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New York Rangers: Tanner Glass Has Played Well Since Recall

By John Williams

Mar 12, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Rangers goalie Antti Raanta (32) receives congratulations from left wing Tanner Glass (15) after the game against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. New York won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Rangers goalie Antti Raanta (32) receives congratulations from left wing Tanner Glass (15) after the game against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. New York won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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In a surprising plot twist, Tanner Glass has actually played well since the New York Rangers brought him back into the fold.

When Tanner Glass was recalled on Sunday, February 26th, New York Rangers fans were not very happy.

How could they be? They saw this movie before. Glass, an obsolete heavyweight, had found himself back on the roster after two years of being misused by Alain Vigneault

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After years of being a liability on both ends of the ice, but still being rolled out on the ice continuously anyway, Tanner Glass has been putting together the best stretch of hockey he has ever played at the NHL level.

It’s a Small Sample Size, But…

In Glass’ first three games of the season, the 33-year-old tallied a goal and an assist, which were both scored in the same game. Glass, who had been a puck-possession anchor throughout his career–his best CF% over the course of a season was his 43% in 14-15, his first year as a Ranger.

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So far through his first three games, Glass has an even strength CF% of 47.4%, which is higher than the likes of Rick Nash, Jimmy Vesey, J.T. Miller, Michael Grabner and Ryan McDonagh have this year, albeit in a very small sample size.

Glass, who generally spent all of his time on the ice in the defensive zone in previous years, has found a home in front of the net in the offensive zone. This has led to many scoring chances for not only himself, but his teammates alike.

And for those who feared that the Rangers would not be able to roll four lines with him in the lineup, Glass has had more than 11 minutes of ice time in three straight games, since only playing 5:17 in his season debut against the Lightning. This is only about two minutes less than the Rangers give Jesper Fast per game.

Give Credit Where it is Due

Listen, I was in the same boat as most of RangersTown when he was first called up, but there is no way you can be disappointed in Glass’ play this past week. He has played well and brought some energy to an otherwise dull lineup. And let’s be honest, I think at this point I’d rather have him in the lineup than Brandon Pirri. Pirri doesn’t have any redeeming quality if he’s not scoring.

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Of course, you have a problem with him playing with under a minute to go and down a goal. You should have a problem with this. As good as he’s been, that is not a role suited for him. Especially with the options Vigneault has on his bench, it’s inexcusable. It’s also inexcusable for him to be bumped to the second line for Pavel Buchnevich. With that said, you cannot fault the player for going on the ice when he is told to do so.

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The bottom line is this; If Glass played like this over the last two years, maybe the Rangers would have gone a bit further. The past is in the past, and hopefully, Glass can become the Benjamin Button of the NHL as he continues to get what seems like a second wind here in the stretch run.

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