New York Rangers’ Ideal Playoff Spot is the First Wild Card by Timothy Haggerty

The New York Rangers are in a seemingly endless search for a power play quarterback. After years of mediocre-to-bad power plays and high-profile trades and signings, New York has their solution on the roster—if they can realize it.

A “powerless power play.” The phrase has been uttered an uncounted amount of times by New York Rangers fans in recent years. Twitter is full of examples. Frustration with the man-advantage is an annual tradition at this point.

The problem has been on the radar for more than just spectators, though. Rangers management has made multiple moves in attempts to fix the issue.

Whether it was Bryan McCabe, Brad Richards, Keith Yandle, or Dan Boyle, the emphasis on finding a power play quarterback has not been overlooked.

Despite that list of power play gurus, however, the Rangers power play continued to be mediocre at best over the last few years. According to ESPN.com, the Rangers converted at 18.6% in 2015-16; the previous three years were clicking at 16.8, 18.2, and 15.7%.

In 2016-17, it’s a little bit improved, often skirting the top-10 in the league and currently sitting at 19.9%.

This has been done without a true power play quarterback. The most common point men have been captain Ryan McDonagh, Brady Skjei, Nick Holden, and occasionally Kevin Klein or (when he’s in the lineup) Adam Clendening.

This fact exposes the true issue at the heart of the Rangers’ power play struggles: it’s not the personnel, it’s the system and the assignments.

Square Pegs in Round Holes

When Brad Richards was brought on board, he played at the point—but he had his best success in Dallas and Tampa Bay while playing on the half boards. It’s the spot that Nicklas Backstrom regularly patrols for the Washington Capitals.

Similarly, the Rangers have Derek Stepan playing on the left side, in the “Ovi Spot” that the Capitals’ sniper has so famously dominated. Unlike Alexander Ovechkin, though, Stepan has neither a booming shot nor a quick release.

Stepan is a smart player and effective at both ends of the rink, but his contemplative style with the puck routinely results in mismanaged plays with the man advantage. With a power play setup designed for shots from that area, Stepan simply doesn’t get the job done well enough.

Thankfully, the Rangers have the solution to the problem at hand.

The Zibanejad Effect

Newcomer Mika Zibanejad is, like Stepan, a right-shooting center who can set up shop in that left-side faceoff circle. But unlike Stepan, Zibanejad has an absolute rocket of a one-timer.

The current issue is that Stepan remains on the top power play unit. According to Corsica Hockey, Stepan sees almost 30 seconds more ice per game than Zibanejad during 5v4 situations.

Not only that, but Stepan has the advantage of starting his 5v4 shifts with faceoffs in the offensive zone. As a second-unit player, Zibanejad often comes over the boards after the penalty killers clear the puck.

But once in the zone, the Rangers’ power play can be lethal if run the right way. Often, they set up along the right-side boards, with Mats Zuccarello or Kevin Hayes playing distributor.

A common look from that position is to either go down below the goal line and look for a man in front for a bang-bang play, or else move to puck to the point and then across to Stepan/Zibanejad.

With Zibanejad’s one-timer, that can be an effective play.

But there is another permutation to the Rangers’ power play that opens up even more passing and shooting lanes. It involves another player who has been given less than a fair shake in terms of power play time.

Free Buchenvich!

When Pavel Buchnevich is in the lineup, he plays in the high slot—a role currently being held by Jimmy Vesey on the top unit—and his incredible vision allows for scoring chances in unexpected places.

Not many fourth-liners around the NHL can pass a puck like Pavel Buchnevich. #NYR pic.twitter.com/JVjBUWXBt5 — Alex Nunn (@aj_ranger) February 10, 2017

As I covered a month ago, Buchnevich and Zibanejad are the x-factors that make the Rangers one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the NHL.

With gifted passers like Zuccarello and Buchnevich on the ice to open things up, and trigger men in Zibanejad and power forward Chris Kreider, the Rangers have a potentially lethal power play at their fingertips.

The coaching staff just needs to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the players they’re using, find the correct roles for them, and let the talent do the rest.