Since Artemi Panarin joined the New York Rangers there has been one constant, Ryan Strome has been his center. But who plays the right wing has been a constant question for two and a half year and it has befuddled two coaches. The latest iteration has featured Filip Chytil and in a very small sample size, it has been seen as a success. But has it been?
Sure, Chytil has a goal and two assists in the three games he has been on their right wing. However, Panarin and Strome have each gotten only one 5v5 assist in those three games. As a line, that lack of production has been confirmed by advanced statistics.
The threesome has been on the ice together for 24:37 minutes at even strength. During that time the opposition has had 34 shots attempts to 24 for the Rangers along with advantages in scoring chances 21-10 and high danger scoring chances 8-3. The Rangers have outscored the competition two goals to one, but Igor Shesterkin has probably had something to do with that.
Some have pushed for restoring Kaapo Kakko to the Strome line and there are merits to that recommendation. That trio played over 161 minutes together and outdid the competition in shot attempts (150-144), scoring chances (79-76) and goals (7-3). For a team that is having issues scoring at even strength, those are decent numbers.
Coach Gerard Gallant has used Barclay Goodrow on that line and while possession numbers have been good, they haven’t scored. In 23:35 minutes of ice time they have been on the ice for one goal for and one goal against.
Dryden Hunt got a lengthy audition on their right side, playing almost 131 minutes together. That didn’t work out as they were on ice for seven goals for and seven goals against and they gave up more shot attempts (114-122) and scoring chances (52-58). That’s not the kind of offense you are looking for from the line featuring their most dynamic player.
Alexis Lafrenière has played only 14 minutes on that line. If you want to know why Gerard Gallant pulled the plug on that experiment, consider that the opposition had twice the shot attempts (10-21) while the trio had four scoring chances versus 12 for their opponents and the line was outscored 0-2.
We know who has had a chance this season, what about the past?