The New York Rangers are an offensively driven team, as evidenced by the majority of their 2016-2017 campaign. Their ability to roll four consistent lines is what will separate them from other NHL teams down the stretch. It is up to the bottom six forwards to step up their game to help accomplish this.
The Rangers’ success this season is based on their vital offensive ability. It carries them in many instances when they are down and need some life. It is also agreed upon that the team needs each of the four lines putting their all out on the ice on a constant basis.
The Evidence of Why it Works:
The Rangers have been better when they have an even distribution of goals throughout the four lines. When the scoring is limited to only the first two lines, the success is not there to the same extent. A
lso, there’s more blowout wins when the Rangers “spread the wealth” across all four lines. Take a look back at some of the games where many different players notched a point.
In the game against the San Jose Sharks, which the Rangers won 7-4, they had seven different goal scorers. J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, Brandon Pirri, Mats Zuccarello, and Nick Holden were the five goal scorers in the Rangers’ 7-2 debacle of the Vancouver Canucks.
On November 5th, in a 5-2 victory over the Bruins, it was Holden, Stepan, Hayes, Pavel Buchnevich and Michael Grabner that carried the team.
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How it’s Been put into Action:
Coach Alain Vigneault has been tested numerous times this season, whether it be because of injuries (mainly) or inconsistent players.
The reason Vigneault recently put Grabner on the third line is because he knows he will thrive on any line due to his speed and strength as a player. However, he doesn’t have the experience to log as many minutes as other forwards per night.
This is partially because he plays the power play and the penalty kill, as well, or as some of his teammates have called it, the power kill.
This was a smart move on Vigneault’s part in because putting Grabner’s abilities on a third line makes yet another line more dangerous. That, in turn, gives the team three consistent lines.
What Needs to get Better:
Players that show a lot of promise but need to remain undeviating from their good starts include Jimmy Vesey, Matt Puempel, and Brandon Pirri. Vesey was the star out of Harvard that NHL teams were drooling over during the offseason.
Pirri began the season with a lot of promise, finding the back of the net on the power play many different times. Since then, his play has rendered him a spot on the “healthy scratch” list at certain points. The goals he’s scored since his hot start have been viewed merely as “spurts” because they are few and far in between.
Despite Puempel having a hat trick in the game against Colorado to end calendar year 2016, he hasn’t continuously proven to be a reliable goal scorer in times of need for the team. What is important to remember is that he is only 24 years old. This means there is a lot of room for improvement, but it must happen soon for him to be able to be relied on.
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The bottom six forwards will distinguish the Rangers and make them have something special to their name if they prove their consistency. There are points in the season that have shown their potential, but it needs to be continuous in order for them to truly make that difference.