{"id":433924,"date":"2023-11-07T08:30:16","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T13:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=433924"},"modified":"2023-11-06T19:10:23","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T00:10:23","slug":"rangers-report-card-whos-hot-and-whos-not-through-first-eleven-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023\/11\/07\/rangers-report-card-whos-hot-and-whos-not-through-first-eleven-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Rangers Report Card: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not Through First Eleven Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

The inaugural Rangers Report Card has arrived and through 11 games, most of the Blueshirts are scoring well so far. After a historic road trip through Seattle and Western Canada, momentum was at an all-time high for New York. A slugfest victory over Carolina<\/a> and a \u201cwild\u201d loss in Minnesota<\/a> have decided the finishing touches for the first Rangers Report Card.<\/p>\n

The New York Rangers Report Card Through Eleven Games<\/h2>\n

Some players are striving under pressure while others are not performing up to par. In a time where the \u201cnext man up\u201d mentality is ever-present, New York\u2019s depth needs to be on full display. With a busy rest of November still to come, New York needs to clean up their act and develop a better structure than the one we all saw in Minnesota on Saturday night. With a record of 8-2-1, I can report that there are way more positives than negatives. Here\u2019s a closer look at who is trending both upward and downward so far.<\/p>\n

Rangers Report Card: Who’s Hot?<\/h3>\n

If you were to tell me that the Rangers would be 8-2-1 through the first 11 games, I would have said that you were slightly crazy. The talent was present on the Opening Night roster, but we did not expect a sweep of a five-game road trip and multiple defensive masterclasses.<\/p>\n

The old Ranger identity night in and night out was simply to score more goals than the other team. Rarely did a Tom Renney or an Alain Vigneault<\/a>-led Blueshirts team defeat an opponent 2-1 on the backs of solid slot protection and a world-class penalty kill. These new-look Rangers are refreshing. Apart from only two games, they have been just a joy to watch.<\/p>\n

Starting the Rangers Report Card are three Blueshirts who have impressed many so far. The first is Artemi Panarin<\/a> who is simply a new man after his haircut. His 18 points (6G, 12A) in 11 games lead the team and he is on pace for a record-breaking season. Never have I seen a Ranger with such poise on the puck like Panarin. He makes everything, passes and shots, look so easy. Through the first month, you can tell that Peter Laviolette<\/a> and his staff are encouraging him to shoot the puck more frequently. Dare I say that it is paying off so far.<\/p>\n

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11-game point streak: activated. \ud83c\udf5e pic.twitter.com\/G7cK1Rcx9q<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 5, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n