Hartnett: Healthy Zuccarello Will Make A World Of Difference For Cup-Chasing Rangers
By Sean Hartnett
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The Rangers will open the 2015-16 season in Chicago against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks on Oct. 7.
When the puck drops, the Rangers will take their first strides in a competitive game since the Tampa Bay Lightning ended their hope of making a repeat trip to the Stanley Cup Final last spring.
As the Blueshirts were stifled throughout the deciding game of the Eastern Conference finals, top line winger Mats Zuccarello could only watch helplessly from a suite high above the Garden ice.
Zuccarello had skated in a non-contact jersey a day earlier, hoping that a Game 7 victory would allow him enough time to be medically cleared to return to action.
Fine lines separate the teams that pack their bags early and the ones that vie for hockey's ultimate prize in June. Zuccarello's absence meant the Rangers were missing an integral player who, if healthy, was capable of making a difference in Game 7. Who knows? A healthy Zuccarello might have jolted the battered Rangers on a course to upset the mighty Blackhawks.
Ifs and buts aside, Zuccarello can make up for lost time by providing his unmistakably energetic and infectious style of play when the Rangers open the new season at United Center. He is now fully healed from a skull fracture and brain contusion that briefly triggered a loss of speech and a lack of feeling in his right arm, having participated in a charity game with fellow Rangers Derick Brassard, Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes in his native Norway on June 19.
Zuccarello's commitment and tenacity have a way of willing teammates to search for an extra gear. He frequently wins races for loose pucks, demonstrates supreme hand-eye coordination and the creative nous to perform dazzling moves and passes. All of this makes the 5-foot-7 winger a handful for opponents.
"I like everything about him," former Rangers general manager Glen Sather said last season. "His tenacity, his hard work, the way he sees the ice and the chemistry he brings to the dressing room. He's been a terrific player for us."
Zuccarello, who turned 28 on Tuesday, is coming off two seasons of strong production, collecting 108 points in 155 regular season games. He is a player that drives possession. According to HockeyAnalysis.com, Zuccarello leads the Rangers with a 53.1 Corsi For percentage in five-on-five situations over the past two seasons.
Oddly, Zuccarello failed to score a power play goal during the 2014-15 regular season and playoffs. Having skated for a total of 201 minutes, 35 seconds on the power play a season earlier, Zuccarello was limited to 153:09 of PP time last season and spent the majority of time on the second unit. However, his six power play assists was tied for fourth most on the Rangers.
Head coach Alain Vigneault leaned heavily on the experience of recently retired Martin St. Louis. The future Hall of Fame winger averaged 2:52 of power play time per game, while Zuccarello logged 1:57. It's likely that Vigneault will entrust Zuccarello with an increased role on the man advantage during the 2015-16 season.
It's also probable that Zuccarello's power play funk from last season was an aberration given his usually strong production in man-advantage situations. In 2013-14, Zuccarello's 17 power play points were two behind team leader Brad Richards.
Expect Zuccarello to return to form next season and quickly demonstrate why he's a true difference-maker for a team that's desperate to get back to the Stanley Cup promised land.
Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey