State of the New York Rangers rebuild: Report card #3

Last year’s New York Rangers ate this season’s evil twin

If the last two seasons of New York Rangers hockey were a Star Trek episode, they would be Mirror Mirror. The episode depicts a mirror universe where much of everything was the opposite. The benevolent United Federation of Planets was now the Imperial Starfleet and Kirk a totalitarian that gained his captaincy through assassination. While much of the New York Rangers’ results, in terms of record and standings are similar, how they have been achieved are as different as night and day.

At this point in the season last year the Rangers were a defensive mess that won on the ability of its offense and power play to win the day. The Rangers’ 71 goals in the first 30% of games last season ranked 15th in the league while playing the second fewest games of any team ranked higher. Their 15 power play goals helped the team to a power play conversion rate of 20.55%. This year’s team is a far cry from the level of offensive explosiveness that was found last season.

The 2021 version of the New York Rangers has scored just 48 goals through the first 30% of the season, ranking them 23rd in the league. The power play has also regressed significantly having scored just 11 goals and is operating at only a 15.49% success rate. In a more direct comparison, this years team has scored four fewer goals on only two less opportunities with the man advantage.

So, while offense powered the 2019-20 New York Rangers, defense has stabilized the 2021 team. In three fewer games played, the Rangers have surrendered 236 fewer shots on goal and 28 fewer goals. That amounts to a reduction of nearly seven shots and one goal per game. Their 528 shots surrendered on goal ranks 11th in the league with most of the teams ranking better having played fewer games.

The penalty kill provides the biggest difference. The penalty kill is a current strength while it was a weakness last year. Last season saw the team surrender 21 goals in 21 games, a one goal per game average over their first 30% of the season. This year, through the teams first 18 games, the penalty kill has only given up 10 goals. Although the results are far better, discipline remains an issue. The 2021 Rangers have played shorthanded 67 times this season. That averages to 3.72 times shorthanded per game, only slightly better than last season’s average of 3.95.