New York Rangers Stock Market: Risers and fallers 1/21-1/28
The New York Rangers have completed their California road trip. Losing of two of three games, the team needs every point they can get from here on out.
The Rangers continue to prove they have no business playing playoff hockey this season. Their inconsistency will be their inevitable downfall and their inability to adjust will keep them down.
Their first game of the California trip was against the Los Angeles Kings. The Rangers managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in a 4-2 loss. The game started out well enough, with David Desharnais and Jimmy Vesey scoring in the first period to gain a 2-0 lead. In the second period, the Rangers gave up three power play goals and the Kings took the lead. An empty-net goal in the third period sealed the deal for the Kings to win 4-2.
Their second game of the trip was against the Anaheim Ducks. In a first period where there were goals galore, Henrik Lundqvist was replaced by Ondrej Pavelec after allowing three of four first period goals. Michael Grabner scored his 21st goal of the year, giving the Rangers a glimmer of hope and making the score 4-3. However, the Ducks scored their second power play goal of the game and eventually added an empty-net goal for a 6-3 Rangers loss.
Against the San Jose Sharks, the Rangers were able to come away with a 6-5 win. The defense carried the offense, with captain Ryan McDonagh scoring his first and second goals of the year and Brady Skjei contributing a goal and an assist. Kevin Hayes scored the first goal of the game in his first game returning from injury. While the Sharks fought back, the Rangers managed to hold on and come away with two points.
Up: Tony DeAngelo
Despite being ‘down’ last week, Tony DeAngelo has improved vastly this week.
DeAngelo played extremely below expectations before his most recent call-up. In his first stint with the Rangers, he was a defensive liability. The same issues plagued him with the Hartford Wolfpack. He remained a liability defensively and tended to stay with a negative plus/minus rating(plus means the player was on the ice for a goal for, even means the player wasn’t on the ice for a goal for or against, and negative means the player was on for a goal against.) However, being called up has been good for him.
One of DeAngelo’s selling points was his offensive upside. In four games so far with the Rangers, he has two assists.In addition, his plus/minus has been relatively even and was only a -1 against the Kings. The Rangers have officially lost Kevin Shattenkirk for the rest of the season. This leaves DeAngelo with a prime opportunity to get playing time and show the Rangers he is capable of playing at the NHL level.
Coach Alain Vigneault has also been quite trusting of DeAngelo. He has received upwards of 15 minutes per night in ice time, with the exception of the San Jose Sharks game where he recorded 13:14 in TOI.
If DeAngelo continues to play well, prove he can handle an NHL workload, and keep his ego in check, he will be a valuable player for the Rangers. With the league slowly moving towards defenseman with an offensive touch, DeAngelo could be extremely valuable in the near future.
Down: The Penalty Kill
The penalty kill has been absolutely atrocious this week.
The absentee penalty kill was nearly the sole reason for the losses against both the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. Three second period power play goals by the Kings proved to be the Rangers’ downfall. They dropped a two-goal lead and due to their shortcomings, never quite recovered. In addition, two of the six goals scored by the Ducks were power play goals. Not entirely leading to their 6-3 win, but definitely making it that much easier.
The strangest thing that has occurred is when the penalty kill sinks, the power play rises. The Rangers have scored three power play goals in their last three games this week, and have six in their last five games. However. it is better to be able to defend your way to a win than score your way out of defensive errors, proven by them losing three of their previous five games.
New York’s penalty kill needs to be fixed, and fast. They cannot be dropping games where they have an early lead, especially when they give teams the perfect opportunity to score.
Up: Ryan McDonagh
In a season littered with injuries and trade rumors, Ryan McDonagh’s play is starting to pick up.
The captain has always been a steady and productive defenseman. Add in his leadership skills and McDonagh is nearly the perfect player. Unfortunately, the injury bug has gotten a hold on McDonagh and has impacted his play all season. The player who is usually known for his ability to pitch in scoring wise only recently picked up his first goal. But, McDonagh has looked quite strong this week.
