Oscar Lindberg has had a great playoffs for the New York Rangers. He has done a great job bringing life to the fourth line.
The New York Rangers have had a very positive experience playing the fourth line this postseason. That is due heavily to the efforts of center Oscar Lindberg.
Lindberg has centered several different combinations of forwards. In games one through three, he was playing alongside Tanner Glass and Jesper Fast. In the past two games, Michael Grabner has been playing with him instead of Glass.
Despite the rotating forwards, the fourth line has been great. Lindberg has done an especially great job sustaining a forecheck.
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Corsi Monster
Lindberg has been all over the advanced statistics sheet. His Corsi numbers have been phenomenal.
Corsi is a statistic that measures shots on the ice. A ‘Corsi For’ is any shot that is directed at the net. It doesn’t have to be a shot on goal. A ‘Corsi Against’ is the same thing but for your opponent.
Lindberg has 14 CF and 0 CA. Yes, you may need to re-read the description of the stat a few times because it is really impressive.
The Canadiens have zero shots directed at the goal while Oscar Lindberg is on the ice. He is a possession maniac and it’s part of the reason why the Rangers are leading the series.
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No Offense, No Problem
Through the first five playoff games for the Rangers, Lindberg has logged just one assist. It came by winning an offensive-zone faceoff to Tanner Glass who scored off a backhand.
However, offense isn’t what the Rangers are looking for or need from Lindberg and the fourth line.
The Rangers have three lines that can score in bunches. The fourth line doesn’t need to be an offensive juggernaut for any team, especially the Rangers.
Playing defense and keeping the puck deep in the offensive zone is what this line has done best. It gives the top lines a chance to rest while applying some pressure on Carey Price. The Rangers can’t ask for much more out of this line.
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Faceoff Machine
Lindberg has really been a force in the faceoff circle too. He has won 59.5% of his faceoffs in these playoffs. His regular season career high came this year at 52%.
Anything over 50% works for most teams. Lindberg is closer to 60% than he is 50%. If you couple that with his Corsi numbers, you have a player that has the puck a lot of the time.
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You can’t win if you can’t score, and you can’t score if you don’t have the puck. Lindberg knows that and it’s part of the reason why the Rangers have had more success than failure this postseason.