Scott Morrow Makes a Strong Case for More Rangers Playing Time
On November 3, Scott Morrow’s season debut for the New York Rangers included an assist in a 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. His performance gave the struggling defense a possible option for a larger role.
Morrow had been left out of New York’s lineup for its first 14 games, serving as the team’s seventh defenseman. He got his first chance against Edmonton when Sean Durzi was unavailable, and made an immediate impression despite the Rangers’ loss.
The right-shot defenseman assisted on New York’s only goal in the 4-1 defeat. Hockey Stat Cards rated him the Rangers’ most impactful player in the game, with a score of 1.43. Only eight skaters from both teams had ratings of zero or higher.
His strongest contributions came in offense and puck movement, including scoring chances and penalties drawn. He also received a positive rating for his penalty-killing work, though he did not play on the power play.
Morrow appeared to work well alongside rookie Alberts Smits. In their 13.8 minutes together, the pair had a 58.3% expected-goals share; Smits’ pairing with Braden Schneider had a 44.6% share over 146.3 minutes. The sample with Morrow is limited, but the Rangers’ defensive struggles make an extended look at him a possibility.