Last season the New York Rangers were an easy team to play against. They hemorrhaged shots against at an alarming rate. They ranked third worst in shots allowed on goal with 2,382 in 70 games, averaging 34 shots allowed per game. They additionally ranked last in the league by allowing 4,402 shot attempts, nearly 63 per game on average. However, worst of all, Rangers goaltenders faced a league high 928 high danger chances against, leading to 674 high danger shots against.
That the New York Rangers were in the playoff mix when the season was paused is a testament to their goaltenders and to how prolific their offense was. Rangers net minders recorded an .908% save percentage to rank 11th in the league. Yet, due to the consistent onslaught they faced, still surrendered the eight most goals against (220). The offense was fortunately up to the challenge scoring 233 goals, fifth best in the league, giving the team a +13 goal differential on the season.
Are the New York Rangers tougher to play against?
The Rangers followed up their defensively abysmal regular season with an equally abysmal exit from the Stanley Cup Qualifier. Dispatched handily in three games by the Carolina Hurricanes, the Rangers rebuild was in need of change. This led General Manager Jeff Gorton to say that the team needs “to be harder to play against”. Despite games like their 4-0 loss Boston, has his work this off season accomplished this?
That answer depends on who you ask. Many believe that being tougher to play against means being tougher. That the team needed to bring in a Wayne Simmonds or Ryan Reaves type player, a modern day enforcer. There were calls for the team to approach Matt Martin who re-signed with the New York Islanders just before the new season started. While these types of players would undoubtedly make the team tougher in terms of brute strength, would it have made the team tougher to play against?
Jeff Gorton had a different agenda. The team let Jesper Fast, their most accomplished defensive forward, walk via free agency. They signed several low key depth players to short term contracts and retained all of their key restricted free agents. However, most importantly, the Rangers acquired the services of Jacques Martin to replace Lindy Ruff as the teams defense coach.
The defensive structure that has been implemented this season has provided a remarkable turnaround. Through the first 24 games of the season the team has reduced the overall shot attempts against by nearly 8 attempts to 55.58 per game, ranking 13th in the league. The Rangers sit at eighth best in the league, surrendering only 702 shots over their 24 games, reducing their game average to 29.25.
The team now ranks 15th best in high danger chances given up, with the goalies now facing less than eight high danger shots per game. All together this accounts for the Rangers having given up only 66 goals on the season, eighth fewest in the league. In addition, the Rangers now also boast the second best penalty kill in the league.
So, has Jeff Gorton delivered to make the New York Rangers a tougher team to play against?
Yes.