Rangers’ Peter Laviolette taking ‘consistency’ approach to line combos

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Peter Laviolette deployed around 10 different line combinations in the Rangers’ 5-2 win over the Ducks on Sunday night,

which is something the head coach has not done that often this season.

There have only been a few occasions when Laviolette has made personnel or position changes based on performance,

as well as only a couple in-game instances of putting the lineup in a blender.

Most of the lineup alterations have been out of necessity due to injuries or other uncontrollable outside factors.

Despite the team’s 11-11-2 stretch since Dec.

5, Laviolette is still showing faith in the Rangers’ current alignment that also went 18-4-1 to start

“Today,

the odd time, I think to spend the time to mix it up and to try and look in a different direction just to shake it. Different view.

There’s something about changing the view every once in a while,

I think can be good. And that’s just the way this year has gone,

I can’t say that I’ve always been this consistent as a coach,

” the 59-year-old coach remarked prior to the Rangers’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Sharks at SAP Center.

There have only been a few occasions when the game has been shaken up.

And I believe that’s because we have generally been fairly consistent.

Going back to the Montreal game and the next two or three games, even with some of our previous losses,

I felt like we were on the chase.

“The game wasn’t going our way,

even though we had 45, 47,

and 48 shots and weren’t giving up that much.

When things aren’t going our way,

it could be time to change things up and take a fresh approach.

Thus, with Igor Shesterkin starting in goal,

the Rangers got off to the same start as they did in Anaheim on Sunday night.

With the exception of Jan.

11 when Zibanejad had to be scratched due to illness,

Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad have skated beside each other in 47 games.

On their right wing, they have had 17 games with Kaapo Kakko,

25 with Blake Wheeler, 3 with Jonny Brodzinski,

and 1 with Will Cuylle.

Then there came the game on January 11th,

where Zibanejad was forced to scratch at the last minute due to illness.