‘Somebody’s got to sit’: Rangers coach explains why rookie not in lineup again
New York Rangers rookie Victor Mancini will be a healthy scratch once again when the Blueshirts host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
The 22-year-old defenseman has suited up for nine of New York’s 11 games this season, and registered one goal and three assists, a plus-three rating, averaging 15:21 TOI. Despite his impressive play, he’ll watch from the press box for the second straight game, and Zac Jones will suit up against Buffalo.
“Somebody’s got to sit,” Peter Laviolette explained after the morning skate. “I thought Jones came in and gave us a real strong game last game so we’re going to come back with him this game, but it could change game to game.”
Jones has played six games this season, registering two assists, a plus-five rating, and an average of 15:15 TOI. His best performance to date came in the Rangers’ 5-2 win over the New York Islanders on Sunday, when Jones had an assist and an overall strong performance. The 24-year-old gets rewarded for his play by staying in the lineup, and was even getting some work on the second power-play unit in practice this week.
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Victor Mancini will have chance to learn by watching Rangers play
For Mancini, he’ll just have to wait patiently for his next opportunity to slot back into the lineup. An argument can be made for him to develop in the American Hockey League and play big minutes for the Hartford Wolf Pack, but according to Laviolette, there are still positives that can be taken from sitting out at the NHL level.
“I think that there’s a balance there,” Laviolette said. “I do think it’s okay for a young player to come out of the game once in a while and to watch and to go over video and watch from a different angle, and then to work on things in practice. I think that’s okay. I think you have to be careful that those stints don’t get extended and stay too long.”
Laviolette has done a good job of making sure neither Mancini or Jones have to wait too long before getting some game action. The two defenseman have partnered together on the third pair and also been rotated in and out of the lineup.
So, is one player necessarily better than the other? Let’s look at some numbers.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Jones has been on the ice for six goals for, one against. He’s been on the ice for 37 chances for, 40 against, and 14 high-danger chances for, 18 against. Pretty decent numbers on the third defense unit through six games.
Mancini has been on the ice for seven goals for, five against. He’s also been on for 48 scoring chances for, 91 against, and 17 high-danger chances for, 41 against. While he’s played in three more games than Jones, these numbers show that the less experienced Mancini has struggled more. However, the overall upside with Mancini could be greater.
Mancini will be able to watch the game from a different point of view again Thursday. With the way that Laviolette has rotated him and Jones in and out of the lineup, it is only a matter of time before he’ll get another crack at it.
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