The New York Rangers were off to a very strong start in their first true rebuilding season. After six weeks, the team rode a winning streak to third place in the Metropolitan Division. Since then, the team has dropped out of a playoff spot. While there is not just one reason for this, the drop-off in scoring is a major one.
I will be taking a deep dive into the Rangers’ scoring distribution, by line, and comparing it to some of the top teams in the NHL. To begin, we’ll use the Rangers’ lineup from Saturday for this analysis:
First Line: Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, and Kevin Hayes
Second Line: Jimmy Vesey, Ryan Strome, and Filip Chytil
Third Line: Vlad Namestnikov, Brett Howden, and Jesper Fast
Fourth Line: Matt Beleskey, Lias Andersson, and Steven Fogarty
The Rangers have scored 83 goals this season, leaving them tied for 22nd in the NHL in total goals.