Listen, I’m like you guys. Sometimes I take a look at what this team brings. Sometimes I take a look at what this team needs to do better.
I’m like Drew where I take a look at how the stats relate to the game on ice.
Yet, right now while the numbers prove that the Rangers are playing an inconsistent mess. The eyes tell me this is scary.
I’m trying to figure out things where I don’t come off as being too critical about the team. Yet, nothing seems to be working.
You can blame the coaching staff, you can blame the players on the ice, you can blame the front office that constructed the team. Hell, you may even want to blame the training staff that allowed a player of the team you root for to play a game with a concussion. There’s a lot of blame to be thrown around here.
You can look at the positives. Mika Zibanejad, when he isn’t concussed, is proving his worth. A night and day difference that first line is without him. Sure, Pavel Buchnevich scored Wednesday night, but you can’t deny that line was flying when Zibanejad was on the ice. According to Natural Stat Trick, the trio of KZB has a score-adjusted Corsi of 55.47% in 5 on 5 situations.
Changing the Z to a D for David Desharnais, their possession numbers are much worse, dropping a whole 16% to 39.12%. With Desharnais, they’re also giving up more scoring chances then they are generating themselves, and seemingly allowing more high-danger scoring chances when they’re out together on the ice compared to when they’re with Zibanejad. In fact, according to Corsica’s expected goals model, which accounts for shot quantity and quality, the KZB line sports an expected goals for % of 57.66%, good for 24th best in the league among all trios with at least 100 minutes of ice time together. However, swap in Desharnais for Zibanejad, and that number plummets to 43.67%, representing nearly a 25% drop.
Watching the game, I notice that these stats add up. You see Buchnevich and Chris Kreider struggling to dominate the possession battle, when you have a center, who is more defensive minded like Desharnais is. You cannot forget, Desharnais is primarily a third, fourth line center who is defensive minded. With Zibanejad, you see a more offensive minded center who wants to dominate in the opponents’ end, and create and most importantly, dominate the possession battle.
Defensively, you’re seeing a progression of an offensive defenseman with Kevin Shattenkirk. At this point, this is what you’re going to get from him, I really don’t know what to tell you. You’re going to see him move the puck well, and create chances offensively. Yet, because he does tend to lean to the offensive those turnovers are going to happen a bit more.
Shattenkrik is tied for fourth in the league right now with 46 giveaways (tied with Keith Yandle and Karl Alzner). One thing that he does well, exceptionally mind you is for as many takeaways he has, he does tend to force his opponents to turn the puck over, in which he has 17. Yet, it’s more than that. He’s has gotten more comfortable with the defensive system recently, and he has been more comfortable in his own end. Being with Brady Skjei helps, but you cannot deny it’s been a good season for Shattenkirk, playing a little more exceptional lately.
As the title states, I’m not so sure anymore. This team has the tools and at nights play like they can beat anyone and everyone in the league.
Then you have games like Wednesday night, where you wonder why does Alain Vigneault still have a job with this team?
Wouldn’t be another fun year without the Rangers messing with our hearts now would it?[/text_output]
Author: Shawn Taggart
Shawn Taggart is a New York Ranger fan, who loves to dive in to the statistical side of hockey.
Besides watching the Rangers, he watches the Yankees, Knicks and Giants and has this strange obession with finding some really good obscure craft beers. Loyal listener of music.