Hartnett: Rangers Have Copied The Penguins' Blueprint For Success
By Sean Hartnett
» More Columns
After the rival Pittsburgh Penguins ran them off the ice in a one-sided, five-game playoff elimination last spring, the Rangers spent the offseason retooling.
Now, the skate is on the other foot because Alain Vigneault's men can flat-out fly. The Blueshirts struck back Monday by earning a 5-2 road victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions in the first of home-and-home meetings.
In a game everyone knew would be dictated by transition speed, the Rangers struggled with puck management in the first period and gifted the Pens ample scoring chances. Had goaltender Antti Raanta not weathered the storm, the hosts would have at least doubled their two-goal first-intermission advantage.
Then as if a switch had been flipped, the Rangers were jolted to life and took complete control. The visitors outshot the Pens 15-9 in the middle period. They were quick on the puck and hungry around opposing netminder Marc-Andre Fleury's crease. Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and J.T. Miller all cashed in to give New York the lead heading into the third.
It would only be the start, as the Rangers would end up scoring five unanswered goals, with Kevin Hayes and Derek Stepan finding the twine over the final 20 minutes. Even without injured playmakers Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich, the Blueshirts ran up the score against the defending champions. The Penguins became the latest opponent to be torched by the Rangers, who have scored at least five goals in 10 of their 20 games this season.
By reaching hockey's mountaintop in June, the Penguins effectively sent a mandate to the rest of the league -- get quick, get younger and build formidable organization depth. All the other franchises were immediately forced to abide by the blueprint or fall into cellar of noncontention.
The 14-5-1 Rangers have taken the Penguins' master plan and implemented it. They roll four interchangeable forward lines blessed with speed and skill. The Blueshirts possess the NHL's most prolific attack, averaging a league-best 4.05 goals per game. Nash, Hayes, Grabner and Miller have combined for 37 goals. The last time the Rangers had four guys with at least eight goals through 20 games was during the 1995-96 season, when Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Ray Ferraro and Pat Verbeek accomplished the feat.
"You're not (expecting) to score five goals every night," Miller said earlier this month. "That's a lot of goals against the goaltending talent in the league and how good the teams are. At the same time, if we can keep four lines going and out-change the other team and play with speed on every line, it's hard to stop. The whole team is contributing and that's one of the biggest things. If we can get every line and the 'D' to contribute, that's when you're going to get your production."
The Rangers are excelling in transition by keeping their sticks active in the defensive zone, gaining control of the puck and counter-attacking in units of five. No Ranger exemplifies this more than captain Ryan McDonagh. The 27-year-old defenseman is making possession-gaining plays in his own end, jump-starting odd-man rushes and racking up assists. His 13 helpers trail only the great Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks among league defensemen.
McDonagh was a monster on Monday night. He recorded two assists, registered four shots on goal and established a career-high plus-five rating. His 22:54 of ice time was a team-high and he's led the Rangers in playing time in every game this season.
"He's a pretty good all-around player," Hayes said of McDonagh earlier this month. "That's why he's our captain. He's really good defensively, he has a lot assists already this year. If he's healthy, he's one of the best players in the league. ... I think he's a main component as to why we've been successful. He can be relied on on the PK, the power play and five-on-five. He's up there with the best guys."
McDonagh might be leading the charge, but all six defensemen and 12 forwards are executing the transition game to a tee -- and when the Rangers get out to a lead, they slam the door shut with authority. They are 12-0 when entering the third period with a lead this season.
On both ends of the ice, the Rangers are playing committed, hungry hockey. Their league-best plus-34 goal differential shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey