Performance of Second Line is Encouraging for NY Rangers Going Forward

The New York Rangers should be pleased with how their second line looked in the loss to the Boston Bruins.

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (8) warms up before the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers have officially started the 2026-27 campaign, but they unfortunately did not get off to the start that they would have liked. 

Coming into the season, hopes were high for the Rangers after a busy offseason. New York added a lot of new talent, and while on paper the team looks much better, they didn’t have a great opener. 

For the second season in a row, the Rangers were shut out, and it resulted in their first loss of the year. While there weren’t a ton of positive takeaways for the team, there was one group that did stand out. The performance of the second line should be seen as highly encouraging, and it will be something the team should look to build around. 

2nd Line Stands Out

Sep 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) is greeted by forward JT Miller (10) after scoring in the second period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As expected in a 3-0 loss, there wasn’t much that went right for the Rangers on Tuesday night against the Bruins. While this was a tie game for 56 minutes, Boston appeared to be the better team for most of the night. 

However, some excellent play from Igor Shesterkin kept the Rangers in the game, and that is likely going to be their formula for success more nights. However, New York was a team this summer that was really aggressive in trying to improve in multiple areas. One of those areas was on offense. 

With all of the new faces that were brought in, one of the major questions was how the lines would look. For the second line, two of those new players, and also two of the biggest additions, have been slated alongside captain J.T. Miller. 

Both Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand were seen as big additions, and on Tuesday night, it was them on the second line who were able to be the best for the Rangers among their forward group. 

The second line of New York was able to lead the way for the team with an xGF% of 68.6%. This trio was the only line for the Rangers that was over 50%. 

While there was a lot to be pessimistic about, the play of Dorofeyev should be seen as an encouraging thing. The 25-year-old played very well and was arguably the best forward on the ice for New York. 

Even though they didn’t score one in the back of the net, this group will certainly be one to watch in the second game of the season against the Tampa Bay Lightning.