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Predicting Three Unlikely Postseason Heroes For The New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have relied heavily on their top six forwards, now it is time for unlikely postseason heroes to emerge. After falling to the struggling Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 on Thursday, New York now has their back temporarily against the wall. Consequently, they are now in a position where they cannot drop any more games. With games remaining against the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators, there is simply no time for letting up.

Up until Thursday, the Rangers had not dropped consecutive games since doing so on March 2 and 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. The feeling around the fanbase is that the Blueshirts are getting cold at the worst time possible. Yes, the race for the Metropolitan Division title is now tighter than ever with the Carolina Hurricanes having a game in hand. Yet, it is a stretch that can be snapped with one decent performance on Saturday afternoon against the Islanders.

With the postseason on the horizon, it is time to nominate some Rangers postseason heroes. Everyone is expecting Adam Fox and the top six to shine the brightest. Artemi Panarin is due for a solid postseason after last year’s debacle. Here are three players who could sneakily make a ton of noise over the next few weeks.

Unlikely Rangers Postseason Heroes

Kaapo Kakko

The stage is now set for the former second-overall pick to silence his haters. Every team destined for a deep playoff run needs a solid third line. Losing Filip Chytil early on in the season was the equivalent of a Mike Tyson body shot. Therefore, General Manager Chris Drury sought out a third-line centre to solidify the bottom six. Alexander Wennberg was acquired from the Seattle Kraken in hopes of jumpstarting a few players on this roster, including one Kaapo Kakko.

Potentially, this might be “make or break time” for the Turku, Finland native. Many people have argued the fact that Kakko can have a fresh start elsewhere if he is to get dealt in the near future. Others are continuing to be patient and that his home is still in New York. Articles in the past have highlighted the strengths of Kakko’s game. He is still one of the strongest puck-handlers on the team. If allowed to shoot, he can still bury one past a goaltender.

The addition of Wennberg has allowed Kakko’s confidence to grow drastically. We have seen what has happened regarding the play of Alexis Lafrenière. Players make their teammates better, and Kakko has found a home for the time being on this third line; a line that could be the “x-factor” deep in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Will Cuylle

Speaking of that third line, Will Cuylle has been nothing but impressive in his rookie campaign. On a team whose fans have been complaining about a lack of grit, Cuylle has provided that and more since the first game of the season. The former second-round pick is proving his two-way abilities night after night.

13 goals in 79 games played might not be an attractive stat, but it should not go unnoticed. He has an eye for goal, and he is finding himself in more and more scoring chances game after game. He is another player that is flourishing with a centreman like Wennberg. Allow Cuylle to both grow and mature and New York will have a solid bottom-six forward for years to come.

Zac Jones

Hear me out, yes, Zac Jones needs to be on the roster for this to happen. It is not a crazy idea for Peter Laviolette to alternate between Jones and Erik Gustafsson between games. If you are looking to turn defence into offence without it being Adam Fox, Jones is the best option to do so.

Jones is the closest defenceman to Fox in terms of their style of play. If you are still patiently waiting for K’Andre Miller to revive his offensive game, do not hold your breath. Jones and Gustafsson can provide goal-scoring chances, yet Jones can perfect it more than the “Gus Bus” can at this moment. If his game against the Arizona Coyotes can tell you one thing: Jones is not afraid to shoot the puck. He should implement this mindset into some of the forwards come playoff time.

The Rangers are back in action on Saturday when they take on the New York Islanders. Puck drop is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. EST from The World’s Most Famous Arena.

Main Photo: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Jeremy Striano

Jeremy Striano

Jeremy is a lifelong sports fanatic and loves the game of hockey, specifically the New York Rangers. He is a graduate of both The Catholic University of America (Washington, DC) and Syracuse University. Along with hockey, Jeremy enjoys Broadway musicals and trying different beers!

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