New York Rangers’ X-Factors for the Post-Season
In this round of Blue Line Station’s New York Rangers Round-Table, we discuss the X-Factors for the Rangers’ playoff run..
The New York Rangers are looking to make a run in this year’s NHL playoffs. Following a disappointing first round exit last year, the Rangers have plenty to prove as well. However, this season has been filled with plenty of ups and downs, leaving a fair question of whether or not the Rangers are contenders.
The belief here at Blue Line Station is that the Rangers can be contenders if everything goes right. Of course, everything consists of plenty of moving parts.
With that in mind, the Blue Line Station team got together to discuss the top X-Factors that will decide how far the Rangers advance in the playoffs.
Brandon Cohen- Depth Decisions
The New York Rangers feature only one advantage over the rest of the competition in this year’s NHL playoffs: their depth. New York owns an outstanding amount of depth up front, enough to possibly even outweigh how poor their defense is.
Yet the Rangers also possess a coach who does not like to play his best players. Alain Vigneault sometimes plugs in enforcer Tanner Glass to give the team a different look. That different look is awful.
If the Rangers use their depth to their advantage and roll four skill lines, they have a shot at out-scoring their own defensive miscues. If Tanner Glass sees the ice, the Rangers will crumble early in the post-season.
Depth is key.
John Williams- Winning at Home
Despite the New York Rangers having one of the top 10 road records in NHL history this season, they will have to face teams who have great home records in the playoffs. The Canadiens, for instance, have a 23-11-5 record at the Belle Centre. The Rangers only have 11 regular season wins in that very building since it’s inception, and even though they stole a few games there in 13-14 en route to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 20 years, it’s still not the best situation to go into.
This is why the Rangers need to figure out how to win at the Garden, and fast, because their entire 16-17 season will depend on them winning at least a game or two on Broadway. In years past, this might not have been a problem, but the Rangers only have 19 wins in 38 Manhattan boughts this season.
Luckily for them, they have three more home games to figure out the mystery of finding two points underneath their iconic roof. Two of those games are against the Penguins and the other is against the Flyers, so if the Rangers end up figuring it out now, it will surely give them confidence as they will need to do it against rivals in crunch time.
Daniel Carrozzi- Usage of Pavel Buchnevich
The New York Rangers X-factor in the playoffs is Pavel Buchnevich.
Despite only tallying 8 goals and 20 points in 37 games, Buchnevich’s play and deployment could go a long way for the Rangers’ postseason campaign.
Throughout his abbreviated rookie season, Buchnevich has been deployed up and down the lineup. In the event he is in the lineup during the playoffs, he will likely see bottom six minutes.
However, Buchnevich being in the bottom six may work to the Rangers’ advantage. He will have more favorable matchups and with his skill, will have the opportunity to do some damage. Depth is often preached as a hallmark of true contending teams, as top lines tend to get keyed in on during the playoffs.
Another area where Buchnevich can act as an X-factor is on the powerplay. While the Rangers have picked up the pace on the man advantage lately, it is much more threatening when Buchnevich is working the right circle. From there, he is able to make his crisp, hard passes across the formation or unleash his lethal wrist shot or slap shot.
Garrett Gartino- Top Defensive Pair
Heading into the 2017 NHL Playoffs, the New York Rangers face an uphill battle towards achieving their goal of a Stanley Cup victory. Among the several things that must fall into place is the team’s top defensive pair, headlined by captain Ryan McDonagh.
If the past is any indicator of who McDonagh’s partner will be, all signs point to Dan Girardi. The gritty veteran has long been a favorite of head coach Alain Vigneault. All despite consistent decline and detrimental play over the last several seasons.
Should Girardi be unhealthy, Vigneault has few options waiting.
Marc Staal and Nick Holden have both seen time on the top pair, but neither are fit for that role during the playoffs. Meanwhile, the other right-handed veteran Kevin Klein carries just as little upside as Girardi.
Adam Clendening’s offensive upside and quick transition game offer the team’s only legitimate right-handed option.
While Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith, both left-handed, are easily the team’s 2nd and 3rd best defenseman. Choosing from this group could be the X-Factor to the Rangers’ playoff success.
Tim Haggerty- The Third Period
The NHL playoffs will require all hands on deck for the New York Rangers. But one x-factor stands out as a major key for the Rangers: the third period.
It’s no secret that you have to play well in the third period if you want to win a Stanley Cup. The Rangers have done a good job closing games out this year and that needs to hold up in the playoffs.
We all remember the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals where the Rangers lost to the Kings in five games. The Rangers blew three leads in third period in that series and went on to lose all three of those games in OT. Had that not happened, it would have been a much different story.
The opponents will be tougher this season and the Rangers aren’t as good as they once were, placing all the pressure on their ability to play a strong third period and close out games.
Karly Redpath- Henrik Lundqvist
One of the keys to a successful postseason for the Rangers will be the play of Henrik Lundqvist.
The Rangers have made playoff appearances for the last 12 seasons with Lundqvist as their anchor in net.
Back when the Rangers made their Stanley Cup run in 2013-14, Lundqvist effectively carried the team into the finals. In the 25 games they played, Lundqvist recorded a save percentage of .927 and had a goals against average of 2.14, allowing just 54 goals on 737 shot attempts.
This year, Lundqvist has played a less consistent game and seems uncharacteristically frantic in net. This is a result of struggling with his positioning, which has impacted his confidence.
For the Rangers to have a shot at making a run in the playoffs this season, they will need their most important defenseman to step up his game.
When Lundqvist plays well and comes up with big stops in important moments, it helps to inspire the 18 teammates playing in front of him. The Rangers need him to start making more big saves and ultimately play his best hockey — especially due to their struggle with inconsistency on defense this season.
Lundqvist is the key to the Rangers’ success yet again because he has been an essential part of the roster for the last 12 seasons.
George Ruggiero- The Power-Play
The Rangers power play is the team’s biggest x-factor going into the playoffs. As of late, the Rangers power play has been producing, but the playoffs prove to be a much different challenge every season.
Throughout the season, the Rangers have been able to rely on their even strength scoring to win games. However, the game to tends to tighten up in the playoffs, and the games become more low scoring. This is where the power play needs to step up this season.
The playoffs is also where the Rangers’ power play has stalled in years past. This season can not be the same. One way or another, the Rangers power play will be an x-factor. Be that in a good way or a bad way.