On Friday night, the Baby Blueshirts clinched a victory against a similarly youthful Blackhawks team at Madison Square Garden.
Drew Fortescue made his debut in the NHL during a decisive 6-1 win over Chicago, contributing to the growing number of rookies on the Blueshirt roster, which now stands at six as the team undergoes a significant evaluation period.
The matchup featured plenty of fresh talent on the ice, with both the Rangers and Blackhawks holding the positions of the second and third least successful teams in the NHL prior to the game.
Fortescue’s inexperience was overshadowed by a standout performance.
He scored his first goal and collected two assists in his opening game. Adam Sykora also made a mark, netting his first NHL goal in front of the Garden crowd.
Goaltender Dylan Garland achieved his first NHL win, making 28 saves, while Matthew Robertson scored his fifth career goal during his ongoing streak.
Meanwhile, Jaroslav Cimmerar persistently pursued his first assist, which came from a goal by Johnny Brodzinski in the second period.
This victory allowed the Rangers to break a season-high losing streak of six games. With many young players in the mix, the team has seen a variety of lineup changes lately.
Braden Schneider and Will Borgen warmed up together as a defensive pairing, but head coach Mike Sullivan opted to keep them apart during gameplay, a strategy that followed some concerns raised after the last match in Toronto where two right-handed defensemen were removed early.
Borgen mostly partnered with Robertson, while Schneider worked shifts with Fortescue. They still collaborated during penalty kills, yet it’s evident that Sullivan isn’t fully confident in their synergy.
Sullivan is weighing his options for the defense, especially as Urho Vaakanainen remains sidelined due to an upper-body injury. The drop in performance has been noticeable beyond the first defensive pair of Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov.
Nick Lardis initiated an attack off a feed from Tyler Bertuzzi, with both Robertson and Borgen present. The Rangers leveled the score when JT Miller scored following a setup by Connor Sheary, who has recently found his rhythm offensively with three goals and two assists in the last ten games, after a slow start this season.
Despite not scoring, Sullivan continues to commend Sheary’s contributions on the ice, raising questions about his place in the current roster as the team pivots to younger talent.
Many players from AHL Hartford are certainly getting their chances with the Rangers this season, which Sullivan highlighted when discussing Sheary’s position on the team.
There’s an ongoing debate about whether Sheary is inhibiting opportunities for younger players like Carrie Terrence or Brody Lamb. Even Adam Edstrom, who is secured under contract through next season, was taken out of the lineup to accommodate Sykora.
Brett Berard is still recovering from an upper-body injury after playing 13 NHL games this season.
Sheary transitioned from a professional tryout to a one-year contract at the beginning of the season. At 33 years old, he likely isn’t a part of the Rangers’ future plans. Nevertheless, Sullivan remains committed to winning and views Sheary as a key player in achieving that goal.
This situation reflects more on the Rangers’ present prospects than it does on Sullivan’s coaching approach.
