After what feels like a decade of the Rangers seemingly being unable to adjust to teams, scores, and other game situations, Peter Laviolette’s late game adjustments last night were a breath of fresh air for fans. With the Rangers holding a big lead after two periods, Laviolette adjusted to be a little more conservative, but not passive or shelling.
The Rangers went from Laviolette’s more aggressive forecheck to a 1-3-1 forecheck in the third period. The Blueshirts used this to clog the neutral zone and prevent the Sabres from gaining speed on zone entries.