Mike Sullivan makes the controversial decision to make drastic line changes and fans are not happy

Sunday in Tarrytown, Sullivan made some drastic line changes as he ran Artemi Panarin with Mika Zibanejad and Will Cuylle, while Alexis Lafreniere worked beside Vincent Trocheck and Gabe Perreault. Anton Blidh skated with Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe, and Urho Vaakanainen rotated in on the third pair.

That shuffle is what set off the grumbling, because Zibanejad and Lafreniere just lit up the Winter Classic together. Fans saw chemistry, and they wanted it left alone for at least one more week.

On Friday, the Rangers crushed the Florida Panthers 5-1 at loanDepot park, with Zibanejad scoring the first hat trick in Winter Classic history and adding two assists. Lafreniere had three assists, and Panarin posted two goals plus an assist in a needed statement win.

Sullivan is betting that spreading the playmaking around keeps the lineup dangerous, especially while captain J.T. Miller is still skating in a non-contact jersey. Perreault and Lafreniere together could juice rush chances, while Cuylle gives Zibanejad a straight-line retrieval partner.

The other part is the bottom of the roster, where Sullivan seems ready to sit Brett Berard and Matthew Robertson after a messy stretch of injuries and call-ups. In a short week, coaches often pick reliability over upside, even if it annoys the crowd.

If Trocheck is the driver down the middle, Lafreniere can attack soft spots and create off the cycle, which is how his three-assist night popped in Miami. Meanwhile, Panarin can carry entries for Zibanejad, letting that line hunt quick-strike looks.

However, fans are not happy about this move, here's what just a few had to say:

The Rangers will find out quickly whether the blender works, because the next game is Monday at Madison Square Garden against the Utah Mammoth. If they bring Friday's sacrifice and structure with this new mix, the outrage turns into applause fast.

Also read on NY Hockey Insider :
New York Rangers provide the latest update on rookie forward Noah Laba's upper-body injury