For Adam Fox, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Wednesday’s game against the Devils at Madison Square Garden was only his second of the preseason. He and his usual defense partner, Ryan Lindgren, played in the preseason opener, a 4-0 loss to the Islanders Sept. 26, but Fox then sat out the next three games.
Now, though, the time has come for Fox and his teammates to really crank things up as they start to fine-tune and get ready for the regular season opener Oct. 13 in Washington.
“I don’t think there’s too much rust left from the summer or anything like that,’’ Fox, the Jericho native, said after Wednesday’s morning skate. “I think, just, it’s a little different intensity when the regular season starts happening. So, we’re just gearing up for that pace.’’
Fox and Lindgren were the clear No. 1 defense pairing last season under then-coach David Quinn, but new coach Gerard Gallant said Wednesday that won’t be automatically the case this season. Given the pair’s less than massive size – Fox is 5-11, 183; Lindgren is 6-1, 191 – Gallant said there may be times when the duo of Jacob Trouba (6-3, 208) and K’Andre Miller (6-4, 216) make for a better matchup against certain opposing first lines.
“There’s certain teams, we’re going to look at the top guys, who they’re going to play against, and we’ll say, ‘Well maybe it fits better with both K’Andre and Troubs,’ ’’ Gallant said. “So, different matchups (against) different teams.’’
Fox said there are “little differences here and there’’ between what defensemen are asked to do under Gallant, as opposed to under Quinn.
“I think simplicity is a big thing,’’ Fox said. “I think it’s just trust in your teammates in certain situations, and I think the ‘D’ want to be a little more aggressive. And trusting that you have support from forwards to do that, that’s always important.’’
As far as trust goes, Fox knows he can trust Lindgren, who is his roommate, and has been his partner since they were in the U.S. National Team Development Program together.
“Knowing where each other is going to be is a big thing,’’ Fox said of he and Lindgren. “I think we just trust each other. We know the little ins and outs of each other’s game really well, so I think it helps with just the little things, (like) breaking the puck out, supporting each other there. You know if one of us is gonna jump (on the rush), having, having each other’s backs.’’
Notes & quotes: One week before the regular-season opener, the Rangers dressed what looked like their opening night lineup. Igor Shesterkin started in goal, with the plan being for him to play the entire game, and Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin dressed in the same game for the first time in the preseason, as did the top two defense pairs – Fox and Lindgren, and Trouba and Miller . . . Vitali Kravtsov, who skated for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury in Friday’s game, and Patrik Nemeth were the only two players likely to be lineup regulars who did not play Wednesday.
