However, I’m here to tell you firmly and with full confidence: your criticism of Rick Nash now is completely unwarranted.
This isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to Nash’s two-goal performance against the Oilers over the weekend. Nash hasn’t deserved your criticism all year long. Honestly, Rick Nash has probably never deserved your criticism during his entire tenure as a New York Ranger.[/text_output][image type=”thumbnail” float=”none” src=”929″ alt=”” href=”” title=”” info_content=”” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”” style=””][text_output]Any fan criticism of Nash this season has been completely unjust. Simply put, injuries and more than 1,000 games in the NHL (including playoffs) have sapped Nash of the same explosiveness that made him a star in Columbus.
This year, Nash has played some of his best hockey since his 42-goal season in 2014-15. He’s been a force in the offensive zone and has covered for less-skilled defensive zone players on the other end of the ice. The only thing that wasn’t going Nash’s way before this weekend was being able to put the puck in the net.
A player experience some shit puck-luck and a player under-performing are completely different conversations. Nash has been one of the Rangers best and most consistent forwards, including his performances early on this year when seemingly nothing went right for the team.
Anybody still clinging on to something Nash did or didn’t do in either the ’13-’14 or ’14-’15 playoffs is harboring unwarranted ill will. It’s the exact same response I’d have to any Mets fans who still identify Carlos Beltran’s entire tenure with the team for taking a called third strike against the Cardinals in 2006. You’re caught up on a tree and not looking at the forest.
Rick Nash doesn’t deserve your hate. And if for some reason you still hold a grudge against Nash, then it’s you who doesn’t deserve him.
-Greg Kaplan[/text_output][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””]This Power Play is for Real[/custom_headline][text_output]The Rangers have now won 6 games in a row and have one of the most scintillating power plays in the entire league. While I am still not thrilled with the team’s 5v5 play—they currently rank 23rd in the NHL in Corsi for % (shot attempts) and 16th in the NHL in expected goals for % (considers both shot quality and quantity)—I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely intoxicated with excitement over watching the Shattenkirk-led first power play unit do it’s thing every night. The Rangers power play currently ranks 3rd in the NHL, converting at a clip of 25.8%, behind only the Stars (31.3%) and Lightning (27.9%), both of whom are easily among the most offensively gifted teams in the league.
To put those numbers into context, the Rangers have not once finished a season in the top-5 in the power play this century, and only once finished with a conversion rate of over 20%. Ironically enough, last season was the one instance they finished over 20% (20.3% to be exact), but as we came to learn, last year’s power play was a house of cards that was built up by early season success and collapsed to hell late in the season and in the playoffs.
Based on this, it is reasonable for fans to be somewhat skeptical of the current success of the power play unit, but I’m here to tell you that this is absolutely sustainable. I’m not going to sit here and guarantee that it keeps up at a scorching 25% success rate, but I would bet that the team finished above 20%, and has the tools to succeed in the playoffs, should the Rangers make it. Why is this? Simple, the Rangers did not have a top power play unit consisting of the KZB line, Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Shattenkirk last year. But don’t take my word for it, let’s take a look at some of the numbers that help demonstrate exactly how good they have been.
Corsica has a feature that allows you to look up data for specific forward line and defensive paring combinations. When looking at forward lines on the power play, among all trios that have played at least 50 minutes together on the power play this year, the combination of Pavel Buchnevich, Mika Zibanejad and Mats Zuccarello leads the entire NHL in power play Corsi for % (95.87%) and expected goals for % (97.42%). To put it into simple terms, when that first line power play is on the ice, the ice is as tilted as it could possibly be into the Rangers offensive zone, and they have been completely and utterly dominant to this point.
Further, as I mentioned in my article about expected goals, the true value of expected goals and Corsi come not in its analysis of current play, but in its predictive power; both stats have been proven to serve as significantly better predictors of future success than goals or shots on goal. That, my friends, along with Kevin Shattenkirk, who has been among the elite power play QBs in the NHL during his tenure in the NHL, is why I am confident that this power play is for real, and should have sustained success all year. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the fact that this Rangers team should have a dominant power play all season long, and hopefully into the playoffs.
–Drew Way[/text_output][image type=”thumbnail” float=”none” src=”933″ alt=”” href=”” title=”” info_content=”” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””]
Author: BSB Staff
This Article is presented to you in High Definition Surround Sound by some or all of the Blueshirts Breakaway Staff. At least whoever wasn’t lazy enough to contribute.