Simply put, New York’s defense is unbalanced. The left side of the defense is immensely stronger than the right, and this problem is coming back to haunt them.
While the left half touts strong defensive play and quick puck movement by all three defensemen, the best defenseman playing on the right side is Nick Holden, playing on his off-hand, while the other regular defensemen, Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein, drag the players around them down.
To bolster this weakness, the Rangers need to make a change in personnel. Adam Clendening is a frequent healthy scratch who can make an offensive impact from the blue line; however, he is also the only in-house option.