There’s no place like road.
Coming off their latest uninspired effort at home, the Rangers (10-8-2) — who have won just one of nine games this season at Madison Square Garden — return to the cozy confines of hotel rooms and charter flights, carrying a six-game road win streak into a three-game western swing, beginning Tuesday in Las Vegas (8-4-6), then following with visits to Colorado (13-1-5) and Utah (10-7-1).
On paper, the slate gives off the appearance of one of the season’s tougher weeks, but logic isn’t welcome in any locker room occupied by the Rangers, who sport the league’s worst mark at home and the league’s best record on the road (9-1-1).
“We gotta keep doing our thing on the road,” defenseman Adam Fox said after Sunday’s 2-1 home loss to the Red Wings. “[It’s a] big trip, three really good teams. You want to stop losses at one and get back to winning.”
Mika Zibanejad controls the puck while on the power play during the Rangers’ Nov. 7 game against the Red Wings. NHLI via Getty Images
The team can be confident in the support between the pipes, with the elite tandem of former Vezina (Igor Shesterkin) and Conn Smythe (Jonathan Quick) winners combining to give the Rangers the league’s second-best GAA (2.45), entering Monday.
Though the offense has been abysmal at the Garden, averaging 1.4 goals per game, it has found rhythm almost anywhere else, scoring 3.45 goals per game on the road, partly fueled by the recent awakening of the Rangers power play.
Since going 0-for-12 with the man advantage in a five-game stretch, the Rangers have scored at least one power-play goal in five of their past six games, including the past four, in which they converted 4-of-9 opportunities.
Artemi Panarin tries to control the puck during the Rangers’ Nov. 12 game against the Lightning. AP
“It’s funny, we were talking about that our power play doesn’t look as good as it did when we weren’t scoring and here we are,” said Rangers assistant David Quinn who served as co-head coach in Mike Sullivan’s absence on Sunday. “One of things, obviously, we’ve been more opportunistic. We were dead last in the league. We were talking amongst ourselves — not only from a coaching standpoint but talking with the players — and there was a high level of frustration from the players’ standpoint because they felt like we were doing a lot of good things. To the eye test, our power play looked good, but we just weren’t scoring goals.
“Now we’re getting goals — I’m not saying we don’t look good at times — but we haven’t been as consistent on it. When we create chances and when we score, there’s a pace and a tempo to our game. We have a little bit of a 5-on-5 mentality, and when we’ve been generating offense and scoring goals on the power play, that’s what our approach has been. We’re taking advantage of the chances we’re getting and that’s the biggest thing.”
Quinn, the former Rangers head coach (2018-21), and assistant coach Joe Sacco, could split the lead duties again in Las Vegas.
Read the expert take on the Blueshirts
Sign up for Inside the Rangers, a weekly Sports+ exclusive.
Thank you
Sullivan was a late scratch on Sunday due to a family matter and it is unclear when he will rejoin the team.
“It’s different,” Fox said of the dynamic without Sullivan. “I don’t think we’re gonna use that as an excuse. We’re gonna hope for the best with him. It’s an excuse that we could use, but obviously it doesn’t help when you’re missing your head coach.”