These Rangers always have found their strength from the net out. The star and centerpiece is goalie Henrik Lundqvist, and the foundation of how the team plays lies with the core group of defensemen.
But the start to this season has been an odd one — a lot of wins and a lot of poor play from the Blueshirts’ blue line. It only is during the recent six-game stretch of 1-4-1 that the problem seems to be manifesting itself in the standings.