New York Rangers

Matchmaker, matchmaker, find me a find, catch me a catch..
March 20, 2017, 7:59 AM ET [83 Comments]
Jan Levine
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Matchmaker, matchmaker, find me a find, catch me a catch. While that song was In Fiddler on the Roof, it almost can apply to the New York Rangers. On one hand, it's knowing who the Blueshirts will play in the playoffs. On the other and more important, who skates with whom, especially on the blue line but also lately, the forward trios.

Coaching like to breaking the season into blocks of games in five of 10 game increments. With 10 games left, either strategy works. The Rangers are seven points from clinching a Wild Card spot and 10 from the locking up the top Wild Card and seventh seed in the East. Go for example, 3-1-1 in the next five and the Wild Card is theirs. Even 5-5 in next 10 and it's the seventh seed. What that allows is flexibility and creativity by the coaching staff.

Coach Alain Vigneault likes putting combinations into the blender and seeing what comes out. As I wrote yesterday, During Saturday's game, after Mika Zibanejad came on to the take draw that lad to Brady Skjei's goal, AV kept him on the line with Kreider and Zucc, moving Derek Stepan to between Rick Nash and J.T. Miller. If experimenting, why kept those trios together Tuesday against New Jersey? The big experiment was the creation of the Kid Line, as the NY Daily News tagged it today, of Jimmy Vesey-Oscar Lindberg-Pavel Buchnevich.

That trio is clearly not your typical fourth line but they being an element others lack; offensive skill and speed. As I wrote a few times, personally, I think Jesper Fast is better suited for the fourth line with either Vesey or Buchnevich on the second line, allowing Miller to slide back to play with Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner. It's on Vesey or Buchnevich to show that they deserve a top-six placement, which would really balance out the lines. But for now and until that occurs, go with the Kid Line and see whether there is some consistent magic there.

The Blue Seat blog wrote today: "The Rangers will have a date with either Ottawa or Montreal in the first round. Currently the Habs’ third pair is Nathan Beaulieu-Jordie Benn. For the Sens it’s Mark Borowiecki-Chris Wideman. Close your eyes for a second. Picture Buchnevich shredding either of those pairs and dishing to Vesey in front of the net for a goal. Now picture Tanner Glass attempting to do the same thing." Now, I am not about to throw shade on Glass because he has done what he was asked to do following his promotion and then some, but the disparity in offensive talent between him and the aforementioned duo is tangible. But it's up to Vesey and Buchnevich to show they belong in the lineup over Glass.

On the blueline is where it will get very interesting and the mad scientist in AV may need to come out. When looking at the overall blueline, I think we all would agree that Ryan McDonagh and Skjei are the top-two d-men. Brendan Smith could be third, though as Larry Brooks points out, he seems to be picking up the bad habit of going down rather than staying on his feet from his teammates. After that, how would you rank them?

Is Marc Staal over his mid-season swoon? Does he belong on the left or right of McDonagh? What about Nick Holden? Was his slump due to he and Staal struggling at the same time? Did each of them cause the other to struggle? Is Holden better suited to play with Smith? When Dan Girardi returns from his ankle injury, where does he slot? Is he back on the top line or does he play third line sheltered minutes and on the penalty kill? Does Kevin Klein get another chance once his back spasms fully subside or is he the seventh or eighth d-man? Whither Adam Clendening? Is he out of AV's dog house? Can you live with his defensive lapses knowing he is one of best puck-moving and zone exiting d-men on the team, especially when paired with Skjei? Has Steven Kampfer shown enough to move up the pecking order? If so, what number is he?

The Rangers will have nine healthy defensemen soon. AV's job over the next 10 games or so is to figure out which ones should play. But almost as important, who should play with whom. To me, here is how I might go:

Staal-McDonagh, Smith-Clendening and Skjei-Girardi.

G needs to play sheltered third pair minutes but I could see reuniting him and McD if the other combinations don't pan out. Clendening's ability to move the puck will be needed and pairing him with Smith helps ballast his d-zone issues. Skjei could be on the top line but playing G allows him to rush the puck. Now, the better move may be to have him with Clendening and G or Staal with McD. Klein is the eighth or ninth d-man, same with Kampfer. Holden hasn't been the same since his hot start. But I could see him in for Clendening. But play him with Smith or Skjei, not Staal.

AV, use the next 10 games wisely to determine these answers before the "real" season starts.