Mika Zibanejad doesn’t know the “perfect answer.” He doesn’t know any “secret formula,” either.
But if the Rangers had either, their power play would’ve been “100 percent by now” and certainly not stuck in a lengthy slump.
After their 3-1 loss Thursday night to the Bruins (who have the NHL’s top penalty-kill unit at 87 percent), the Rangers have gone 2-for-22 with the man-advantage across their past seven games. That has dipped their power-play percentage to 21.6 for the season and has left the Blueshirts without a sustainable solution for a group that was once its strength.
“We’re trying,” Zibanejad said Thursday. “I know it’s not enough. We want to score goals, and I know there’s a lot of pressure on us to score goals. It’s frustrating.”
Zibanejad said he thought the Rangers have been creating chances — though that might not have been the case against Boston — but the frustration starts when the goals don’t follow.
Vincent Trocheck still had an opportunity to convert in the third period, Zibanejad said, when the puck cycled to Chris Kreider and then to Trocheck in front of the net. But Trocheck’s shooting window only led to another save from Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman. He stopped Kreider’s rebound attempt, too.
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And 30 seconds later, Boston had killed its final penalty of the game, securing an 0-for-3 night for the Rangers.
The root of the problem has been pinpointed, with multiple players, along with head coach Gerard Gallant, all repeating a similar diagnosis. The Rangers aren’t generating enough looks, Gallant said following the team’s loss to Montreal on Sunday. They should try shooting more pucks to the net, Artemi Panarin said the same day, and moving the puck quicker.
The Rangers’ top power-play line hasn’t scored a goal since Zibanejad’s tally on Jan. 3 against Carolina, the final game before the current slump began, and the second line has continued pushing for increased opportunities.
But if there’s a chance at a breakthrough before the All-Star break, the Golden Knights (78.6), Maple Leafs (78.2) and Panthers (76.1) all have penalty-kill units with slightly lower success rates than the league-best Bruins or other top teams, such as the Stars or Devils, that the Rangers have skated against during their slump. Exasperation, with a tinge of distress, has already started to settle in, though.
“We’re getting there,” Zibanejad said, “but it’s just maybe a little bit more desperation around the net and attacking a little bit more.”
