A perfect 5-0-0 road trip has the New York Rangers flying high into a Metropolitan Division clash with the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 2. The Rangers have received quality goaltending from Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick, and head coach Peter Laviolette’s defensive structure is paying dividends early.
The road trip, which spanned Seattle and Western Canada, was the first sweep of a five-game road trip in franchise history. It erased a lackluster home effort against the Nashville Predators nearly two weeks ago and has propelled the Rangers toward the top of the league standings as well.
Defensively, the Rangers have been stout, allowing the second-fewest goals per game in the league thus far, with 2.00. Their penalty kill, which got off to a slow start, has now risen to 11th at 83.9%, allowing just one power-play goal against the entire road trip.
Their success on the road trip primarily stemmed from their power play, which currently ranks second in the NHL at 34.4%. Dominance on special teams has long been the Rangers’ formula for success but has also been their kryptonite in the postseason.
It’s no secret that the Rangers five-on-five offense has struggled, but good analytics early on provided belief that the goals would come. But after this five-game road trip, that belief has lessened, and some concern has set in as we wonder where the five-on-five offense will come from and why goals have been so hard to come by for this talented Rangers group.
Rangers 5v5 Offense is Worrisome
Yes, the 7-2-0 record is sparkling, but we must assess a season as an 82-game sample size, not just nine. There is time for the Rangers to improve, and some lousy puck luck has limited their five-on-five numbers; see the amount of called-back goals they had early this season.
The lack of offensive production at five-on-five is still very problematic. After an excellent analytical start to the season, the Rangers now possess a Corsi-For percentage (CF%) at five-on-five of 49.68%, good for 14th in the league. They have also recorded just 12 of their 28 goals at five-on-five thus far, which puts them 26th in the NHL, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
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More has to be generated without special teams, especially if the goal is a long postseason. Great special teams play is also ultra-important, and the Rangers have proven that they have it. But what happens when their power-play goes cold like it did against the New Jersey Devils in the first round last year? Well, we got an example of that, and let’s say it wasn’t pretty.
Filip Chytil has yet to crack the goal column through nine games. Alexis Lafreniere has scored four goals but has yet to produce an assist. Kaapo Kakko has not produced offensively, recording just two points on the season. Mika Zibanejad, who scored two huge goals in the final two games of the road trip, still has not scored a goal at five-on-five.
Blake Wheeler has no points, while his linemates Will Cuylle and Vincent Trocheck have one goal each, with only Cuylle’s coming at five-on-five. The fourth line has been a net negative, with only Jimmy Vesey (two assists) recording a point thus far.
Related: Rangers’ Stars Panarin & Fox Off to Great Starts
Yes, the Rangers have gotten off to a fantastic start where it matters most (the win column), but there is still a lot of reason for concern with their lack of production.
Where Will the Offense Come From?
The Rangers need more scoring at even strength. That much is not really up for debate. The question becomes, where will that offense come from? They will score on the power play, likely not at a 34% clip, but with the weapons they have up front and on defense, that power play will continue to produce a lot of offense.
Lafreniere, Kakko, and Chytil are the first three names that come to mind when considering who needs to step up. Lafreniere has scored at a decent clip this season, but there is room for improvement. Kakko has been underwhelming offensively, no matter how good his game may be on the defensive side of the puck. You need more than two points from your first-line winger.
Chytil has racked up the assists with six in his first nine games. But for the player with arguably the best release and wrist shot on the team, having zero goals is inexcusable. Artemi Panarin (15 points) has led the way, and the line with Chytil and Lafreniere has been the Rangers’ best. Yet, the trio of kids need to pick up their scoring, and in turn, the Rangers’ offense at five-on-five will improve.
In no way is this all on the kids, though. Chris Kreider has scored four of his six goals on the power play. Zibanejad has not scored at five-on-five and was held off the board the first seven games this season. Adam Fox has been great on the power-play but has not picked up even strength points like we are used to. The big names need to create more at five-on-five.
And then there is the group that has weighed down the offense thus far. The fourth line and Wheeler have struggled mightily out of the gate. No, the fourth line should not be relied upon to score, but they need to create more time in the offensive zone than they do now. Wheeler, on the other hand, still looks to be adjusting to life in New York, and that adjustment period has caused him to look out of sorts (from ‘Blake Wheeler ‘felt a little bit lost’ adjusting to life with Rangers,’ NY Post – 10/31/23).
Sure, he has likely lost a step at age 37, but to be held off the scoresheet entirely through nine games is downright shocking.
The onus does not fall on one player, but there needs to be a collective effort to produce more at five-on-five. If that happens, this Rangers team is amongst the league’s elite and is unequivocally a Stanley Cup contender. If no change is made, then the special teams-powered Rangers will once again be the analytical anomaly heading into the postseason.