Power Rangers
Blueshirts have morphed into a threat with man-advantage
The Rangers’ power play looked more effective in Monday’s 5-3 win over the Sabres than it has all season.
Granted, the bar wasn’t hard to clear, considering there were instances through the first half of the year where it didn’t even look like the Blueshirts had the man-advantage when they did. But as the team continues to develop offensive chemistry, it’s filtering throughout each aspect of its game, including the power play.
The Rangers were 2-for-3 on the power play Monday, with both goals (including one at five-on-three) coming from Chris Kreider, who leads the team in man-advantage goals this season (8) and recently surpassed Tomas Sandstrom for sole possession of 13th place on the franchise’s all-time power-play goals list (55).
While taking into consideration that they were playing the last-place Sabres, the Rangers recorded eight shots on net over their three power-play opportunities and kept the action in their offensive zone — something the team hasn’t always done this season. It was its fourth power-play goal over the last four games.
It wasn’t just the Rangers’ ability to maintain puck possession in the Sabres’ zone, but their smart passes, net-front presence and shoot-first mentality that allowed them to do so. The Rangers were aggressive when they needed to be, but also shrewd in their decisions with the puck.
“We’ve had zone time and we created chances, but you want to capitalize and be a difference in the game,” Adam Fox said of the power play’s struggles this season. “[Monday] we were a difference and we were able to get some big goals. I think you just can’t get frustrated. We’ve got obviously a lot of skill on the power play, and just keep getting pucks to the net is not always pretty.
“A few tips, Kreids in front, and just stuff like that. If you get those, then pretty goals come from that.”
As he’s quarterbacked the first power-play unit throughout the season, Fox has seen firsthand that the team’s time with the manadvantage hasn’t always been beneficial. In fact, for a period of time, the Rangers were deadlier on offense when down a player on the penalty kill than on the power play.
The Rangers are in a four-way tie for the NHL lead in shorthanded goals against with four. In the same breath, the team is in a five-way tie for the thirdmost shorthanded goals for with three.
But if the last handful of matchups are any indication of the direction the power play is headed, the Rangers will benefit greatly considering how often they’ve been on the man-advantage this season.
The Rangers have had the second-most powerplay opportunities in the league at 112, with an NHLbest average of 3.61 manadvantage chances per game. Entering Monday’s game, the team led the NHL in penalties drawn per 60 minutes (4.39), ranked second in total penalties drawn (133) and were tied for third in net penalties (plus-14).
“I think the last few games that the power play has been working hard, haven’t maybe got rewarded like we wanted to but it is a big opportunity for us,” said Mika Zibanejad. “And key situation for us to get that lead and we got it done so it was huge.”