The New York Rangers spent this offseason trying to build a playoff-caliber roster. While they did lose some of their forwards, they set their focus on bolstering their defense. The Rangers' biggest moves was trading for Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, who would make up their second defensive pairing duo behind Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov.
While the two got off to a strong start, they have entered a slump as a defensive pairing. That was evident in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. After giving up two early goals, head coach Mike Sullivan opted to split Durzi and Pettersson up as a duo. Durzi paired up alongside rookie and this year's first-round pick Alberts Smits, while Pettersson was paired with Braden Schneider.
Now, the Rangers are on a break until their next game on Sunday against the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers. Once they return, it sounds like the Durzi and Pettersson pairing might be split up moving forward.
Mike Sullivan hints Sean Durzi, Marcus Pettersson split could continue after Rangers' break
While speaking with reporters, Sullivan addressed his decision to split up Durzi and Pettersson in their game against the Kings. Sullivan said he opted to do that because they struggled in not only that game, but also in the "past few games." Sullivan cracked the door open for the split to continue once they return from break.
"We might experiment other looks, but we're having those discussions right now. I haven't made decisions yet on that," said Sullivan, h/t SNY.
This isn't what Rangers fans expected out of the duo. Durzi is a bit banged up, so that is a cause for some of his struggles. However, considering the Rangers gave up, essentially, Vincent Trocheck and a 2030 conditional first round pick for the duo, they're not getting the full value early on this season.
Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson have struggled this season after strong start
Sure, the Rangers' goaltending has been under the most scrutiny, considering Dylan Garand's play has dipped as he started seven games in a row before getting brief rest in the Kings game until he needed to relieve James Reimer. But the defense has struggled to keep the opposing offenses at bay.
There was the Toronto Maple Leafs game where every time the Rangers tied the game up, they instantly surrendered the lead in the 5-4 loss. Then there was the game against the Ottawa Senators, where the Rangers had no chance of keeping up with and holding back their high-powered offense.
As The Athletic's Vince Mercogliano points out, the Durzi-Pettersson duo has an expected goals for percentage of 44.1, which ranks as 18th-worst in the league, according to MoneyPuck. While Mercogliano mentions that the quality of competition that the duo faced will undoubtedly affect that percentage, he brings up the biggest point, and that's the duo allowed seven goals in the Rangers' last six games. That's not great for a second pairing defensive duo.
Once they return from the break, the Rangers will have the unenviable task of trying to slow down the Oilers offense, which is averaging an absurd 4.25 goals per game, the best in the NHL. Not to mention, they have Connor McDavid, the Rangers' dream trade/free agency target, has 34 points to his credit through 12 games. Yes, you read that correctly.
Rangers fans will find out what Sullivan's plan is for the defense. Will Durzi and Pettersson continue to be split up? Could Smits get an increase in playing time? Either way, Sullivan is trying to find some sort of solution to the team's struggles.
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