Hillman chasing him all the way to the crease, Legare scored a wrister.
Takeaway: defensive zone puck battles are obviously important to win, but this puck battle in the offensive zone was important too. Although Laberge made a hard pass, the Rangers closer to the opposing blue line and neutral zone should try to intercept and take passing opportunities away from opposing players who receive the puck after battles in the offensive zone. This is especially true if you have an opposing player like Legare who can read the play and move into the neutral zone in anticipation of a pass that would allow him a breakaway.
Halonen and Legare were the NHLs second and third stars of the game respectively.
Rangers Strengths During Mondays Rangers vs. Devils Matchup
Rangers Goal at the End
Finally, we had Rangers left-winger Anton Blidhs beautiful goal near the end of the third period. It’s difficult to know where to start when praising all these good plays. Rangers centre Bo Groulx passed the puck to left-winger Adam Erne in the neutral zone, who then passed it behind to Berard in the offensive zone. Berard fired a shot and Devils goaltender Jeremy Brodeur made the save. The rebound came right out to Blidh at the left offensive zone faceoff circle where he got the puck. There was a gap on the left side of the net that Brodeur attempted to block. But he couldn’t quite make the save, and Blidh put it home and denied Brodeur the shutout.
Jeremy Brodeur was the first star of Mondays game. He posted an outstanding .967 save percentage, 29 saves on 30 shots against, but just fell short of a shutout at the end.
Rangers Strengths During Tuesdays Rangers vs. Devils 5-4 Win
Kaapo Kakko‘s Opening Goal
We’ll applaud both young right-winger Kaapo Kakko and defenceman Zac Jones for this play. The 23-year-old Jones was able to read the play and see when the Devils goaltender may have a vision obstruction. When Jones was guarding the puck near the Devils blue line, the traffic in front of the net was thick. Two Rangers, able to tip in the shot, and two Devils, able to block it, were positioned in front of the Devils netminder. After Jones took the shot, Kakko was able to get a piece of it and tip the goal in to make the score 1-0 Rangers.
Takeaway: Zac Jones could read the play from a distance and predict:
- If a Ranger near the net could tip in the goal.
- The puck could go all the way through the traffic and the goalie would be unable to make the save due to obstructed vision.
Rangers Weaknesses During Tuesdays Rangers vs. Devils 5-4 Win
Kevin Labanc‘s Game-Tying Goal in the Second Period
Devils right-winger Kevin Labanc, a 28-year-old born in Brooklyn, fired a shot on star Rangers netminder and Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin, who made the save at the tip of the crease.
The two weaknesses to be addressed are:
- Blueshirts blueliners Chad Ruhwedel, 34, and Victor Mancini, 22, tried to get in the way of the initial shot but were far enough apart that Labanc still got the shot off.
- After Shesterkin made the initial save and skaters converged on the net, Shesty remained facing ahead at the front edge of the crease, which left a large gap behind him as Labanc went on the right-hand side of the crease. It was through that gap the puck went in the net, tying the game 2-2. Although Shesty turned to his left, which may have stopped the puck a split-second earlier, it was already in the net.
Shesty was, however, the better of the two Blueshirts goalies, posting an .889 save percentage (16 saves on 18 shots against), versus 22-year-old Victoria, B.C. native Dylan Garand. Both goalies allowed two goals, and Garand notched an .875 save percentage (14 saves on 16 shots against).
Main Photo: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
