Leaving Goodrow off the 4th line rotation is a mistake

Yesterday was a roller coaster ride, wasn’t it? First Will Cuylle was scratched. Then Peter Laviolette expanded, stating there would be a rotation, but the rotation didn’t include Barclay Goodrow. Then the Rangers beat the Florida Panthers in a shootout. Talking about ups and downs, right? But focusing on the playoffs, leaving Goodrow off the 4th line rotation is a mistake.

The usual disclaimer here is needed: It’s not about Goodrow the person or Goodrow the locker room leader. This is solely about rest, finding other options that work, and recognizing Goodrow has been pretty bad this season. He’s a 16 game player, which is what the Rangers need, but if his current play continues, he will still be a significant net negative on the ice, no matter the type of player he is.

It’s hard to ignore how bad Goodrow has been, and whether his jaw has had an impact on his play. A chart doesn’t tell a whole story, especially when comparing Goodrow to Nick Bonino, who was pretty bad with the Rangers. This is the only real comparison to make right now since Goodrow’s performance has been so bad that Bonino is the only true comp to make.

This is usually where we would say that matchups matter and the 4th line, as a shutdown line, would have some worse metrics. However the 4th line isn’t a shutdown line. Mika Zibanejad was getting the top assignments before Alex Wennberg arrived. Now, it’s Wennberg’s line getting the top assignments. So the 4th line, centered by Goodrow, is more of an energy line than a shutdown line. That’s fine, but it plays a role in how we review his performance on the ice.

We’ve been beating the whole “Goodrow isn’t a center” thing to death this season, and it still applies. Goodrow is best served as a winger now, especially as his game slows down. Jonny Brodzinski has been fine all season, and he can serve as the center when he’s in the lineup. At the very least, with the current players in the rotation, it would give the Rangers several games without Goodrow as the 4C.

But more importantly, and perhaps a key to postseason success, is getting Goodrow some rest right now. It is incredibly short sighed for Laviolette to not include Goodrow in the 4th line rotation. He’s either hurt, fatigued, or his game has gone to hell. Since it seems pretty obvious the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd options for Laviolette and the 4th line include Goodrow, then putting him in a spot to succeed in the playoffs is critical.

Position aside, the best path to success is rest. Let him get a few games off, get the legs some rest, and perhaps –if this is a systems adjustment issue– some time to watch the game from up top and some video review. It can’t hurt, right?

This is about getting the team ready for the playoffs. That means getting the guys who will likely be in the lineup everyday in April, May, and June some rest right now. Goodrow should be in this rotation, and leaving him out is a mistake. It’s a mistake that can easily be rectified, but until it is, it’s a mistake.