This will sound hyperbolic but this may be the best few weeks of Rangers hockey I’ve lived through as a fan, on and off the ice. Recency bias aside, there is no denying this has been a lot of fun. The team is playing much better than we could have ever expected while we have been celebrating “our goalie” going into the Hall of Fame. For a franchise that’s doesn’t get many times like these, let’s enjoy this moment in the sun. We’ve got a jammed packed edition this week so let’s not waste anymore time.

Winning Ways

When the Rangers hired Peter Laviolette this past summer I liked the hire, but gave the caveat that this may take a bit of time to click. Usually a team needs that period to fully grasp a new system and it’s no secret transitioning from Gerard Gallant’s style of leadership was going to be an adjustment. But as we have heard since their elimination, the Rangers wanted to be “coached.” They carried that attitude into camp and have continued it through their 11-2-1 start.

While I usually have a positive outlook on this team, even I was waiting for the other shoe to drop after their magical western road trip. But this team kept right on going with points in each game since the trip, and are riding a three game winning streak. There have been so many heroes and memorable moments thus far. From dominating the Sabres on opening night, to Mika finishing off the road trip in OT, to Lafreniere’s magical night against the Jackets.

It takes a village to win in this league night after night and the Rangers are living proof of that. The depth of this team, something Chris Drury sought to improve in the summer, has played a big part in this great start. Erik Gustafsson has been money at the back end, while Tyler Pitlick has chipped in on the fourth line with Nick Bonino. Three different goalies have a won game this year, something that hasn’t happened since 1989-90. Even veteran Blake Wheeler is starting to get it going.

Youngster Will Cuylle continues to make a great impression as number 50 is all over the ice every night. The Ontario native feels wise beyond his years, playing with lots of poise in all three zones. From his big hits in the corner to his willingness to go to the net, it’s refreshing to watch a kid who “gets it.” It feels like he’s learning from his adoptive team dad Vincent Trochek.

Speaking of Trocheck, let’s take a moment to praise him. I’ll pat myself on the back for predicting he’d have a big season, as so far he’s been the Rangers best center. That’s not a shot at the rest of the group, number 16 has just been that good. Trocheck has been great in all three zones, while cleaning up in the faceoff circle. It feels like his two way game is the perfect fit for Laviolette and his system. His 64 points flew under the radar last year, but his offensive game has surely been noticeable to everyone so far. He’s a joy to watch play the game, a real send up to the “lunch pale” Tortorella Rangers of the past.

While I’m surely going to leave guys out, and let’s be honest the whole roster deserves praise, I can’t end this portion without giving love to the “Breadman.” Artemi Panarin’s 14 game point streak ties him with Rod Gilbert for the longest to start a season in team history. Following last years campaign where he was a bit more erratic (despite putting up 90+ points), the Rangers have gotten the absolute best Panarin has to offer so far. He is elevating his teammates and at times carrying the team. He’s always been fun to watch but it’s a treat night in and night out this year.

The efforts of these highlighted players and many more have helped the Rangers navigate some tough injuries. They seem close to getting Igor Shesterkin back and were fortunate to have Ryan Lindgren avoid time on the injured list. But, they will still be without Adam Fox and Filip Chytil for the foreseeable future. While there has been no official word on Fox’s timeline to return, it seems the worst possible outcome was avoided. While it wasn’t a dirty play, I do hold out some hope Sebastian Aho will answer for the incident that took Fox out. He somehow got away without a penalty, much less without a fight.

Speaking of penalties, let’s have a quick word on the officials. The quality of officiating has never been lower across all sports, not just the NHL. But the work the zebras have done across the league this year is some of the worst I’ve seen in a long time. The Rangers have played four home games this season, and three of them have been a total gong show from the refs. If you’ve been to the Garden this year you have seen officials kick pucks to the opponent (vs ARI), miss blatant penalties (vs CAR), and their latest stunt against Columbus.

By now you have no doubt seen the play, but for the second time this year rookie Will Cuylle had a goal taken off the board. In both cases the officials rulings were dubious to say the least. Sunday night against the Jackets they claimed to have blown the whistle before the puck crossed the line. Something that clearly didn’t happen. They stood around for nearly 10 minutes watching the least helpful angle (as shown above) to offer no real explanation. I don’t believe games are rigged but the Rangers almost never win a review. The review process is broken as it is and real work needs to be done on it. It’s not good for the players or the fans to sit that long and get a useless explanation. It’s a third rate operation that makes the NHL look like a third rate league.

Cause for Concern

If there is an area that should worry us Ranger fans it’s the first line right wing spot. It was supposed to be occupied by Kaapo Kakko, who was coming off of a strong preseason. Unfortunately number 24 hasn’t replicated that form through the early part of the season. I don’t put it all on Kakko but the offensive struggles are hard to ignore. While his former linemates Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad haven’t hit their stride at 5-on-5 yet, Kakko didn’t hold up his end of the bargain either. I feel he is better suited to the third line checking role he finds himself in at the moment. Blake Wheelers game has taken a bit of a jump since going up to line one, but it doesn’t feel like a viable long term solution.

