Rangers receiving offensive boost from penalty kill in recent 5-1-2 surge
The New York Rangers subpar performance at even strength has been a weak spot over the past several years, with the team often relying on its potent power play to cover up offensive struggles at five-on-five.
Recently, though, it’s been the Rangers penalty kill that’s been delivering big goals and key moments, playing a big part in their recent 5-1-2 surge.
That’s been especially true over the past four games, when the Rangers are 3-0-1 thanks in significant part to their PK efforts. The Blueshirts scored a crucial short-handed goal in each of their past two contests to gain three of a possible four points on the road.
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Reilly Smith’s short-handed goal sparked Rangers comeback against Utah
Sam Carrick’s short-handed breakaway tally in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday helped the Rangers gain a point in a 3-2 overtime loss. On Thursday, Reilly Smith’s shortie against the Utah Hockey Club tied the score at three just 28 seconds into the final frame, sparking a three-goal outburst that boosted the Rangers to a 5-3 victory.
“To get (a short-handed goal), it definitely turns the tides in a game,” said defenseman Braden Schneider, who hit Smith with a pass in the neutral zone that set up his tally. “It was a huge moment for us and something we needed. A big kill would’ve been enough, but that was the cherry on top.”
The short-handed scores in the past two games couldn’t have been more timely with the Rangers scuffling power play failing to deliver in big spots in each contest. They were unable to convert on a full two-minute 4-on-3 chance in OT against the Avalanche, and managed one shot on goal during a minute-long 5-on-3 in the second period against Utah.
The Rangers seven short-handed goals are third-most in the NHL. That’s a critical stat for a team whose once-vaunted power play has fallen to 22nd in the League with an 18.8 conversion rate this season after finishing third at 26.4 percent in 2023-24. The power play woke up temporarily, converting on three of four total chances to fuel victories over the New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 9 and 11, respectively, but reverted and didn’t capitalize on any of the six power-play opportunities against Colorado and Utah.
The PK isn’t just adding important goals – it’s shutting down opposing power plays again. Smith, Carrick and their fellow penalty killers have limited opponents to just two goals on 13 chances over the past four games, which comes after the Rangers were strafed for 10 power-play goals in 26 opportunities over the prior eight contests.
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Chris Kreider’s return should bolster Rangers short-handed efforts
The good news for the Rangers opportunistic penalty-killing units is that Chris Kreider is back in the lineup after a four-game absence due to an upper-body injury. The veteran left wing, who played in his second contest Thursday since returning, has become one of their top options on the kill over the past four seasons. He’s scored 11 short-handed goals in that span.
Two have come this season, and Kreider looked like he was starting to shake off rust against Utah. He scored an even-strength goal that stood as the game-winner and posted a plus-2 rating.
“He was excellent tonight,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “He was one of our most noticeable players.”
Laviolette added: “He came out and played three sharp periods for us tonight and had a huge impact on the game.”
If the Rangers are going to overcome their first-half struggles and find their way into the Eastern Conference playoffs, their power play must return to at least a semblance of its highly-productive ways. But, in the meantime, the penalty kill is holding down the fort.
Strength when down a man – both offensively and defensively – bodes well for a team that still harbors realistic hopes of reaching the postseason.
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