What happened to the Rangers’ power play?

A need for change

This season more than ever, there is a need for flexibility when deploying special teams.  One reason that the Rangers were so successful last season was that they didn’t play the same teams over and over, the way that they have this season.  When you play San Jose or Anaheim twice, often months apart, there is less of a chance that they will know what’s coming.

This season, the opposition has time to adjust and adapt to the Rangers’ power play and when it is the same story over and over and over, the results are predictable.

The Rangers have scored two power play goals three times.  In each instance, in the next game against the same team they were scoreless on the power play.  Twice they scored three power play goals in a game and the next game they were held to one power play goal. The simple fact is that teams adjust.

In one instance against the Flyers the Rangers had two goals and eight shots on goal in 6:36 of power play time.   The next time the two teams met they had no goals and four shots in 5:59 minutes.

Against the Sabres, the Rangers scored a goal and had six shots on goal in 2:59 minutes.  The next time they met, the Sabres held the Rangers scoreless on 10 shots on goal in 8:00 minutes.

The Rangers scored three goals on six shots in 6:45 minutes against the Flyers.  Two days later, the Rangers had 7:25 minutes of power play time, but the Flyers held them to one goal and five shots.

Finally, in their 8-4 win over the Penguins the Rangers scored three goals on five shots in 2;34.  Two days later the Rangers were held to one power play. The didn’t score and had one shot on goal.

This season, teams see each other so much, they can adjust game to game. What worked in the first game falls flat in the second, because teams adjust.

For the Rangers, the lack of variety on the power play makes it “easy” to defend.  As fans, we all know what’s coming.  East-west passes until Mika Zibanejad or Artemi Panarin can get a one-time.  No crashing the net, no shots to create rebounds, it always a search for the perfect shot.   If we can see it (and we do every game), there’s no question the opposition does too.  And that begs the question, why doesn’t the coaching staff adjust?

Why not?

David Quinn’s lack of flexibility when it comes to deploying his power play units is mystifying.  He has some offensive talent to utilize and he just doesn’t do it.  Its not just a matter of starting the second until instead of the first, though he could certainly try that.

Why not put Kaapo Kakko and Vitali Kravtsov on he first unit with Panarin, Strome and Fox?  The second unit would then be Zibanejad, Kreider, Buchnevich, Trouba and Miller.  It would be a new look and will alter how teams defend.

He could use Colin Blackwell who shoots and drives to the net.  Could Alexis Lafrenière jump start the man advantage?  You don’t know until you try and that is one thing that the coach has not done.

Quinn is showing a willingness to give the kids more ice time, but right now it is all at even strength.  It’s time he started mixing it up.  What’s the harm?