Rangers' Identity Echoes Mike Sullivan's Penguins, Says Marcus Pettersson

New York Rangers defenseman Marcus Pettersson is beginning to see familiar patterns in his current team that remind him of the Pittsburgh Penguins squads he played on under head coach Mike Sullivan. Pettersson spent parts of seven seasons with the Penguins after Sullivan had already established a successful system, winning two Stanley Cups.

"Identity is always the word on people’s mouths, I feel like, early in the year where it’s — some teams find it early, some teams are searching for that identity," Pettersson told The Post. "I think when you look throughout our lineup, our system and everything, I think everybody’s really bought in so far this season. … We’re a really good checking team. I feel like, and if we can do that well, it’s gonna be tough to beat us every night."

Pettersson, acquired by the Rangers in exchange for a top-10 protected first-round pick in the 2030 draft, is in the early stages of a five-year contract and has been a notable presence on the revamped second defensive pairing alongside Sean Durzi. He has contributed two assists offensively while playing a key role on the Rangers' penalty kill.

He noted that while the current Rangers roster and his former Penguins teams feature different types of players, there are discernible similarities in their approach to the game. Both groups, he observed, possess centers capable of reading the play, have speed, and combine these attributes with strong checking, which in turn creates opportunities for offensive catalysts.

Pettersson explained that the Rangers have learned to effectively play away from the puck under the current coaching staff, recognizing how this strategy ultimately generates offense. He also highlighted the mutual understanding of effective puck movement on both teams defensively.

"It doesn’t mean that you’re highlight reel, doing spin-o-rama, wheeling outside the zone every shift," Pettersson said. "It’s effective puck moving where you get the pucks to our game-breakers up there."

The Rangers' power play was anticipated to be a significant strength this season. However, through their initial 10 games, their penalty kill unit has emerged as one of the league's most effective. This has been particularly crucial given the extended absence of starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin, with 24-year-old Dylan Garand stepping in.

In a recent 1-0 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Rangers successfully killed all three of their penalties. This included a critical infraction late in regulation that required them to play 4-on-3 for the initial 1 minute and 27 seconds of overtime.

Entering Sunday's games, the Rangers' penalty kill unit had successfully thwarted all but two of their 31 penalties. They had not allowed a goal on the road and ranked tied for the second-best success rate in the NHL at 93.5 percent, trailing only the Toronto Maple Leafs' 96.4 percent.

"They’ve been aggressive," Sullivan said of the penalty kill. "There’s been a lot of collective effort when they are aggressive. It’s cooperative pressure. … They’re doing a lot of the little things, the thankless jobs. They’re winning faceoffs, they’re getting clears, they’re blocking shots, but they’re making good reads."