Rangers coach says Zac Jones, Braden Schneider ‘warranting more ice time’
It’s no secret that the New York Rangers have struggled to balance out the defensive pairs this season, especially since Ryan Lindgren returned to the lineup on October 22nd. In the nine games with Lindgren in the lineup, the Rangers have allowed the fourth-most expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.
One solution that people have been crying out for is to get the pairing of Braden Schneider and Zac Jones more ice time. This pair has played together for 66:34 at five-on-five, and has yet to be on the ice for a goal against. They also have controlled 62.56 percent of the expected goals (xG) when playing together. That is much better than the Rangers top two pairs have performed of late.
When Rangers coach Peter Laviolette was asked about the possibility of giving the two youngsters more ice time, he was in favor of the idea.
“They’re probably warranting more minutes, they’re playing pretty well right now. ” Laviolette said after practice Wednesday.
Related:Â Rangers coach letting defense pairs ‘settle in‘
Jones and Schneider bring unique elements to team
Though no one would confuse these two for Norris trophy candidates, both Jones and Schneider are steady and reliable. They also are able to contribute to the Rangers in different ways and, quite simply, have been very good together.
A standout area of Jones’ game is his ability to move the puck. It’s evident when watching him break the puck out of the zone, but also shows up in the numbers as well. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, he is sixth on the team with 1.12 assists per 60 minutes at five-on-five. That’s better than the likes of Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. While he’s not quite the same passer as Jones, Schneider’s 0.77 assists per 60 at full strength is better than Lindgren, Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller.
“They got some time together last yar, there’s a little bit of chemistry there,” Laviolette explained. “I think there’re a little bit different. One (Schneider) is a bigger, stronger, more physical player. ‘Jonesy’ you see the puck on his stick a little bit more, making more plays. I think they’re both good skaters, add to the rush. They play pretty well together.”
Schneider had a pair of helpers in New York’s 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. The 23-year-old’s production has increased so far this season with seven points (two goals, five assists) in 14 games, which is only behind Fox (12 points) among Rangers defensemen.
Jones has four assists in nine games, including three in the past four since returning to the lineup. So impressed are the Rangers with his recent solid play that they assigned rookie defenseman Victor Mancini to Hartford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday, clearing the path for Jones to play regularly. Veteran Chad Ruhwedel was recalled to be the seventh defenseman.
“I think it’s going well. We communicate well out there … we’re reading off each other really well out there. So, I think there’s a lot of positives right now between us,” Jones said Wednesday.
Lindgren may still be hurting from his jaw injury in the preseason and/or affected by the face shield he’s been wearing, but whatever the reason is, his play has not been up to par. His relative xG for is -7.05 percent, the second-worst among blueliners on the team. Meanwhile, Jones and Schneider rank as the top two defensemen on the team in this metric since Lindgren’s been back.
Since his return, Lindgren has averaged 19:53 per game. Schneider and Jones have been playing just under 16 minutes in the same time period. It will be interesting to see if the gap in ice time shrinks given coach Laviolette’s comments, or even flips entirely. That’d be unlikely if Lindgren remains Fox’s partner, however.
With the way the Rangers have defended over the past few weeks, some kind of change is needed. This would be a tweak, but one that could help provide the desired results for the Rangers.
“We’re really good buddies off the ice, so that makes it easier on the ice,” Jones shared. “I think we play two different styles of games but complement each other well. I read off ‘Schneids’ and pick up defensively, offensively. I think he does the same. … I think it’s been a good complement for both of us.”
Let’s see if Laviolette gives his third defense pair more run Thursday when the Rangers host the San Jose Sharks.
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