10 things on the New York Rangers Christmas wishlist
By Conor Power
Powerplay help
New York’s powerplay is very middling. While this is not a major weakness of the roster, being 13th in the NHL on the powerplay means that the man advantage isn’t the deadly weapon the Rangers used to perfection in their efforts to overcome the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes in the playoff last season. Firsthand, the Rangers got to see how important a powerplay can be with their new young team in the postseason.
Now not having a man advantage that puts fear into the opponents of taking a penalty is a step backward from last year. There is no shame in the current man advantage and how it is performing but during the holiday season, indulging in a little gluttony is not something to be ashamed of. Having the Rangers’ powerplay take that next step and get back to being one of the best in the NHL could make a world of difference.
Last season, the Rangers were a mediocre 5-on-5 team if the analytical crowd is to be believed. If it is to be believed, then the Blueshirts getting back to being so dominant with the extra man will be in its best interests. Despite clicking at just 23.3% at the time of writing this, the Blueshirts are a very middling team when faced with a powerplay. There have been a few tried and trusted strategies but it seems a little unlikely to succeed,
Getting someone that can get this unit from a middle-of-the-pack group to a team with a man advantage that puts a fear of taking penalties into their opponents. That fear of going to the box last year helped put the teams into that position and it handcuffed what they could do at 5-on-5 and when they did head to the box, the Rangers could truly put them to the sword.