McDonagh’s best game this week came against the San Jose Sharks. He pitched in two goals to aid the Rangers in snapping their three-game losing streak. McDonagh did something necessary for captains to do: he took the horse by the reins and led the way. It’s one thing to tell your teammates to step up, it’s another thing to show it.
Ryan McDonagh is pertinent to the team’s success. Recently, rumors have been circulating surrounding the possibility of trading McDonagh at the trade deadline. While he could bring in a substantial haul, I would only trade him in the most dire of circumstances. It may not always seem like it, but McDonagh (along with Henrik Lundqvist) form the backbone of this team. Losing him would set the Rangers back a number one defenseman, and would signal the end of an era.
Down: Ty Ronning
Ty Ronning, normally an animal of an offensive player, has been having an off week.
Ronning has turned out to be an absolute gem of a draft pick. He was selected in the seventh round, 201st overall in the 2016 draft. His numbers show that he is monstrously good, with 42 goals and 17 assists for 59 points in 49 games this season.
Unfortunately, Ronning has been having a down week. He has no points whatsoever in the three games he has played in. This is his second longest pointless streak, the first coming towards the beginning of the season where he went four games without a point. His plus/minus rating has been in the negatives with the exception of one where he was a plus one.
Does this week show that Ty Ronning is slowing down or not what we think he is? No. This is a textbook example of a player simply going on a bit of a drought. In no way do I think this is sustainable at all. Ronning is constantly in positions to score and always takes advantage, he has 10 power play goals and nearly always has more than one shot a game. If his play can follow him as he moves up to NHL level hockey, he will be a fantastic future New York Ranger.
Up: Brady Skjei
Brady Skjei has continued to prove why he is vital to the Rangers’ defensive core.
In a year where the entirety of the defensive core hasn’t been playing well, Brady Skjei has been a bright spot. Though his offensive production has been less than last year (similar to Ryan McDonagh), his defensive skills are still sharp. In only his sophomore season, he is taking on a large workload due to him arguably being the team’s second best defenseman. His play this week has been as strong as ever.
Skjei has three points in three games this week. He has one assist against the Los Angeles Kings and a goal and an assist against the San Jose Sharks. His weakest game came against the Anaheim Ducks where he has no points and was a minus three, but this was a game where absolutely no one played well. He continues to be trusted with over 15 minutes played per night and can be counted on to take on top lines of the opposing teams. Even if you were to say he is in a bit of a “sophomore slump,” Skjei is still playing extremely well.
Brady Skjei is the perfect player to build the team around. With the recent news surrounding the Rangers’ management wanting to tear apart the team, Skjei should be untouchable. He’s young, he’s talented, and he can clearly be trusted with taking on top competition night in and night out. It is safe to say that Skjei will be a staple on this blue line for years to come.
Down: Ryan Gropp
Unlike Ty Ronning, Ryan Gropp has been having a down season. Not just a down week.
Ryan Gropp was selected in 2015 in the second round, 41st overall. His OHL career was filled with goals galore and scored 30 goals or higher three of his four seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The 2017-2018 season has been his first playing professionally, a season in which he is clearly struggling.
Gropp has only eight goals and three assists for 11 points in 38 games. He has gone nine games without a goal and 13 without an assist. His season has been littered with scoring droughts and at one point went on a 14 game pointless streak. He has remained with either an even (much like this week) or a negative plus/minus rating the entire season. Does this mean Gropp is actually a bust?
I truly don’t believe Ryan Gropp is a bust. This is his first year playing professional hockey and his is simply just struggling. Some players start their AHL careers and are offensive juggernauts, some take longer to adjust. Gropp is clearly falling into the latter category and I do not think his poor play will continue into next season.
Next: The pros and cons of buying and selling
The Rangers have six days off for the All-Star Game break. The schedule coming up is nothing short of brutal, with nearly all of the opponents being playoff teams. This grueling schedule up ahead will help the Rangers truly determine whether to simple retool or rebuild going into next season.