Laviolette Attempts to Revitalize Rangers Power Play
New York Rangers coach Peter Laviolette is taking steps to invigorate the team’s struggling power play.
Power Play Unit Adjustments
During Friday’s practice, Laviolette altered his power-play configurations, promoting forward Alexis Lafrenière to the top unit and shifting veteran Mika Zibanejad to the second unit.
Revised Power Play Lineups:
- First Unit: Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafrenière, Chris Kreider, and Adam Fox.
- Second Unit: J.T. Miller, Jonny Brodzinski, Mika Zibanejad, Will Cuylle, and Zac Jones.
While Laviolette refrained from definitively confirming the changes, he indicated their likely implementation for Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Coach Laviolette’s Rationale
“When something isn’t effective or yielding desired outcomes, you must explore alternative approaches,” Laviolette explained. “Patience is necessary when implementing new strategies to assess their effectiveness. Frequent changes without allowing sufficient time for results can be counterproductive. A fair opportunity for success is crucial.”
He added, “However, if a prolonged period passes without achieving the intended results, adjustments become necessary.”
Power Play Struggles Amidst Team Skid
During their recent downturn, marked by a 2-5-2 record and a drop out of playoff contention, the Rangers have only managed a single power-play goal in 22 chances.
Player Perspective on Lineup Changes
Miller commented on the shakeup, stating, “It’s about injecting some energy into the units. New combinations can sometimes be beneficial, so we’ll see how it unfolds.”
“We need to score, and beyond just scoring, we need to generate momentum for the team. Goals are crucial, and we aspire to be difference-makers. Currently, our power play is too static, hindering the game’s flow instead of providing an advantage. It’s an unfortunate situation, especially now, and we are focused on revitalizing our power play groups.”
Rempe Returns to Practice
Forward Matt Rempe participated in Friday’s practice, having recovered from an illness that sidelined him for Thursday’s game against Toronto.
Shesterkin’s Practice Frustration
Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin displayed visible frustration during Friday’s practice, briefly doubled over after stopping a shot with his midsection and then slamming his stick against the boards.
Blidh Reassigned to Hartford
Anton Blidh was reassigned to Hartford on Friday. His recall on Thursday was prompted by Rempe’s illness.