As the Rangers play relatively meaningless hockey to close out the season, all eyes are on the playoffs. Not just Rangers playoff opponents, but Rangers playoff lines as well. Arthur Staple brought up an interesting point in his article today, that Gerard Gallant may want to lean more on veterans during the playoffs instead of kids. It’s definitely a talking point, but is it truly what the Rangers need?
1. Before getting to which types of players will play, let’s focus on what we know about the Rangers playoff lines. Assuming no injuries, the top six will be Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad-Frank Vatrano and Artemiy Panarin-Ryan Strome-Andrew Copp. This is set in stone, and Gallant isn’t one to change what works. We saw it all season, where it was always the second and fourth lines that were changed, since he liked what he saw in the first and third lines (pre deadline, of course). Gallant finds something he likes, and sticks with it. For better or for worse.
2. With that set, it also seems the third line of Alexis Lafreniere-Filip Chytil-Kaapo Kakko is set. Barclay Goodrow could see some time on this line as well, and he’s fit in well with whichever two kids he plays with. Goodrow has shown versatility to play any position on any line, and he’s that veteran presence that Gallant may lean on with the kids. But if he does that, is he sacrificing effectiveness of the Rangers playoff lines to fulfill a token veteran presence on the third line?
3. The kid line has been solid, and all three are hitting their stride right in time for the playoffs. If this trio can be effective, provide tertiary scoring, and spend more time in the offensive zone than the defensive zone, do you really need a veteran presence? This should be about getting the best players out there that work the best together, not trying to shoehorn a player into an antiquated hockey adage that has been disproven time and time again.
4. That’s not to say the Rangers won’t find a way to make Goodrow work on the third line, or that Goodrow on the third line is inherently worse for the team. It’s to say that he, or any other veteran, shouldn’t be an automatic on the third line. The kids have shown a lot of progression this year. They’ve earned the trust. Perhaps the best approach isn’t to put a veteran on their line, but to give that line significant offensive zone starts. Remember Benoit Pouliot-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello? Same concept, just fewer penalties, and the Rangers playoff lines will need that tertiary punch.
5. By keeping that trio together and sheltering them in offensive zone starts, it allows Gallant to use his fourth line with Goodrow, Kevin Rooney, and (insert player here) as a shutdown line. The rub right now is that Gallant has this awful habit of giving his fourth line all the offensive zone starts, as if to shelter the defensive players from their primary purpose. I wonder if that has changed/will change post deadline, with the fourth line actually being a viable option?
6. One last thought on the Rangers playoff lines: Don’t discount positional versatility. Goodrow and Copp come to mind here, as both can play all three forward positions. Kreider and Laf can play either wing too. This makes injury replacement much easier to manage. Goodrow and Copp don’t seem to take a step back or forward when going from center to wing or wing to center, for better or for worse. For these guys, it’s more about role than it is about position on the ice.
Remember: Centers don’t always take faceoffs, and the position is more than just faceoffs. It’s positional awareness. Gallant has some pretty easy systems, which makes the transition from wing to center easier to navigate than with past coaches. But center is still a more difficult position in the defensive zone with more responsibilities. Having guys that understand both roles are valuable in the playoffs.
7. The last bit on the Rangers playoff lines may be a bit hot-takey, but it’s somewhat logical. This has been a terrible season to properly evaluate most of the forwards on the team. Many were miscast and put in roles that didn’t suit their strengths because the roster was so thin. Now with an actual NHL roster up and down all four lines, we are seeing these guys finally being put in their expected roles. But it’s too small a sample to say whether or not they are succeeding because of this, or it’s just a hot streak. The playoffs will provide us with the answer.
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