Bantering Points: 11/1/23

Here are today’s news and links:

Rangers News:

Larry Brooks highlights how the defense first approach the Blueshirts have employed this season is foreign to the usual team strategy, but the early returns can’t be argued with (NY Post)

Colin Stephenson heard from Blake Wheeler about his hopes of breaking out of the season opening slump the veteran winger finds himself in (Newsday)

Scott Maxwell ponders whether or not Alexis Lafreniere will be able to turn his hot start into a season long trend (Daily Faceoff)

Matthew Mugno suggests that the Rangers should have kept Frank Vatrano beyond his brief 2022 stint on Broadway (The Hockey News)

Around the NHL:

Boston Bruins’ defenseman Charlie McAvoy received a four game suspension for delivering a check to the head of Florida Panthers’ defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (NBC Sports)

Rory Boylen listed four elements, whether they be parts of teams or teams in their entirety, that are off to slow starts as the calendar turns to November (Sportsnet)

Veteran forward Paul Stastny announced his retirement from the NHL (TSN)