Per Vince Mercogliano, the Rangers top powerplay unit is starting to work on multiple looks, including Mika Zibanejad at the bumper. Zibanejad, usually at the left circle, has the skill set to be both a subtle bumper while also getting open for one timers in the slot. With the Rangers PP1 giving multiple looks, it makes them less predictable with the man advantage.
The #NYR are doing power play work now:
PP1- Fox, Panarin, Zibanejad, Kane and Kreider
PP2- Miller, Trocheck, Chytil, Tarasenko and Lafrenière
Mika has mostly been in the bumper, not the left circle. I have a feeling it will be more of a rotation/cycle, not a permanent setup.
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) April 17, 2023
The Devils has a strong penalty kill, and the only way to break through a good PK is to move, change looks, and alter angles. The Rangers PP1 is dangerous, but prone to predictability with static players trying to feed Zibanejad for the one timer. With this many weapons, forcing the opposing penalty kill to focus on multiple shot locations and player locations creates holes in coverage.
If there’s too much to watch for, more chances are created. The Rangers will need to score on the powerplay to have a shot in this series. This is another step towards that goal.
Share:
More About:Lineup Changes