The Rangers are giving Tampa a taste of their own medicine

The New York Rangers are heading down south with a 2-0 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are on the cusp of an accomplishment that many never believed was possible when this season began. Frankly, they have already exceeded expectations to an unbelievable degree.

There are many contributing factors to this run of success. Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox have been stars, K’Andre Miller looks elite, Igor Shesterkin returned back to mid-season form after rough games in Pittsburgh, Chris Kreider is the captain of this team (just without the letter on his chest) and is scoring goals.

However, what has put this Ranger team over the edge is the performance from “The Kid Line.” Coming in to the postseason, the consensus was that if there was a batch of players on the team that could cost the Rangers, that it was Alexis Lafrenière, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil due to their lack of postseason experience.

It has been the complete opposite. It can be argued that this trio has been the most consistent grouping throughout all three series so far.

For teams that wish to go on a deep playoff run and ultimately win the Stanley Cup, depth production is vital. Yes, you need your top players to come through on most nights. You need an elite #1 defenseman. You need a hot goaltender. The Rangers have all of this.

What can take a team to another level is having a third line suffocating the opposition. This can alleviate pressure off of the stars if they are having a subpar night. The Kid Line will at least be a force and can pick them up.

When those stars are producing, as they are on most nights, the Kid Line can make the team unbeatable. When the Rangers top two line are on top of their game, the opposing defense needs to give it their all to suppress them. Then, the tenacious Kid Line comes on and adds to the fire.

When a team can roll out three strong lines it is very difficult to beat them. Chytil, Lafrenière and Kakko have been unstoppable in several games for the Rangers, especially in the first two games of this series.

This trio of young players looks quite similar to another trio that haunted the Rangers seven years ago.

Payback for 2015

When the Lightning beat the Rangers in the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, they were carried by what they had nicknamed, “The Triplets.” This line was made up by 24-year-old Tyler Johnson, 23-year-old Ondrej Palat and 21-year-old Nikita Kucherov. This was the postseason that Kucherov made a name for himself.

In Tampa’s 26 game run, Johnson posted 23 points, Kucherov with 22 and Palat with 16. Johnson and Kucherov were Tampa’s two leading scorers. Kucherov scored an overtime winner in Game Three, a game that most Ranger fans will likely remember clear as day.

When looking at the Kid Line’s statistical production, it is less than that of the Triplets. Chytil and Lafreniere each have 9 points in 16 games, with Kakko only having 5. However, their impact on the game is just as valuable as the impact the three from Tampa had on their run.

In this scenario, it is Chytil scoring the massive game swaying goals, rather than Kucherov. While they may not be the leaders in scoring for this Ranger team, it is still satisfying to see them dominate Tampa Bay the same way the Triplets did to  the Blueshirts back in 2015, on the same stage

A Change in off-season narratives

It is important to live in the moment and relish this amazing run. The off-season does not matter at this point in time. While both of these statements are truthful, it is fascinating to dwell on how the kid’s playoff production could change the plans for the off-season.

There is the potential that these three have proven capable of receiving second line minutes next season. That could allow the Gallant to deploy a top six of:

Kreider – Zibanejad – Panarin

Lafreniere – Chytil – Kakko

The biggest question mark is what are the organization’s expectations for Chytil.  If they believe he is capable of manning the second line center position, it could allow Chris Drury to spend money elsewhere rather than on Andrew Copp or Ryan Strome.

Even if this is the case, Copp could be re-signed as the third line center, and create a strong checking line with Barclay Goodrow and another winger who could be  a prospect (Vitali Kravtsov?), a rostered player (Sammy Blais?) or a free agent.

These are interesting questions to be asking ourselves. Whether this team gets these last six wins or not, these playoffs have been beyond a success, and a promising step forward for the future of the franchise. If they keep up this level of play, they are mightily capable.

The Kid Line will continue to be an X-Factor. Let’s see what else they can surprise us with.