The more things change, the less things change.
This sums up perhaps the most dramatic difference between the way Gerard Gallant ran the bench as head coach last season and the way Peter Laviolette ran the bench this year.
Through the first 35 games of 2022-23, during which the Blueshirts posted a 19-11-5 record, Gallant employed 41 different line combinations as his starting unit. Mika Zibanejad skated between six sets of wingers, while Vincent Trocheck and Filip Sitil each had 10 different sets of wingers. The club used three different centers and 15 different four-line combinations.
Meanwhile, Laviolette has used a total of 16 different line combinations as his starting unit over the first 35 games as the team sits at 25-9-1. Zibanejad has been skating with a trio of wingers: Trocheck and two wingers. Chytil skated on the first line in 10 games before being sidelined on November 2nd. The fourth column has remained unbroken since Shitil left the field.
Live the difference.
Been there, done that
Tyler Motte is a good player, but he wasn't very effective in the second round of the playoffs against the Rangers.
If you want to say that few other players were effective against the Devils last spring, you'd be right, but that's not my point here.
The Blueshirts acquired Mott on loan from Vancouver as a fourth-round pick for the 2022 season. After then signing a one-year deal with the Senators as a free agent, general manager Chris Drury re-acquired him on loan from Ottawa ahead of the 2023 deadline to acquire seventh-rounder and Julien Gauthier.
Mott played well in the 2022 tournament, competing almost evenly with Kevin Looney, Barclay Goodrow, and Ryan Reaves. He didn't play very well in the first round in 2023, when he was on a unit with Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey.
But now, the winger, who has signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay for a Ranger-record $800,000, will likely be available at the deadline for a third consecutive year. The Blueshirts have never traded the same player three times in franchise history, much less at three consecutive trade deadlines.
Mike Richter rights were transferred to San Jose in 2002, Brian Leitch rights were transferred to Vancouver in 2003, Mike Richter rights were transferred to Edmonton in 2002 before Brian Leitch rights were transferred to Vancouver in 2003. Excluding paper trades involving pending free agents sent to the NBA, only one player has been acquired three times. By organization.
That would be Esa Tikkanen.
Tikkanen was first acquired by the Oilers on loan in 1993 in exchange for Doug Weight. Tikkanen, who helped the team win the Cup in 1994, was traded to St. Louis the following summer for Petr Nedved as part of the Mike Keenan debacle.
He returned before the 1997 deadline, was acquired from Vancouver along with Russ Courtnall in place of Sergei Nemchinov and Brian Noonan, and played in a memorable overtime game against Florida in both Game 3 and the final at the Garden. While scoring the winning goal, they played well to advance to the conference finals. 5th place in Miami. Yes, the Panthers used to play hockey in Miami.
Tikkanen returned for a third time as a free agent during a training camp tryout in 1998. Tikkanen, who is in contention for his contract and career, led the team in scoring during camp after playing on the front line. Of course I got it signed. That was pretty much it. The No. 10 player was sent off after 32 games without a point, amid uncertainty as to whether Tikkanen was playing on the shooting knee.
So back to Mott.
Yes, he's popular. He is a hard worker. He fits the room perfectly. But I have no interest in a Rangers reunion with him. This team doesn't need another bantamweight. No other players on the generous 5-foot-10-inch list are needed. That might be the case with skates.
The Blueshirts need to add weight for a second season. While the size of a dog match is most important, the size of a dog in a playoff fight is at least as important. The Rangers don't have enough size and they don't have enough health to be in the tournament. They're not threatening enough. With a record of 5 wins and 10 losses, another support man in the bottom six won't be able to do it.
Want to catch the game? The Rangers schedule and links to purchase tickets can be found here.
historic pace
The Rangers' .729 scoring percentage was the third-best before the new year in franchise history, behind the 1971-72 team's .778 (25 wins, 5 losses, and 6 draws) and the 1970-71 team's .730 (24 wins). 7 minutes 6 seconds). .
