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The halfway point of the season is in the rearview mirror, and now the Rangers have a better understanding of what kind of team they can be.
Figuring out their identity was always expected to take some time, considering the turnover in the front office and coaching staff as well as how many new faces joined the team in the offseason. But there’s no question the Rangers have taken strides toward uncovering how they need to compete to have success.
At the same time, the first 41 games revealed the lingering weak points in the Rangers’ game — and nearly all of them were on full display in the humbling 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes on Friday.
Though special teams play has been a strength, the Rangers haven’t been as effective at five-on-five this season. Not only are they ranked 21st out of 32 teams in even-strength goals per game at 2.21, but also they’re 29th in shots per game at five-on-five at 26.18.
Ranked in the top half of the NHL, 13th place in even-strength time on ice per game (48:48), the Rangers’ struggles in that part of the game have been among their most notable hindrances when facing top-tier clubs.
In the loss Friday at Carolina, the Rangers registered just 18 shots on goal and eight high-danger scoring chances at even strength, according to Natural Stat Trick. Despite 14 total penalty minutes throughout the game, the Hurricanes exploited the Rangers’ at five-on-five with their speed and relentless forecheck.
Two of the Rangers’ three goals in the loss came on the power play, with fourth-line winger Greg McKegg scoring their lone five-on-five tally.
“I’d like to get more,” head coach Gerard Gallant said before the Rangers took on the Coyotes at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. “I’d like to be 10 or 15 games above on the five-on-five, but we’re happy where we’re at. Penalty killing and power plays have been good for us all season long. Continue that and win games like that.
“We’re a pretty good defensive team, too, for the most part. So if we can get better on something, sure I’d like it. But it’s not a big concern for me.”
The Rangers’ issues at even strength are exacerbated when the top six — particularly Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Ryan Strome — aren’t contributing. With such a front-loaded lineup, the onus has fallen on the first and second units to spearhead the offense, while the bottom six have taken on more of a physical forechecking role.
When the usual producers aren’t producing, there aren’t many options for the Rangers.
Zibanejad and Kreider chipped in a goal each on the power play on Friday, but only Zibanejad, of the two, put any shots on goal at five-on-five. Four of Panarin’s five total shots were at even strength, while the rest of the top six — Strome, Kaapo Kakko, Dryden Hunt — combined for just two.
“I know what we’ve got to do better,” Gallant said. “We’re trying to get better every game. We’re 41 games into the season, we talked about we’re a young team, still got some growing to do. But we’re in a good position. We played against probably the best team we’ve played against [Friday] night.”
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