Rangers’ Defensemen off to a Great Start

This season, Durzi and Pettersson have done a nice job on the Rangers’ second defense pair. Pettersson is strong defensively and rarely caught out of position. At 6-foot-4, he uses his size and reach to get into passing and shooting lanes, and he has been effective on the penalty kill.

Durzi is skilled and gives the Rangers a second defenseman who can consistently contribute offensively. He tied a career high in goals (9) and had a career high in assists (32) in 76 games with the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24, and he had five goals and 22 assists in 60 with the Utah Mammoth last season. He has already made some nice plays on New York’s second power-play unit and has a goal and an assist in five games.

The Rangers’ third pair of Smits and Braden Schneider has also played well, with Smits excelling defensively. He uses his size and strength to gain positioning, has an active stick, plays with physicality, and has made smart, safe plays with and without the puck.

A More Balanced Lineup

The Rangers have played Durzi and Pettersson against opponents’ top lines, and for the most part they have played well defensively. They have held on to the puck and made clean passes to start the rush rather than just dumping the puck out of the defensive zone. Both have also contributed on the penalty kill, and Fox has spent less time on the penalty kill than he did last season.

After averaging 23:38 in ice time per game last season, Fox is averaging 21:09 in ice time per game this season. The hope is that he will block fewer shots and take fewer hits now that he is spending less time on the penalty kill and that he can avoid wearing down as the season goes on.

Another key for the Rangers this season is that, rather than relying on one or two lines like they did last season, all four lines have contributed and been aggressive on the forecheck. Their forecheck and smart pinches from defensemen have helped keep the puck in the offensive zone. That has helped them protect one-goal leads, which they did in their 2-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 2 and in their 5-2 victory over the Islanders on Oct. 6.

The Rangers Need to Continue to Play This Way

Though it is still very early in the season, the Rangers are getting contributions from all four lines, and their new additions on defense are already making a difference. Fox and Gavrikov look excellent on the top pair, and Durzi, Pettersson, and Smits have all gotten off to a strong start in their first season with New York. The key will be maintaining this level of play throughout the season and continuing to get contributions from all four lines and all three defense pairs.