The New York Rangers may be the kings of the Metropolitan Division through 37 games, but that doesn't mean their game has been flawless.
Tarrytown, NY -- The New York Rangers may be the kings of the Metropolitan Division through 37 games, but that doesn't mean their game has been flawless.
While special teams certainly played a factor in their 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, one weakness in the Rangers' game came back to the forefront.
For a team that has offensive capabilities, scoring 3.38 goals per game this season, they have scored just 75 goals at 5-on-5, which ranks 22nd in the NHL.
Only the Washington Capitals have fewer goals at 5-on-5 in the Metropolitan Division.
To put things in perspective, the Rangers scored 83 goals at 5-on-5 through 37 games last season, which ranked 13th.
Although finishing is undoubtedly part of the problem, what's limited the Rangers' ability to score more at five aside is their lack of offensive zone time, which stems from a transitioning problem.
The Hockey News caught up with the critical transitioners of the Rangers to get their thoughts on what's gone wrong and how to correct this issue to stay atop the Metro.
"They [Hurricanes] did a good job of forechecking... it seemed like we were turning a lot over in the neutral zone, and they were coming back at us," Ryan Lindgren said. "They came at us hard, and they did a good job of locking us up toward the end of the game, and we had a tough time getting speed and carrying the puck into the zone."
"Teams have been coming at us hard in our d-zone." K'Andre Miller told THN. "The last couple of games have been two guys hard on our defense, which doesn't give us a lot of time or space. If you are not prepared for that, it can bite you."
Miller and Lindgren are the two left defenders in the Rangers top four that have not changed since 2021. Adam Fox is an intelligent player, but that doesn't mean Lindgren is not just as responsible for exits on his end.
Miller has more offensive fluidity than Jacob Trouba, but he is the younger of the two, and at 22 years old, he is already seasoned against the best forecheckers in the NHL.
"It's a matter of breaking down coverage and recognizing what's opening and playing quicker," Miller said on improving on breakouts. "Sometimes the easier play is the chip off and chase or laying it into an area to get back on it. This league is so good that direct passes are hard to get through."
Lindgren echoed the simpler approach, "It definitely helps the offense to carry it into the middle, but you have to be smart and chip it in when it's time to."
"Trying to get those passes through as clean as you can like exiting the zone and getting through the neutral zone," Miller said. "It sounds like an easy recipe, but we've had a little bit of difficulty with it, so we've been practicing it the last few days."
Stefen Rosner contributed to this column.