VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Zac Jones has stumbled several times in his pursuit of becoming an NHL regular, whether it be his own doing or the obstacles that have been put in front of him.
The 200-foot play he single-handedly generated to give the Rangers some insurance last game, however, is just a testament to the drive and perseverance Jones has had to play with every single day since he broke into the league three years ago.
Sunday was Jones’ 11th appearance of the season and sixth in a row, after head coach Peter Laviolette opted to stick with rookie Victor Mancini when Ryan Lindgren returned from injury at the end of October.
It relegated Jones back to the press box — where he’s spent a majority of his Rangers tenure — for five of six contests after his four-game run to start the season.
New York Rangers defenseman Zac Jones (6) during the first period of a NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils , Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 in New York.
This all after he finally secured his spot in the lineup out of training camp for the first time, which was made possible by the Rangers’ decision to not bring in a new defenseman in the offseason.
“It sucked,” Jones told The Post after the Rangers practiced Monday at Rogers Arena, ahead of their matchup with the Canucks on Tuesday. “Obviously, you want to play, you don’t want to be out of the lineup, but I tried to take it more as a reset this year. Last year, I feel like I kind of would’ve taken it more personally. Why is he doing this? What’s the reasoning? Just thinking about it too much.
“Whereas this year, I was kind of like, ‘Alright, let’s relax a little bit.’ Reset the mind, the body and just get ready to go whenever that next opportunity is and make it so he can’t take you out of the lineup.”
That is exactly what Jones has done since reentering the Rangers lineup earlier this month.
It culminated in a dominant performance Sunday night, when he scored his first goal of the season on an end-to-end play that saw Jones cut through the Kraken as if he were Davy Jones himself to create a three-on-two zone entry.
Jones and his puck-moving abilities have helped the Blueshirts clean up their breakouts and transition up ice — an aspect of their game that needed tending up until a couple games ago.
His pairing with Braden Schneider has been pretty lockdown, not only upholding their defensive responsibilities, but also contributing on the offensive side of the puck, as well.
Zac Jones shoots past Seattle Kraken defenseman, left, and scores against goaltender Philipp Grubauer (31) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.
In their last six games together, according to Natural Stat Trick, Jones and Schneider have been on the ice for seven Rangers goals and just one against.
The Rangers have out-attempted opponents 42-36 and held a 19-9 advantage in high-danger chances with those two on the ice.
“We were effective at getting the puck out and quickly moving the puck through the neutral zone,” Laviolette said. “I think that’s an important part of playing the game, advancing zones and playing fast. [Jones] is a guy who does like to skate with the puck. The messaging is kind of the same for everybody, but I do think that is one of his strengths, is his skating and puck mobility.”
Rangers defenseman Zac Jones, right, celebrates his goal against the Seattle Kraken with left wing Will Cuylle (50) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.
Given how the start of the season has gone, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rangers targeted a defenseman at the trade deadline.
That would just be another challenge thrown Jones’ way on his journey toward becoming a lineup staple.
There’s no question, however, that Jones has stayed the course no matter the circumstances.
“From being in this role the last couple years, it definitely made it easier,” Jones said. “Obviously, last year, being a scratch for most of the year, it just gave me a new perspective on things. Things aren’t always going to go your way. You just got to stay ready no matter what it is.
“That was tough for me last year, but I think going through it definitely helped and will help the future player [I become].”
