Fixing the Rangers’ Power Play Problems From Last Season

Last season, for the most part, Panarin and Fox performed as expected. Zibanejad, however, did not. He struggled to get his shot off, was often wildly inaccurate with his release, and declined in his ability to make smart reads and pass out of trouble. His drop-off caused the top power play’s cohesion and effectiveness to decline markedly. Defenders were able to worry less about Zibanejad’s shot, or they were able to pressure him and create a turnover.

Going into this season, new head coach Mike Sullivan cannot be as reluctant as former head coach Peter Laviolette to juggle around the top of the power play to best complement the skills of Panarin and Fox. Zibanejad should get the first chance given his pedigree, but if he falters as he did last season, Sullivan needs to be willing to be flexible and make a change.

Win More Puck Battles

A major, if underappreciated, key to any power play is the ability to win puck battles. The majority of shots taken do not go in; instead, they create loose puck opportunities. That, combined with chipped pucks/rims into the zone from breakouts, passes that get tipped or deflected, and faceoff battles, can be the difference between a power play getting comfortably set up or having to spend an extra 15-20 seconds breaking back into the zone.

Skill was never an issue for the Rangers’ power play last season. When Panarin and Fox had the puck, more often than not, they made the right play and created a good opportunity. But winning these vital puck battles was an issue, and it hampered the Rangers’ ability to get their power play set up and maximizing their chance creation.

Kreider and Zibanejad were big culprits here. Kreider’s struggles were especially pertinent, as the net-front player on the power play is involved in almost every battle. It is his job to get to loose pucks, win battles, and create time and space for the players up top. One of the reasons the Rangers’ power play looked so much more rushed than usual last season was this inability to win as many puck battles.

This change can be realized through more effort from the highest skilled players on the team, but it can also be accompanied by personnel changes. Cuylle is an example of a player who earned his way onto the power play last season with his hard work and ability to get to the dirty areas of the ice. If some of the more talented players on the Rangers are struggling to win puck battles again this season, I would love to see a player like Cuylle get put in front of the net on Panarin and Fox’s power play to add an additional element of compete and grit.

More Continuity on the Breakout

While it is difficult to justify this claim with a statistic, it was clear from watching last season that the Rangers’ breakout was less effective. It looked like less of a tactical issue and more an issue of players trying to do too much individually, especially late in the season, along with the players without the puck not providing enough puck support.

Overall Bad Vibes

The overall team struggles the Rangers endured were also likely a major factor in their power-play decline. When a team is struggling like the Rangers were, it is easier to grip the stick a little tighter on the power play and to feel extra pressure to score. This looked to be the case at times last season.

Rangers Have Talent to Be Successful on Power Play

Nearly everything went wrong for the Rangers last season, and the power play was no exception. The good news is that the Rangers have the talent to be successful on the man advantage. But regardless of talent, producing on the power play is not an easy feat in the NHL, and the Rangers will have to do more with the talent they have if they want to experience more success. Hopefully, a fresh start to a new season, combined with implementing some of the changes above, will allow the Rangers’ offensive players to have more success on the man advantage this season.