Blue Line Station
Fansided

It’s Christmas! Some gifts the Rangers could be wishing for

By Jake Mozarsky

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 06: Pavel Buchnevich #89 (l) of the New York Rangers celebrates his first period goal against the Philadelphia Flyers and is joined by Chris Kreider #20 (c) and Mika Zibanejad #93 (r) at Madison Square Garden on October 6, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 06: Pavel Buchnevich #89 (l) of the New York Rangers celebrates his first period goal against the Philadelphia Flyers and is joined by Chris Kreider #20 (c) and Mika Zibanejad #93 (r) at Madison Square Garden on October 6, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 8
Next
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 03: Brendan Lemieux #48, Jacob Trouba #8 and Brett Howden #21 of the New York Rangers celebrate a goal by Howden in the third period of their game against the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden on October 03, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 03: Brendan Lemieux #48, Jacob Trouba #8 and Brett Howden #21 of the New York Rangers celebrate a goal by Howden in the third period of their game against the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden on October 03, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

The fourth line

Brendan Lemieux and Brett Howden will get a small downgrade this upcoming season. Instead of Julien Gauthier, they will have either Kevin Rooney or another fill in at right wing, meaning they will have to be better in order for the fourth line to be strong. Rooney can also fill in on this team, but for now, the jury is out on him.

Brendan Lemieux: No suspensions

Lemieux known for doing the dirty work for the Rangers, a team that is otherwise “soft.” THE TEAM NEEDS HIM TO STAY ON THE ICE AND NOT DO ANYTHING STUPID, LEADING IN SUSPENSION. This will help beyond what fans expect.

Think about the first two games of the Carolina series. A minute in, Jesper Fast was taken out by a Brady Skjei check, and the tone was set for the entire series. These two games the team lacked toughness and was bullied all over the ice. New York needs Lemieux’s presence to be felt, especially against bigger teams such as the Bruins, Islanders and Flyers.

Brett Howden: A penalty kill presence

Howden has showed various things in his previous two years in the NHL, but his best is probably when he is on the penalty kill. He has an offensive side to his game but the Rangers are a fairly offensive team, and if Howden is good on the penalty kill with Mika Zibenejad, this will help the team give up less goals while shorthanded.

Kevin Rooney: A roster spot

Rooney was signed in the offseason to be a fourth liner and is expected to be on the team opening night. But, there are players such as Phil Di Giuseppe and Colin Blackwell who will also vie for roster spots. And, when Kravtsov comes over from Russia this spot will be occupied by Julien Gauthier.

Rooney will be important for this team in the fact that people get hurt, and Rooney will be needed not only at the beginning of the season but throughout it as well. He would much rather be on the ice than a healthy scratch.

Home/Editorials