One of the most exciting moments of the season for the New York Rangers was when the team called up Gabe Perreault. For years, Perreault has been one of the most anticipated prospects for the Rangers. After dominating at Boston College and having a decent showing in the few games he played at the end of last season, fans were excited to see what the 20-year-old was able to do.
In the three games he played, he recorded one assist in his season debut against the Predators. The Rangers also won the three games that Perreault played in. That's why it was a bit of a surprise that they sent him back down to Hartford. Since Perreault returned to the AHL, the Rangers' play has taken a step back. The offense is not clicking like it was when Perreault was in the lineup. It seems like Perreault was more important to the Rangers than initially thought.
Gabe Perreault is the missing piece this offense needs
As mentioned before, the Rangers won all three games Perreault has played in this season. Not only did they win, but they dominated, outscoring their opponents 15-7. Sure, they were outshot 93-72, but with Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick in between the pipes, as long as they keep it close, it's not much of a concern. The line Perreault was on generated a lot of offense. According to Money Puck, they had an xGoals percentage of 58.8% and a xGoals For Per 60 Minutes of 2.06.
However, since Perreault has left the lineup, the Rangers have not won a game. They are on a three-game losing streak and have been outplayed. They have been outscored 11-6 and have been outshot 103-57. There is no bigger example of the Blueshirts' struggles than Tuesday's loss against the Golden Knights. In that game, they could not generate consistent offensive pressure and had few quality scoring chances.
Rangers' underlying numbers have been ugly
The advanced metrics do not paint a much better picture. According to Natural Stat Trick, when Perreault was in the lineup, the team had a Corsi of 49.46%, a Fenwick For of 48%, and an SCF percentage of 43.08%. But over the last three games, they have a Corsi of 45.42%, a Fenwick For of 42.46%, and an SCF percentage of 43.08%. These are noticeable drops in production. The Rangers went from a middle-of-the-pack offense to one of the worst in the league.
Perreault was bringing something to the team that helped them excel on offense. Sure, this did not show up on Perreault's individual stat sheet, but it's clear when you look at the team stat. The organization can claim that he's not ready for the NHL yet, but these stats tell a different story. He clearly fits the offense's game plan and helped it perform at a higher level.
If the Rangers want to turn around this season, they need to bring Perreault back as soon as possible. This will get the offense the jump start it's in desperate need of.