Blue Line Station
Fansided

New York Rangers’ Rick Nash Has Been a Force in the Postseason

By Karly Redpath

Apr 18, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) celebrates scoring a goal during the second period against the Montreal Canadiens in game four of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) celebrates scoring a goal during the second period against the Montreal Canadiens in game four of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Since the New York Rangers’ appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals during the 2013-14 season, Rick Nash has been criticized for his lack of performance in the playoffs. He looks to have put that behind him.

Veteran forward Rick Nash posted just three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 25 games in the 2013-14 playoffs, a number that was too low for one of the New York Rangers highest paid players and the guy who was supposed to be their number one offensive weapon.

The 32-year-old has seen ups and downs throughout both the regular season and the playoffs over the past few years, but despite this, Nash has been one of the Rangers most important offensive players thus far in this postseason.

New York Rangers
New York Rangers /

New York Rangers

Nash in the Regular Season

In looking at Nash’s regular season stats, it is important to note that he has not played a full 82 games since being traded to the Rangers — he has played between 44 (2012-2013) and 79 (2014-15).

However, his points per game numbers are solid for missing games in every season. Nash had 30 (and one 40-point) season in his five years on the team despite missing games, and his corsi-for percentage (CF%) has hovered at just around 50 percent for the last five years (54.7, 54.6, 50.9, 48.2, 46.3, respectively).

The veteran has posted 224 points in 315 games in his five years with the Rangers, and beyond just the points, he has made a huge impact on the ice in every game he plays adding veteran presence and skill.

Nash in the Postseason

While the Rangers really could have used a more successful postseason from Nash in 2013-14, he has managed to turn things around since.

From 2013-2014, Nash played in 37 playoff games for the Rangers and had just four goals for 0.11 GPG, far off what was seen from him in the regular season in this span (0.47 and 0.40 respectively).

In the 2014 playoffs, however, Nash began to turn things around. In the 19 playoff games he played at the end of the 2014-15 season, Nash had 14 points off five goals and nine assists (three of those nine were primary assists).

Despite one of his worst regular season performances (tallying a career-low 15 goals in 2015-16), Nash managed to put up four points (two goals, two assists) in the Rangers five playoff games against the Penguins last year.

Related Story: New York Rangers’ Youngsters Gaining Valuable Playoff Experience

This Postseason

Rick Nash has helped lead the Rangers in the clutch this postseason. Perhaps the most important play he has made so far was his goal in in Tuesday night’s game four against Montreal.

With Nash’s two goals in the series against Montreal, the NHL veteran has recorded 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in his last 13 playoff games. The win on Tuesday also ended a six-game losing streak for the Rangers on home ice during the playoffs.

Nash has been one of the best offensive options for the Rangers throughout the playoffs, consistently getting himself to dangerous areas of the ice and allowing him to have good chances on net.

His size and skill in traffic make him dangerous and his effort in all three zones make him reliable and has helped him lead his teammates. This is perhaps best seen in his play on a line with rookie Jimmy Vesey. The two have thrived off of each other, but their chemistry has been most evident in these games against Montreal.

Final Thoughts

Nash has faced a good deal of criticism in the previous years. Of course it comes with the territory; playing in a place like New York comes with a lot of pressure on the players to constantly be their best.

He has had ups and downs in the regular season and has missed a good deal of games from year-to-year, but in the last three postseasons, he has shown that he can and will come up big when it matters most. The Rangers know if they wanna go deep in the playoffs this year, Nash will have to be a catalyst for them. He has been so far, and hopes to continue to do so.

Next: New York Rangers Game Four Thoughts: Adapt, Attack, Win

Rick Nash no longer disappears in the playoffs. And this year, he has shown, albeit through four ghe will be key to the New York Rangers success.

Home/Analysis