One of the potential solutions to this right wing problem has now been ruled out, as Larry Brooks reported Patrick Kane will not be returning to Broadway. I’m a huge Kane fan so I’m disappointed to hear he won’t be back, but this is probably for the best. The Rangers are likely better off accruing their cap space until the deadline to acquire a safer option. Kane’s surgically resurfaced hip was a risky proposition to take on, had it not worked the Rangers would wasted have valuable cap space. 88 is choosing between a host of eastern conference teams so we’ll soon find out how the gamble pays off.

For now the Rangers have to bide their time and hope Kakko comes good, or Blake Wheeler continues to find his way. Regardless I expect them to go shopping. While it’s still early in the season there are some potential sellers that would be worth raiding. I’d circle Ryan Hartman as a player of interest. Currently a member of the Wild, Hartman is on an affordable contract and checks both the production and toughness boxes. He can also play both center and wing. His two way game previously featured under Laviolette in Nashville and would fit this group nicely.

Moving Forward

Moving forward the Rangers will be hitting their toughest stretch of games yet. Their week off ends with a matchup against the Devils before facing the Stars, Penguins and Bruins. We’ll learn a lot about this group during this stretch of games, and it will help to define what they need going forward. I look forward to watching them continue to develop good habits in this system. Their commitment to team defense and playing an aggressive forechecking game is a breath of fresh air compared to last year. They are in the words of John Tortorella “playing the right way,” long may it continue.

Around the Rink

Before I go I wanted to touch on some headlines from around the NHL. There are a lot of intriguing storylines right now, but here’s just a few from both conferences.

Lane’s Song: In front of some awfully small crowds, the Islanders have struggled out of the gate to the tune of a 5-6-5 record. The struggles have Isles fans chanting for head coach Lane Lambert’s firing. The players have fought back as Casey Cizikas employed the bold strategy of telling “those fans” not to come to games. The formula of defense and goaltending that served this team so well isn’t enough at the moment. They don’t generate enough offense, something that won’t change regardless of the coach in opinion. If the team doesn’t turn it around soon, Lambert will be Movin’ Out.

Out of Time in Oil Country: Jay Woodcroft finally ran out of time behind the Oiler bench. While I may have a lower opinion of the Oilers than the national media, this team is definitely underperforming. Woodcroft was let go with a record of 3-9-1 to conclude an otherwise successful tenure up to that point, and was replaced by former Hartford Wolfpack coach Chris Knoblauch. Knoblauch got off to a winning start in his home debut against the Islanders, but he needs to get this team to commit to defending. Team defense has been an issue for the Oilers for years, irrespective of who their goalie is. We’ll see if Knoblauch can get this group to buy in. He’ll have his work cut out for him to save Oilers season.

Kings of the Jungle: After a sleepy start, the Panthers are waking up. They ran their winning streak to five games with their victory in San Jose Tuesday night. At 11-5-1 Mathew Tkachuk and company look primed for a much better regular season than last year. Sergei Bobrovsky has been a big part of their success, as he is 8-1-0 in 13 games played with a 2.63 GAA and a .907 save percentage. While he has another gear to his game, this start is a good sign as there were doubts he could pick up where he left off in the playoffs. If this continues expect the cats to finish near the top of the East.

A New Star in Dallas: Last years Western Conference runner up is off to an awesome start. The Dallas Stars are atop the Central division with an 11-3-1 record and playing their usual stingy style. Lots of cheap summer signings have looked good early in the year, and the Stars have their own as veteran center Matt Duchene looks great. With six goals and seven assists already, “Dutchy” looks like his old self. With Duchene playing well and the rest of their big guns heating up, the Stars will be a force to be reckon with.

The Canucks are…good?: It may only be 15 games, but the Vancouver Canucks may be onto something. Rick Tocchet is in his first full season behind the Canucks bench, and his fingerprints are all of this team already. The Canucks always had elite talent like Elias Petterson, Quinn Hughes, and others. But, they never played with much structure and lacked consistency in net due to injury. But with Thatcher Demko fully healthy in the pipes and the team taking to Tocchet’s system, the Canucks have staked themselves to a 12-4-1 start. Keep an eye on this team the rest of the way, they may be dangerous.

November Surprise: There are “October surprises” in politics, but this years Capitals are the NHL’s November surprise. After an ugly first couple games, the Capitals have pulled things together. They presently sit in second place in the Metro division with 8-4-2 record. Rookie head coach Spencer Carbery group is exceeding preseason expectations thus far. Alex Ovechkin has four goals and Severn assists while backup goalie Charlie Lindgren has been hot in net. The next few weeks will go a long way to determining if they’re for real or not.

That does it for our NHL round up. Stay tuned for a special piece on Hockey Hall of Fame Weekend with some special guest contributors joining us. Follow me on Twitter @YNWA9623 and subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner of your screen and entering your email address. We’ll be back with more content this week! Enjoy everybody!