On another night in which the Rangers failed to score, it was their fourth line that generated some of the team’s best chances in a 2-0 loss to the Oilers at Madison Square Garden.
Sam Carrick hit a post, Matt Rempe had an opportunity and Adam Edstrom was a consistent threat in front of Edmonton’s net.
It didn’t result in any goals, but the game was another positive step for a unit that is gaining new head coach Mike Sullivan’s trust.
“I think that line played extremely well for us,’’ Sullivan said. “They had great energy. Their physicality and presence on the ice creates anxiety out there.”
That’s the goal, especially with the hulking duo of the 6-foot-9 Rempe and 6-foot-7 Edstrom.
“If we play our game, I think we’re really hard to handle,’’ Rempe said. “We’re fast and big. We can protect pucks down low, go to the net and teams can’t stop us going to the net. If we keep building, we’ll be a forceful line.”
They were on Tuesday, even in defeat.
“They’ve been a strong line for us at both ends of the rink,’’ Sullivan said. “They’re defending hard. Just by nature of their size, they take up space, get in front of pucks and have the ability to establish the forecheck.”
As Sullivan noted, the line is playing more as a result and Rempe believes they can contribute even more.
“If we go out there in the [offensive] zone for 45-50 seconds and wear the other team down, we’ll set up our top lines for success and bring energy and momentum,’’ Rempe said. “Hitting takes a toll on other teams and by the end of the night, we’ll wear them down and they’ll know they’ve been hit by us. Our top guys can take advantage of that.”
Vladislav Gavrikov was brought in during the offseason to help the Rangers defense and — in particular — Adam Fox.
The Rangers have seen some inconsistent play throughout their lineup through five games, but Sullivan remains confident the two defensemen will succeed together.
“The addition of him on the blue line has been very advantageous for us,’’ Sullivan said of Gavrikov after the team’s morning skate in Tarrytown. “The chemistry he’s building with [Fox] is a work in progress. It’s still a feeling-out process there, but I do think it’s improving.”
The Rangers signed the 29-year-old Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million deal in the offseason after two-plus seasons with the Kings, which followed three-plus years in Columbus.
The team brought in Gavrikov because they knew what to expect from him and that reliability is expected to help Fox, who was paired with several different players a year ago.
“That’s what we like about his game and that’s what attracted us: His reliability and predictability,’’ Sullivan said. “We’re not asking him to change his role. Everything he brought to his former team, we wanted him to bring to the Rangers. That’s what he’s trying to do.”
The results have already been there for Fox in the early going.
And Sullivan has also been encouraged by Gavrikov’s play.
“I think he’s fit in really well,” Sullivan said. “The dimension he brings is an important one for us: His ability to defend, his presence in the battle areas up front [and] in the corners. He’s big and strong and gets on people. He’s hard to play against by nature of his size and strength and how he leans on people. He helps us on the penalty kill in that area.”
Once he gets more familiar with his new surroundings, his performance figures to get even better.
“It’s an adjustment process,’’ Sullivan said. “He’s doing a good job of working at it. He’s a smart kid, he understands how we’re trying to play. He understands what his role is and how he can help us win games.”
Braden Schneider has played on the right and left side in the absence of Carson Soucy, who is on injured reserve after suffering an upper body injury on Saturday.
Sullivan said to expect more of that while Soucy is out.
“That’s probably what you’ll see,’’ the coach said.
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