Why it’s time for the Rangers to shake up their power play and what options they have

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If there is one thing we have seen from Peter Laviolette in his first season behind the Rangers bench, it is that the head coach does not panic easily. He does not overreact.

That has been true both in the good times of an 18-4-1 start and in the bad times of a 13-12-2 mark over the past two months.

Laviolette talks about the long view and the inevitable peaks and valleys of a season. The message has been absorbed by the players, who often repeat it in their sessions with the press.

Forward lines have been allowed to gestate. Changes in personnel and alignment generally have been dictated by physical issues.

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Check out more newslettersFifty games into the season, the patient approach has produced but a handful of strategic changes within the lineup. Those primarily have addressed: a) the right wing spot on the Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad connection, where Blake Wheeler and Kaapo Kakko have flipped and flopped; and b) the composition of the fourth line, which has become constant with Barclay Goodrow skating between Jimmy Vesey and Tyler Pitlick.

But it may be time for Laviolette and Michael Peca, the assistant coach presiding over the power-play unit, to consider changing up the alignment of the top unit that not only is failing to produce but is short-circuiting energy and stunting momentum.

A power play that appeared an immovable force through the seasons first two months has become an invisible object through the teams extended travails, which have seen the club blanked in 10 of the past 17 games following a stretch in which it scored in 11 of 12 contests.

Why_it_s_time_for_the_Rangers_to_shake_up_their_power_play_and_what_options_they_have 3The dry spell Mika Zibanejad and his first-line power-play teammates have had of late has highlighted the team’s trouble at five-on-five. APLack of power-play production only highlights the clubs chronic issues at five-on-five, the Rangers having scored two goals or fewer in eight of their past 11 games coming off Mondays 2-1 overtime victory over Colorado.

The team still is ranked third in the league at 27 percent efficiency, but it had been humming at around 33 percent through the Christmas break. That is the kind of number that is required to maintain a hold on playoff position for a team that ranks 22nd in the league with 2.45 goals per 60:00 at five-on-five.

Again, though, its not that the power play has gone into a slump. By nature, power plays are streaky.

The overriding issue is that PP1 is leaving the situation worse than when it came on the ice. Of course, the group consists of the clubs best offensive players, so when they struggle with the man advantage, it can bleed into their overall game.

You might call that a double whammy.

Too much of a good thing?

The template for this power-play unit was established by former head coach David Quinn around Thanksgiving of 2019-20, his second year behind the bench. He had four righties in Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Strome and defenseman Tony DeAngelo with one lefty in Kreider.

Once it was formed, that unit clicked at close to 30 percent for the season. The Blueshirts unexpectedly charged into playoff contention following Igor Shesterkins promotion the first week of January and indeed received an invitation to the 24-team Cup tournament held in the bubble during the pandemic.

Why_it_s_time_for_the_Rangers_to_shake_up_their_power_play_and_what_options_they_have 3Adam Fox’s addition has been one of the few changes to a Rangers power-play unit that largely has remained intact since the 2019-20 season. APThe first week of the following season, Adam Fox replaced DeAngelo. And last season, Vincent Trocheck supplanted Strome. But the idea has remained pretty much the same.

The Rangers first unit has been on for all but three of the clubs 41 power-play goals, the second unit last having scored on Dec. 19 in Toronto. Of course, the second unit, which lately has consisted of Alexis Lafreniere, Blake Wheeler, Kaapo Kakko, Jonny Brodzinski and Erik Gustafsson, gets negligible time.

Fox was sidelined 10 games in November due to a lower body injury, but his four PP1 cohorts have gotten between 177:07 and 182:39 with the man advantage. Lafreniere, who has been the one staple on PP2 from the start of the season, has been on for 62:25 with the extra man. (The second group did hop on for an offensive zone draw with 55 seconds still on the clock during Mondays lone power play against Colorado.)

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Tough questions

Lafreniere is the logical candidate to move into the first unit, but at whose expense? Trochecks mastery at the dots has been an important ingredient in the units success. Lafreniere is not replacing Fox, so then it would be Kreider, Zibanejad or Panarin.

Good luck with that.

By the way, someone is going to have to explain to me how Kreider has scored only one power-play goal in his past 22 games after getting eight in the first 28. Moreover, someone is going to have to explain why No. 20 doesnt get more touches.

Why_it_s_time_for_the_Rangers_to_shake_up_their_power_play_and_what_options_they_have 3Chris Kreider has seen his power-play touches dwindle over the past few weeks. Charles Wenzelberg/New York PostIt is curious enough that Kreider has only one shot on the power play over the past eight games. It is stunning that the shot came on his only attempt over the past eight games. No deflections wide. No deflections blocked. One shot. One attempt.

Im not sure I understand that.

Actually, Im quite sure I dont.

The Rangers and Kreider need to fix this.

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