The two main focuses of today’s blog are the power play and Alexandar Georgiev. The first is not a shock as this topic has been in everyone’s mind recently. The second comes front and center because of the contract and status impact of Georgie playing a few more games.
Power play:
In the four games since Mika Zibanejad returned to the lineup, the Rangers have gone 2-for-19 on power plays. One of those goals came last Wednesday against Carolina in the game Zib came back. But as we saw against Boston and Las Vegas, the power play is way too right dominant and struggling to find the mojo they had earlier this season.
We have repeatedly stated what the fix likely should be, which seems to be a new brainer. Move Kakko Kaapo back to the top unit. Doing so provides the units more righty/lefty balance, which clearly is needed. In addition, as other columnists states, while Kakko has had his issues at 5v5, he has seven of his 11 points on the man-advantage.
Only making that move is insufficient. New York also has struggled with gaining the zone at times and generating shots from the point. As Vince Mercogliano pointed out, “Adam Fox and Tony DeAngelo have alternated at the point on both units, while Chris Kreider and Brendan Lemieux have been the best guys to create havoc in front of the net. They should remain in those spots, but the key is getting back to having Panarin (right) and Kakko (left) set up to shoot one-timers from each circle with their dominant hands.”
Here's my suggestion for how they could arrange the two units:
PP1 — Fox (R), Panarin (R), Kakko (L), Kreider (L) and Zibanejad (R)
PP2 — DeAngelo (R), Trouba (R), Buchnevich (L), Lemieux (L) and Chytil (R)
Chytil has yet to produce on the power play, but his skill set has shown he has the capacity to do so. Sooner or later, coach David Quinn needs to see it Chytil can translate that skill set into production. The likelihood is that we see Ryan Strome on the second unit, since it’s likely he goes from the first grouping to the bench. Trouba provides a big shot from the point that generates rebounds while Lemieux is the big presence down low who has ability to deflect pucks in front, as we have seen a few times already.
Lines, as written by Mercogliano:
The lineup looks deeper with Zibanejad, Strome, Chytil and Brett Howden as the four centers. And as it's becoming increasingly clear that Quinn prefers to lean on his top three lines and play the fourth sparingly, the current setup maximizes the ice time for the Rangers' best players. Their top nine forwards so far this season have been Panarin, Zibanejad, Buchnevich, Strome, Kreider, Chytil, Lemieux, Kakko and Jesper Fast. (In no particular order.)
If Quinn rolls with those nine, then the
lines should be:
Kreider-Zibanejad-Buchnevich
Panarin-Chytil-Kakko
Lemiuex-Strome-Fast
In my opinion, we have seen enough of Michael Haley. When Greg McKegg is healthy, stick him back on the fourth line. Brett Howden should be the fourth line center, though I might try out Boo Nieves, despite his average play since his promotion. Brendan Smith is pretty much a lock as one of the wingers on that unit, though I might try him in the blue line if Quinn wants to sit Libor Hajek.
Georgiev. The NY Post wrote the below. In short, Brett Cyrgalis advocates sending down Georgiev to avoid the Bulgarian goalie hitting the 60-game mark, making him waiver exempt and essentially can’t be sent to AHL Hartford. Georgiev has done nothing to necessarily warrant a demotion but maintain control of the ability to promote/demote Georgiev would seem to be paramount.
New York doesn’t lack a viable candidate to fill Georgiev’s spot. Igor ShesterkIn has shown that he is more than capable down in Hartford. Add in his KHL out clause, especially after seeing Vitali Kravtsov exercise his, and the Rangers would be foolish not to demote Georgiev and promote Shesterkin. Explaining the move to Georgiev won’t be easy but the team has to make the prudent decision not the one that doesn’t ruffle feathers.
If it seems like Henrik Lundqvist is playing a lot, it’s because he is. The club’s disappointing 4-1 loss to the visiting Golden Knights on Monday night was the 37-year-old goalie’s seventh start in the past nine games, along with his 10th start (and 11th game played) in the past 14 games.
But rest assured, general manager Jeff Gorton is well aware 23-year-old backup Alexandar Georgiev is set to play career game No. 55 against the Blue Jackets on Thursday night in Columbus, Ohio, (followed by Lundqvist again on Friday night at home against the Canadiens). When Georgiev gets to career game No. 60, he will no longer be waiver-exempt and essentially can’t be sent to AHL Hartford. (It wouldn’t make sense for the club to expose him for the rest of the league to pick up for free.)
Georgiev has done nothing to warrant a demotion, with a 3.07 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 11 games played, including a 33-save shutout against the Devils on Saturday in Newark. But after Thursday, the organization has four more games with Georgiev before it has to make a difficult decision.
Igor Shesterkin is biding his time in Hartford, but for how much longer before his out clause going back to Russia looks attractive — just as it did to his buddy Vitali Kravtsov? Shesterkin, 23, has excelled in his first 13 games in North America, putting up a 2.05 goals-against average and .927 save percentage for the first-place (by percentage) Wolf Pack.
It's time for Rangers to call up stud young goaltender.
If Georgiev gets to No. 60, then he is likely to stay with the team for the foreseeable future and Shesterkin with Hartford. The lead-up to the Feb. 24 trade deadline would be the next time of possible movement, if Georgiev’s stock rises enough to draw reasonable interest around the league.
Following the back-to-back Friday and Saturday, the Rangers go on a four-game western trip, beginning in Vegas and followed by the three California cities. It starts a sequence of eight games in 15 days leading into the three-day Christmas break. They come out with a home game against the Hurricanes on Dec. 27, then the next night in Toronto that starts a New Year’s trip in western Canada.
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