DETROIT -- It has been a little over a year since the Red Wings' next opponent, the New York Rangers (Thursday at Little Caesars Arena, 7:30 p.m. face-off), sent out a letter to their fanbase notifying them the organization was committed to retooling its roster with "young, competitive players that combine speed, skill and character."
Since the February 2018 letter, the Rangers have stood by their proclamation by being sellers at the last two trade deadlines, not pursuing high-end free agents during the offseason -- though they had significant cap space -- nor entertaining offers for any of their three first-round draft choices in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Up Next: New York Rangers
Rangers committed to rebuild, were sellers at the trade deadline
© Dave Reginek/Detroit Red Wings
By
Arthur J. Regner @ArthurJRegner / DetroitRedWings.com
The Rangers traded left wing Ryan Spooner to Edmonton for center Ryan Strome on Nov. 16 and at this year's trade deadline, New York parted ways with defenseman Adam McQuaid, forward Kevin Hayes and center Mats Zuccarello.
Rangers team president Glen Sather and general manager Jeff Gorton vowed they were going to create a new culture with a revamped cast wearing the Broadway Blues and they are well underway toward building the next generation of Rangers.
The Skinny:
Currently, the Rangers stand at 27-28-11, good for 65 points, which is seventh in the Metropolitan Division and 13th overall in the Eastern Conference. In the wild-card race, they stand seventh, trailing the Montreal Canadiens by 14 points for the second wild-card spot. The Rangers are averaging 2.8 goals per game, which is 22nd in the NHL. Their 3.3 goals-against average ranks 26th in the league. New York's power play is 15th in the NHL, converting at a 20.4-percent pace (38-of-186) and on the road, it's even better, checking in at eighth overall (18-of-82) for a success rate of 22 percent. The Rangers' penalty kill ranks near the bottom of the league. They've given up 46 power-play goals of the 208 times they've been shorthanded. Their 77.9-percent kill rate is 25th in the NHL. On the road, the Rangers' kill rate of 74.3 percent, 28 goals surrendered in 109 times they've been shorthanded, is 29th in the NHL. New York is 11-17-3 on the road this season. They are 0-2-3 in their last five games and 3-4-3 in their last 10. In one-goal games, the Rangers are 16-9-11.
The Last Time:
On Nov. 9, 2018, the Red Wings defeated the Rangers, 3-2, in overtime at Little Caesars Arena. The Wings trailed 2-0 heading into the third period but goals from Justin Abdelkader and Andreas Athanasiou sent the game into OT. Dylan Larkin scored the game-winner at 4:54 of overtime with Athanasiou and Mike Green drawing the assists. Second-period goals by defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Neal Pionk had given the Rangers the two-goal lead.
The Forward Corps:
After moving Zuccarello and Hayes, the Rangers are led up front by center Mika Zibanejad (27-36-63), left wing Chris Kreider (26-22-48), left wing Jimmy Vesey (16-18-34), right wing Pavel Buchnevich (13-13-26), center Vladislav Namestnikov (9-15-26) and Strome (11-11-22). Strome has points in eight of his last 11 games (4-5-9). In his 44 games with the Rangers, Strome has nine goals among 19 points. With an offense that averages a mere 2.8 goals per game, it's imperative for New York's young forward corps -- Filip Chytil, 19, Brett Howden, 20, and newly acquired Brendan Lemieux, 22, among others -- to take the next step or the rebuild could take much longer than anticipated.
The Blue Line:
New York's back end is getting younger, but still has a veteran presence. Tony DeAngelo, 23, (4-19-23), Pionk, 23, (5-16-21) and Brady Skjei, 24, (6-13-19), make up the nucleus of the Rangers' blue line future, while veterans Marc Staal (3-10-13) and Shattenkirk (2-20-22) provide New York with experienced depth. Former Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith, who has seen some time at forward this season, has nine points (2-7-9) in 45 games. He's minus-7 with an ice time average of 15:38.
The Net:
Even with Henrik Lundqvist in goal, the Rangers' goaltending numbers are mediocre. Lundqvist is 17-17-9 with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. Backup Alexander Georgiev is 10-11-2 with a 3.03 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and one shutout. Georgiev, 23, has come on lately. Before Tuesday's 1-0 loss in Dallas, the rookie was 4-2-2 in his last eight games with a goals-against average of 2.58 and a save percentage of .922. Against the Stars, he faced 32 shots, making 31 saves for a .969 save percentage.
The Burning Question:
Much like the Red Wings, the Rangers are still mathematically in the playoff chase, but it's very unlikely they'll be playing postseason hockey. Will New York's youngsters take full advantage of their opportunity to establish themselves as everyday NHL players as the season winds down or will they meekly play out the string?
The Series:
Thursday's meeting will be the 592nd clash between these Original Six rivals. The Red Wings lead the series, 268-214-103-6. In Detroit, the Wings are 172-77-45-2. On the road, Detroit is 96-137-58-4 versus the Rangers.
