In the words of former head coach David Quinn, “well that happened.” For the first time in the teams 97 year history, the Rangers swept a five game road trip. This one was particularly grueling given that it was a trip to Seattle and western Canada. I have good news and great news for them. The good news is they’ve racked up enough frequent flyer points for a nice off-season getaway. The great news is they are off to a 7-2-0 start and are heading home! Let’s talk about what made this trip so successful.

Forwards

Where to begin with this group? It’s almost difficult to single out top performers because every forward helped the Blueshirts have a successful trip. When you get contributions from everyone, both on and off the scoresheet, it’s very hard to lose. The cohesive play we have seen from this group has been a breath of fresh air, as they have clicked in the new system with relative ease.

Any look at the forward core begins with the dominance of the “bald breadman” Artemi Panarin. As we hit the nine game mark number 10 is riding a nine game point streak. He certainly seems to have taken his frustrating post season to heart as he has hit the ground running. The most appreciable change in Panarin’s game has been his willingness to shoot more. At times it felt like he wasn’t shooting enough the last two years. That’s not to say it hurt his performance, as he still racked up points, but at times his deferential approach made the Rangers predictable. His shot is too good to waste, so he should absolutely play more selfishly.

While Panarin does his part, he’s been joined by Mr. Ranger himself, Chris Kreider. Number 20 is off to a terrific start with six goals on the season. He has been dominant in his power play office, perfecting his ability to tip pucks in, and making the Rangers man advantage absolutely lethal. Kreider’s leadership on and off the ice is a huge part of this teams early winning ways, as he remains a joy to watch.

While Panarin and Kreider have been red hot to start the year, Mika Zibanejad started a bit slower. Number 93 didn’t record his first “lamp lighter” of the year until the eighth game of the season. But in typical Zibanejad fashion, once he scores the floodgates open, as he followed that up with the dramatic OT winner in Winnipeg. Number 93 has long been one of the Rangers most clutch players so it came as no surprise to see him deliver. Hopefully “Mika Magic” will be in full affect the rest of the campaign.

As mentioned earlier many other Blueshirts forwards have done their part. Vincent Trocheck is off to a terrific start playing a strong two way game. The “kids” are all contributing to their respective lines, allaying fears about their ability to perform this year. Veteran grinders like Nick Bonino and Barclay Goodrow continue to go to the hard areas and make game winning plays, the kind that don’t show up on the score sheet. Even Blake Wheeler, who has yet to register a point, started to find his game as the trip came to an end. This group is coming together and have only scratched the surface of what they can do together.

Defenseman

While the forwards have done their part, we have to highlight the Ranger blue line. The defense has been strong as a six man unit, while working in concert with a forward core that now has an emphasis on defensive structure. The commitment by this team to be more disciplined at even strength is refreshing. It’s given the Blueshirts a platform to generate further offense and drive play in transition, something they didn’t have before.

Much like Artemi Panarin who leads the forward group, the defense is keyed by the maestro of this team, Adam Fox. Number 23 is off to another brilliant start playing arguably his best hockey yet. The power plays hot start can be credited to Fox running the point. While his vision and passing has been a regular feature, his willingness to shoot the puck more often has opened things up and created more scoring chances for everyone.

K’Andre Miller also made headlines on the road trip, as he looks to be rounding into form. Miller is picking up the system and playing with more confidence, which will go a long way. Number 79 always looks like he wants to jump up and create offense, which finally came together for him in OT on Saturday night. His raw physical tools and instincts have been on full display and it’s a pure joy to watch. Miller provided some insight into the Rangers start and what the vibes are like right now under head coach Peter Laviolette.

"We're having a great time and we're having fun."

K'Andre Miller speaks with @ScottOake following the @NYRangers win in Vancouver pic.twitter.com/LcYplvk3kF

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 29, 2023

I’d also like to shoutout Braden Schneider who had a terrific trip. Number four picked up a goal of his own, jumping up on the rush against the Oilers. Erik Gustafsson, Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren have all been strong as well. This blue line looks the best it has in years as the system and new found defensive “unit” approach has taken hold. This group is truly becoming really likable because of how hard they play.

Goaltending

Of course when we talk goaltending we have to highlight the brilliant play of Igor Shesterkin. After the first 4 games of the year, Igor looked a little human, with ugly nights against Nashville and Columbus. But in three starts on this trip Shesterkin was his usual spectacular self. Number 31 had some special sequences against Vancouver and Winnipeg that helped save those games. With Igor rounding into form the Rangers become an even harder team to beat.

Perhaps the bigger story in net from this trip was the play of backup net minder Jonathan Quick. The future hall of fame goalie arrived to a lukewarm reception at best, but that may soon be changing. With two terrific outings in Seattle and Edmonton, allowing just one goal, number 32 is off to a strong start. He’s now appeared in three games this season, and played well in all of them. If he can maintain that level of play, or something close to it, the Rangers will actually be able to rest Shesterkin from time to time.

What’s Next

After this grind of a trip the Rangers return home for three of their next four games. November’s schedule features the likes of Dallas, Boston, Detroit and Carolina, making it a much tougher slate of games. These will be good measuring stick games as teams settle into the groove of the season. None of it will be easy, but if the Rangers keep playing the way they are, it won’t be easy for their opponents either.

All too often in the past the Blueshirts have followed up a trip like this with an ugly set of home games. They have to avoid that this time around, and keep this momentum going. The Rangers will hit the Garden ice in front of a crowd that is buzzing over their play. If they waste that atmosphere and this start, they’ll only have themselves to blame.

Stay tuned for more content this week as I will have my “battle of New York” recap coming out. We are still awaiting the rumored Yankee end of season press conference, once it happens we’ll have thoughts on the current baseball landscape in town. Follow me on Twitter @YNWA9623 and subscribe to the blog by hitting the follow button in bottom right corner of your screen and entering your email address. Go Rangers!