When the New York Rangers replaced Tanner Glass with Pavel Buchnevich before game four in round one, the entire dynamic of the series changed.
After playing into the Canadiens physical style with Glass suited up, Buchnevich allowed the Rangers to roll four skilled lines. As they swept the last three games of the series, they were still playing physical but not at the expense of their speed.
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As the Rangers get ready for the first game of the second round tonight against the Ottawa Senators, a team that plays a style very similar to their own, they must not forget about this identity.