Yeah, when your ultra-talented hockey team is in a slump, nothing but frustration ensues. There’s little good to say right now about the NY Rangers, a team that has just one win since November 21st.
Overall, the team looks demoralized, and when there’s little morale and momentum for anyone, it doesn’t matter how good you are. You’re not winning many hockey games until someone steps up and takes control. Luckily for the Blueshirts, they have a player who’s been fitting the mold, and it’s none other than Will Cuylle, who is snagging top-six minutes amidst a good situation in a bad scenario.
Over his last five contests, Cuylle has five points and two goals, plus top-six minutes in each of his last four games. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about Cuylle, who has so far surprised us all in a good way, and it looks like he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
For Rangers fans, this couldn’t be more welcoming news, as Cuylle is that kind of player who’s going to be a scorer, a playmaker, and an intimidating force. Someone like that can strike fear into opponents, and it’s exactly what the Blueshirts need.
The NY Rangers haven’t been a force lately, but Will Cuylle has
Cuylle was approaching his career-high in points the last time I spoke about him, but he’s now just one shy of setting a new personal best, with 20 in 24 contests, plus nine goals. He’s already at a new career-best for assists with 11, and when he snags five more goals in the near future, he’ll be hitting career milestone after career milestone with, hopefully, some wins following.
Better yet, the Blueshirts are still scoring often with Cuylle on the ice at even strength, and they’re finding the net 14.3 percent of the time in the process. That’s 24 goals scored for the Blueshirts this year with Cuylle out there, and he’s still nowhere near 50 percent in the Corsi For.
I translate that into a player who’s helping a team make the most of their chances, so imagine what could happen if they start possessing the puck more when he’s on the ice. Yeah, so in short, Cuylle should give this fanbase something to get excited over, even amidst what’s been one of the roughest stretches in recent memory.
I’m confident that, regardless of the final score on game night, Cuylle will keep producing well. It’s just a matter of whether the Blueshirts will follow. If so, look for them to bounce back and threaten a top-three spot in the Metropolitan Division quickly.