The New York Rangers' "Kid Line" set to see more ice time following Peter Laviolette's recent statement

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Joshua Deeds
November 14, 2024 (6:05 PM)

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TheNew York Rangershave a depth issue, and it's not a bad thing. The Third line and third pairing have merited more minutes on the ice.

They are what you could consider the new iteration of the "kids line" we saw during Gerard Gallant's time here.

This time around though, the line consists of Filip Chytil-Kaapo Kakko-Will Cuylle, and on the 3rd pair, Zac Jones-Braden Schneider.

It sounds like Peter Laviolette is finally waking up to the fact, that his 3rd line is one of the most productive on the ice.

The Chytil, Kakko, and Cuylle line remains one of the best two-way lines in the league. They have outscored their opponents on ice 11-0 and scored two of the three goals the night of the loss to Winnipeg.

The way they play, in the dirty areas yields results, here's how:

Cuylle got the first goal when he put in the rebound chance and then in the third period, Kakko got a goal by - once again - going to the front of the net and getting a rebound.

Zac Jones and Braden Schneider are just as lethal on the ice, on the third pairing as they currently own an XG% of 61.3, and 3.8 GF(Per MoneyPuck) while they're on the ice.

Jones and Schneider benefit from different sizes and playing styles, in the same way Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox do.

«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.»

While we shouldn't expect either to win a Norris Trophy in the near future, they are reliable contributors on the ice for the Rangers.

In the last ten games, to give you an idea of how poorly they've been utilized Zac Jones has played an ATOI of 7:95, with 3 assists, 4 shots and 5 blocks.

While Braden Schneider has seen 16:41 ATOI, with 6 points( 1 G, 5 A), 15 shots on goal, and 18 blocks.

Lucas Standel says it well:

With all of these veterans struggling at the same time, it gives even more reason as to why these youngsters should be playing more. They are the ones contributing the offense and playing solid defense. Until the others start getting their games back on track, the Rangers should be giving more minutes to their third line and third defensive pairing. If they continue to play well and the others can find their games, the Rangers will be an even more dangerous and deep team heading into the playoffs.

Laviolette is currently letting his bias take control of the Rangers future, while he continues to rely upon veterans who are struggling, while his youngsters and sophomores are producing like key players in the lineup.