Following a game six win for the Ottawa Senators, it was revealed that star defenseman Erik Karlsson has two fractures in his left heel. Karlsson and the Senators will play the New York Rangers in the second round of the playoffs.
It was revealed this past Sunday that Erik Karlsson fractured his foot against the Philadelphia Flyers in the regular season. He blocked a shot off his left heel and had to leave the game. The injury caused him to miss five games at the end of the regular season.
The win on Sunday clinched the series for the Senators and secured their second round match up with the New York Rangers
There have been many questions as to why Karlsson would reveal this injury after the first round. Most teams will usually wait until the player is out for the playoffs or they are eliminated to reveal injuries.
The New York Rangers now have an opportunity to exploit this weakness in Karlsson’s game. There aren’t many to begin with so the Rangers are lucky to have had this news made available to them before the series starts.
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Karlsson’s Importance
It’s hard to find a player more pivotal to his team’s success than what Karlsson is to the Senators.
His numbers have put him right next to Brent Burns as the league’s top defenseman. He has been that way for years and has two Norris Trophies to show for it.
The Senators may not be a playoff team without Karlsson. He averaged 26:50 ice time per game in the regular season.
He is a possession maniac on a team that does not do a great job controlling the puck.
Evan Sporer of Sports Illustrated pointed out the possession differences when Karlsson is on the ice vs. off the ice. This regular season, the Senators had 40 more shot attempts than their opponents when Karlsson was playing. Without him, they were out-attempted by 280.
You can argue that Karlsson doesn’t even make this team ‘good’. He really just keeps them afloat in the standings and playoffs.
In the first round against the Bruins Karlsson was averaging an assist a game. His speed and creativity make him lethal in all situations for the Senators.
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Rangers Possible Strategy
The Rangers are a classy organization. With that being said, attempting to further injure Karlsson seems like something that the Rangers would not intentionally do.
However, there is another way that the Rangers can leverage this ailment to Karlsson’s foot. Speed.
The Rangers are an incredibly quick team. They boast speed on all four lines with defensemen that can provide a boost of speed as well.
Their style of offense thrives in transition. They like to make a play on one end to gain possession, and use their speed to create chances on the other end.
Karlsson’s game will undoubtedly be slowed down by this injury. He faired well in the first round against the Bruins, but his foot won’t be getting better as the playoffs progress.
It’s important for the Rangers to adjust their style of play to meet Karlsson’s weakness. Karlsson averaged 30 minutes per game in the first round even with his fractured foot. He is on the ice for approximately half of the game.
Next: Thoughts on the Series Clincher and Moving Forward for the Rangers
If the Rangers can’t find a way to stifle Karlsson they will have big problems. The Senators are the team they are because of Karlsson. If he is on his game the Rangers will have a significant challenge on their hands.