Part of the difficulty for the Rangers with the strange opening to their schedule is their ability to stay patient. Now on another four-day break following Saturday’s first loss of the season, a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the visiting Oilers, the Blueshirts will have played just three games in the first 13 days of the season when they skate against the Devils on Thursday night.
Coach David Quinn wants to make evaluations for each individual, each line, each defensive pair, and the team as a whole. But he doesn’t want to overreact — it’s been just three games, even if it feels longer.