2. Ryan Strome
When it comes to the playoffs, it is about simplifying your game and doing the basics right like getting to the hard areas, getting pucks on net and creating traffic in front of the net.
Another big factor is secondary scoring, and that’s something the Rangers will have to develop in the Second Round against a Carolina team that got big production from not only some of their big guns, but also from the likes of Seth Jarvis and Max Domi in their First Round series against the Boston Bruins, while former Ranger Tony DeAngelo contributed eight points (one goal, seven assists) from the point.
Outside of the top two lines, the Rangers didn’t see much production from the bottom of their lineup with the kids – Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko – only recording eight points between them as good as they were against the Penguins, although Lafreniere was slotted into the top six at times.
Then there is Ryan Strome. He had six points against Pittsburgh but only one goal, which came in Game Two, and he will need to produce more offense in the Second Round.
While the hope is that Mika Zibanejad will now get hot after a strong finish to Round One, when it comes to match-ups it would help both Zibanejad and the Rangers if Strome was also lighting the lamp on a consistent basis in order to give Carolina three potent lines to have to worry about.
Strome did make an impact in the series against the Penguins with five helpers, including an assist in each of the last three games, while he recorded 17 hits, four blocked shots and 27 shots on goal, but becoming more of a scoring threat in Round Two would give the Rangers a far better chance of outgunning the Hurricanes and would also take the pressure of Zibanejad.
You need contributions from up and down your lineup in the postseason, and the onus will be on Strome to generate and drive secondary scoring in the Second Round.