Rangers are beginning to find their identity with coach Mike Sullivan

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TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — The way the New York Rangers have played early in the Mike Sullivan era wouldn't light up a Broadway stage. It does bring the two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach some satisfaction.

A month into games with Sullivan in charge, the Rangers have been way more successful at keeping the puck out of their own net than putting it into their opponent's. They've allowed the second-fewest goals a game in the NHL but have also scored the second fewest, and getting the recipe right is taking some time, as expected.

“We’re trying to define and refine what Rangers hockey looks like from an identity standpoint,” Sullivan said after practice Monday. “We’re making progress. I don’t know if we’ll ever arrive, but I think our guys have a clear understanding of what Rangers hockey looks like — or what it should look like when we’re at our best.”

The best was on display in a three-game winning streak to wrap up a road trip out West that started with a dud of a defeat at Calgary. New York shut out Vancouver and beat back-to-back Cup finalist Edmonton and then Seattle, each in overtime.

Those victories provided what Sullivan hopes is evidence that when players stick to the plan, they can get results. That message has gotten through, from captain J.T. Miller down the roster.

“The game (Sullivan) and his staff have brought is a good game, and we know that and it’s a fun game to play,” Miller said. “It’s fast, we defend well, we create opportunities. ... We know what we want to try to get to, and it’s that 200-foot, hard-to-play-against team.”

The goaltending of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick has been a part of that, though the Rangers have also played with more structure so far than last season under Peter Laviolette, when they underachieved and missed the playoffs. They have high-end talent in Miller, fellow forwards Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad and leading-scorer-defenseman Adam Fox but also have followed Sullivan's lead on devoting themselves to fundamental, smart hockey.

Zibanejad described the team's budding identity as “defensively sound without sacrificing offense by doing so,” while also being assertive. Winger Alexis Lafrenière summed it up as “playing good defense first and then try to attack, try to play fast, play quick, play north.”

“They like the concept,” Sullivan said. “They’re embracing it. And for me, that’s a big part of it is getting everybody’s buy-in and it’s harder to do it if you don’t have everybody’s buy-in and they’re committed.”

They would like to score more, too, and players are happy with the quality and quantity of the chances they are getting. The numbers back that up: The Rangers have spent the eighth-most time in the offensive zone among the league's 32 teams and rank seventh in shot attempts.

“Pretty rarely do you go a whole season out-chancing teams and getting all the looks and not getting rewarded," Miller said. “Pucks haven’t found the net as regularly as we’d like, but I think it’s just a matter of when they’re going to start going in on a regular basis.”

Getting off to a solid defensive start is even more impressive considering New York has done so without Vincent Trocheck, whose two-way game is a perfect fit for Sullivan's system. Trocheck took part in practice Monday in a red no-contact jersey, skating with his teammates for the first time since getting hurt Oct. 9 in the second game of the season.

“It’s huge, just even an energy boost to see him around and having him on the ice,” Zibanejad said. “Obviously, a big part of our team. Can’t wait to have him back.”

Trocheck remains on long-term injured reserve, though he's eligible to be activated at any time. Sullivan said he was not sure how soon Trocheck might be ready to return to game action but acknowledged participating in practice was a big stride forward.

“The fact that he joined the group today suggests that he’s getting closer,” Sullivan said. "It’s great that he’s out there with the group, but I think it helps the whole team overall. He’s such a big part of this team in so many ways, both on the ice and off the ice.”

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