The Stanley Cup Playoffs are right around the corner. Plenty of teams have punched their ticket to the big dance. However, even with teams that have clinched, trends are occurring right before our very eyes. Here are some of the New York Rangers trends heading into the playoffs.
New York Rangers Trends Heading To Playoffs
A Healthy Ryan Lindgren
When you think of the Rangers back end, you think of Adam Fox. One name that stands out a ton is Ryan Lindgren. At this given point, it is just about getting Ryan Lindgren healthy. The impact of Lindgren is missing and Adam Fox misses his defensive partner tremendously. However, the Rangers are still playing well and winning, which means they should not rush him back into action. Lindgren returned to the lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes but re-aggravated his injury. He is a warrior and is a shutdown player you want come Game One. The goal is to ensure he is healthy and ready with five games remaining in the regular season. He has been with the team and on the ice and is a matter of time before he is in game action.
Figuring Out The Lines
First And Second Line
The New York Rangers top two lines are some of the most dangerous in the league. It’s like playing NHL 23 and you created a team, but this is reality. But sometimes even the best talent does not mesh well. In the last few weeks and coming days, solidifying a lineup is crucial. Here is where things get really tricky. The New York Rangers trend is how much the lines change. Gerard Gallant has not been shy about changing his lines and since the trade deadline, there has been a juggling of that. As of late, here have been different combinations since the trade deadline:
Panarin-Zibanejad-Tarasenko
Panarin-Trocheck-Tarasenko
Kreider-Zibanejad-Kane
Panarin-Trocheck-Kane
Lines all look the same, with a vacant spot at RW next to Kreider and Zibanejad where Kane will slot in. #NYR https://t.co/aBOoHS53bU
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) April 4, 2023
The Combinations And Results
The circus continues, but there appears to be more clarity on the matter. Gallant has something brewing with the top two lines that will stick. It appears that Chris Kreider will be reunited with Mika Zibanejad and will be flanked by Patrick Kane. Kreider and Zibanejad are no strangers to chemistry. The duo has been on the ice for 25 goals at 5v5. The sample size with Kane is small (15 minutes), but with the final five games, it will be good to build chemistry entering the playoffs. In the grand scheme of it all, that’s the main goal.
Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Vladimir Tarasenko have something brewing. Gallant tried to recreate the connected magic with Kane alongside Panarin, but it did not work to start. In addition, Trochek and Panarin without Kane had an xGF% of 55.36% compared to 38.38% with him. It felt forced, and it just didn’t propel the team. In the end that is okay, the top six has plenty of options. Enter the new combination. With Panarin and his elite playmaking paired with Tarasenko and his elite shot, it’s a recipe for success. The line is controlling the puck, out-chanching their opponent, and scoring goals. It isn’t the largest sample size, but the trio has developed chemistry together.
When all is said and done, this makes sense. The combination of Panarin, Zibanejad, and Tarasenko was a marvellous idea that just did not work. They never controlled the play, got out-chanced by their opponent when on the ice, and were outshot. However, they did capitalize on their chances, but chasing the game is never ideal.
Third Line
If there is one line that should never be tinkered with, it is the third line. Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, and newly extended Filip Chytil seem to always play good hockey together. Every member of that line had 30+ points:
Lafreniere and Kakko: 38
Chytil: 44
A third line that has had great production. In addition, they have been great since the start of February. They possess the puck well (53.27 CF%), generating chances (53.58 xGF%), and as a line, they’ve scored 16 goals at 5v5. In fact, 10 of their sixteen have come from the high-danger area. The line is heating up at the right time individually as well. Here is their production recently:
Lafreniere: six points in his last five games
Kakko: four points in his last five games (3 goals)
Chytil: five points in his last five games
They work hard, give the team a jolt, and it takes the pressure off the top two lines. Their production creates matchup nightmares for their opponent because you cannot ever count them out.
Fourth Line
The New York Rangers fourth line is a lock. A hard-nosed checking line that is tough to play against. Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Motte, and Jimmy Vesey represent the fourth line together. As a fourth line, they are able to generate their chances (51.20 xGF%) and get their looks from the high-danger area (40 chances, 4 goals). They go to the greasy areas and do their work down low. It brings a physical element to a lineup with a ton of skill and finesse.
Shesterkin Heating Up At the Right Time
How they manage his workload with five games remaining remains to be seen. The next New York Rangers trend concerns their goaltender. Igor Shesterkin is heating up at the right time as playoffs draw near. The month of March was great for the netminder. He played 11 games and went 8-3. Shersterkin sported a 2.00 goals against average, .937 save percentage, and a .896 high-danger save percentage. His most recent game saw him smother the Washington Capitals. Shesterkin finished that game with a 3.35 goals saved above expected. He is at his best and with three of their last five against non-playoff teams, it will be interesting to see what his workload looks like.
Two Points Are Still Huge
As it currently stands, the New York Rangers are locked into a date with their cross-town rival New Jersey Devils. With five games remaining that can change in an instant. However, the club is three points back of New Jersey with the same amount of games played. Even though Rangers fans flood Prudential Center with a sea of blue, having Game One at The Garden would be ideal. Catching Carolina seems like a long shot, but there is still a fight left for seeding these final five games.
The Quest Goes On
With all these New York Rangers trends happening, all will be fine come playoffs. This is a team destined to hoist the Stanley Cup and it is just about working out some kinks before the puck drops. It will be a team to watch for overall, especially in the final five games.
Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
