They have been playing at NHL .500 the past 10 weeks, but have won less than half of their games since Dec. 5 (9-9-1). Do you think this was an extended blip or do you think the Rangers' 18-4 run was an anomaly – one that came out of the gate?
Since the first week of December, we've had all kinds of problems. The club had serious problems preventing and defending against odd-man rushes, but they did much better over the weekend in the split against the Caps. The defensive zone coverage was spotty.
The challenge is to create sustained pressure in the offensive zone from a relentless forecheck. The challenge will be to get goals from the bottom six teams, three of the four lines without Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière.
The final game falls into the difficult 5-on-5 category for the Blueshirts, playing an average of 48 minutes out of 60 minutes a night. “Difficult” might be a gross understatement.
Entering Tuesday's Garden game against a Seattle team whose nine-game winning streak was snapped by the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Monday, the Rangers ranked 22nd in the league with a scoring percentage of 48.45 percent, scoring 85 points and 89 points at even strength at full strength. gave. They are 17th in points scored per 60:00 with 2.64 and 21st in goals conceded per 60:00.
These numbers are in line with the numbers of bubble teams struggling to make the playoffs, not the numbers of teams aiming for the Stanley Cup. The Rangers are run by special teams, and by their nature they can be volatile at various stages throughout the season.
This has been one of those times, as the Blueshirts have gone 0-for-8 on the power play over the past two games and 2-for-16 on the last five games, all while going 0-for-16 on the power play over the past two games, while also going 0-for-16 on the power play over their last five games. There was a lot of pressure on the penalty kill.
The power play had been taken off the board in five of the past nine games after scoring PPG in eight straight games and 11 of 12 before the spigot was turned off. The Blueshirts led the league at a clip of over 30 percent for several weeks, but have fallen to second place in PP efficiency behind Tampa Bay at 28.2 percent.
This is obviously very good, but it's not enough for a team that relies on power play production. The balance is unhealthy. If left untreated, it can become a fatal disease. It is neither fair nor realistic to require clubs to score at a clip of up to 35 percent on the man advantage in either the regular season or the playoffs.
So the rest of the way we have to focus on improving at 5-on-5. That's up to general manager Chris Drury, who plans his course through the March 8 deadline. That's up to head coach Peter Laviolette and his staff. However, there is no doubt that this is also the responsibility of the players.
As I wrote after Sunday's 2-1 win over the Caps, the bottom six teams have become a black hole of production, with three goals (two from Jimmy Vesey and one from Will) in the last 14 games. quill). Barclay Goodrow, Nick Bonino, Johnny Brodzinski and Blake Wheeler are all in long droughts.
Ever since Filip Sitil went down in Game 10 of the season on November 2nd, the Rangers have basically operated with two four-line players centered around Goodrow and Bonino. The lack of productivity among the bottom six teams shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.
But would you be shocked to learn that Mika Zibanejad has scored 5-on-5 goals in just four games, totaling five goals 5-on-5 in the club's first 42 and subsequent 41 games?
Would you be surprised to learn that while Chris Kreider has eight goals at 5-on-5, No. 20 has just two goals in his last 14 games and three goals in his last 20 games? ?
So perhaps the brunt of the blame for the club's failure at 5-on-5 should not be heaped on the compromised bottom six teams, but instead, even now as a second unit, its production has lived up to its billing. Not the estimated top line should be concentrated.
Unless Kreider scores, he rarely makes an impact. His game is condensed to the net front, where he may be better than everyone else, but he's not that great, so the rest of the 200 x 85 takes a backseat.
. Rangers. need. more. from. Chris.
many. more.
They also need more production from Zibanejad, but the No. 93 has been quite impactful with his work on the defensive side of the puck through all three zones and is often relied on to do work for his linemates as well. It is being done.
The Rangers are a top-heavy team, but they are by no means a heavy team. In fact, there is a noticeable lack of physicality throughout the lineup. Opponents rarely pay the price. They allow too many goals from around the net and too few in the dirty areas themselves.
All of this is reflected in a 5-on-5 total that portrays the Rangers as a middling team rather than a contender. Starting Tuesday, the club will reaffirm itself in 40 games. Starting Tuesday, Drury has 20 games left before the deadline.
