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New York Rangers Defense Might Be Starting To Feel Their Age

By Jay Travers

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Before last night’s 4-1 victory last night, New York Rangers‘ head coach Alain Vigneault made a seemingly crazy, yet smart, move.

Switching out the top two defensive pairings the Rangers have had over the past couple of seasons seemed like a recipe for disaster.

However, pairing Dan Girardi with Keith Yandle and Ryan McDonagh with Kevin Klein ended up working like a charm.

But, does this mean that some of the Rangers defense is getting old?

As a group, no. But as individuals, yes.

First, Girardi is 31-years- old. Yes, this is old. However, Klein is just as old, and was put into that top two spot last night. He has been more sound on both sides of the puck.

This is all coming with the motions of a new season.

When was the last time you saw the Rangers’ defense come out of the gates and hit the ground running? The season is still young, and everything will fall into place.

The Rangers’ defense is not the youngest by a long-stretch, but it is workable.

Dan Boyle is the one that fans should be worried about, if age is a factor in this team’s success at the blue line and defensive zone.

At 39-years-old, Boyle is an becoming difficult to watch. Last night, he had a good rush up the ice and pinched down at certain times. Afterwards, Boyle appeared tired and quickly got off the ice for a substitution.

New York Rangers
New York Rangers /

New York Rangers

But, Boyle’s downfall is his not-so-good defense as of late.

This includes some brutal turnovers, ill-advised passes, and difficult defensive play in man-to-man situations. Boyle also possess six penalty minutes, which is not bad for a defenseman. However, he has had to take some unnecessary penalties because of some bad turnovers, which may have lead to an offensive play by the opposition.

This season, the best offensive producer from the back end has been Keith Yandle. He has five points including a goal against his former team, the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.

Read More About Yandle This Season: Rangers Defenseman Poised For a Breakout Year

Behind him is Marc Staal, with three points. Team captain McDonagh has yet to register a point in eight games played so far.

McDonagh, Staal, and Girardi the longest tenured defensemen on the team, have been with the organization since 2012.

However, they might be starting to show some signs of age. But, this does not have to be viewed as a bad thing.

All-in-all, the Rangers will be fine from the back end. There has not been the offense that was thought to be there, but it is coming. Last night was a statement game proving the Rangers could fight back from being down by a goal.

The Rangers defense, however, will be a critical part in any success during the season. If needed, there will be moves made.

But for right now, the defense corps remains solid.

Next: New York Rangers Keith Yandle Scores, Fans Enjoy Duclair Trade for a Second

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