3 keys to the Rangers beating the Devils (non-Shesterkin categories)

The NY Rangers and the NJ Devils kick off their first round series tonight in Newark, as the Battle of the Hudson is renewed for the first time in a decade. These teams will likely be meeting in the playoffs for years to come, and as scary as it sounds, this year’s version of the Devils may be the weakest we see in the coming years. The Rangers need a short series win, and there are 3 primary keys to the Rangers beating the Devils in a short series.

Before we begin, I am not taking the easy way out and listing Igor Shesterkin as one of the keys. That’s a given.

Key 1: Clog the neutral zone and take care of the puck

The theme of the previews this week has been rush chances. They are the Devils’ bread and butter, and it is how they generate so many high danger chances. In their 4 matchups this season, the Devils got an alarming 7.25 odd man rushes per 60 minutes at even strength. They got 21 shots per game off the rush.

This is a testament to how Lindy Ruff teams play the game. They are fast, they are aggressive, and they transition quickly. The difference between the Devils and the Rangers when Ruff was here is the Devils have the players to pull it off without sacrificing team defense.

The best way to counter rush teams is to be better with the puck on breakouts, zone exits, and through the neutral zone. Unfortunately this is a weakness of the Rangers, as they simply don’t have the puck movers on the blue line, aside from Adam Fox, to do this effectively.

In the playoffs, these rush chances usually start to disappear as teams start clogging the neutral zone and taking better care of the puck. This is how the Rangers will need to break the Devils system. Short, quick passes to break the aggressive 2-1-2 forecheck, followed by speed through the neutral zone on breakouts. Defensively, take away lanes in the neutral zone and force to the outside.

If the Rangers are able to cut off rush chances somewhat consistently, it forces them into a dump and chase game. The Rangers are a top puck retrieval team, which plays to their strengths.

Key 2: Convert on the powerplay

This goes without saying, but the powerplay is going to make a difference in this series. The first round is usually called a little tighter than other rounds, although that is just my own –likely biased– viewpoint. More calls means more chances for a strong Rangers powerplay.

If the Rangers powerplay can get hot, it will cover for any 5v5 issues the Rangers may encounter. Remember, the Rangers simply need to tread water at 5v5, especially given how good the Devils have been at even strength, but that only matters if the powerplay is converting. The Devils have a strong penalty kill, so this is easier said than done.

A strong powerplay with decent enough 5v5 play gives the Rangers the advantage. A weak powerplay no longer gives them that advantage, and shifts the focus to the even strength play. That would favor the Devils.

The Rangers don’t need to be perfect, but timely powerplay goals will matter.

Key 3: Offensive zone time

Hockey is a complicated game with very simple strategies sometimes. Another way for the Rangers to stifle the offensive firepower of the Devils is to simply keep their weapons pinned in the defensive zone. “Simply” is loosely defined here, as it is far easier said than done, especially with how good the Devils are.

The advantage the Rangers have is their bottom-six. The Kid Line specifically is very good on the cycle, generating high quality chances off the cycle with extended zone time. If there’s an x-factor, they are it.

As long as the current fourth line stays intact, meaning no injuries to the forwards, then the Rangers have another grinding and cycling line. They may not score much, but simply playing in the offensive zone is more than enough for their role.

The weakness for the Rangers would be the Artemi Panarin line. Neither Panarin nor Tarasenko are noted play drivers, and they really don’t need to be given how good they are, especially Panarin. However a team like the Devils can exploit this and keep them pinned in their own end. I’d expect the Devils to match up accordingly.