Line Combos: Power Play: Should Rick Nash be on it?

[jerseyjinx94]

Just a simple question/discussion. Should Rick Nash be on our PP?

I think he needs to be, in some capacity. The problem is where he would work best is where MSL will work best. I'd still like to see a PP set up:

Stepan - Nash - MSL

Boyle - McDonagh

Don't know if AV will do that, though.

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[Fitzy]

Simply, yes. I would expect that with Pouliot gone we'll go back to having Nash on the power play. Probably with the Zuccarello 2nd unit.

Kreider-Stepan-St. Louis
McDonagh-Boyle

Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello
Moore-Girardi

Incidentally, those should be our top 2 forward lines as well.

 

[Fletch]

Just a simple question/discussion. Should Rick Nash be on our PP?

I think he needs to be, in some capacity. The problem is where he would work best is where MSL will work best. I'd still like to see a PP set up:

Stepan - Nash - MSL

Boyle - McDonagh

Don't know if AV will do that, though.

Nash will be on the PP. Stepan needs to be the setup guy/main puck carrier; call in the centerman. Nash needs to park his big body in front of the net and take his licks. MSL needs to setup for a one-timer. Boyle needs to get the puck to the net. MSL to loose pucks, to Stepan for a setup, etc. Call me old fashioned, but I think that's what works. If Nash isn't the right guy, then he should be on the 2nd unit and someone else should park themselves in front of the net.

 

[vipernsx]

Yes, someone with a big body has to replace Pouliot standing in front of the net.

 

[Inferno]

yes. frankly its idiotic that he wasnt on it to begin with.

 

[JimmyG89]

Simply, yes. I would expect that with Pouliot gone we'll go back to having Nash on the power play. Probably with the Zuccarello 2nd unit.

Kreider-Stepan-St. Louis
McDonagh-Boyle

Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello
Moore-Girardi

Incidentally, those should be our top 2 forward lines as well.

Very much so agree with this. Stepan and Kreider are big possession guys and will help Marty in that.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

I changed the title from "will" to "should" to stay consistent with your poll's question.

But yes, in my opinion he will and he should be. He's a goal scorer, and I think next year he'll be netting 30+ for us.

I'm also excited about the possibility of McDonagh / Boyle pairing on the blue line.

 

[jerseyjinx94]

I changed the title from "will" to "should" to stay consistent with your poll's question.

But yes, in my opinion he will and he should be. He's a goal scorer, and I think next year he'll be netting 30+ for us.

I'm also excited about the possibility of McDonagh / Boyle pairing on the blue line.

Don't go changing my thread titles

Just kidding.

I love the idea of Stepan on the left half boards and Marty on the right, with Nash in front, cycling, and Boyle and McDonagh at the points. I think we may finally see some one-timers that...dare I say...hit the net...

 

[Dalagaze]

It would be stupid for him not to be. Even if he's struggling, you keep him on the PP to try to get him going.

 

[Killem Dafoe]

Don't go changing my thread titles

Just kidding.

I love the idea of Stepan on the left half boards and Marty on the right, with Nash in front, cycling, and Boyle and McDonagh at the points. I think we may finally see some one-timers that...dare I say...hit the net...

Just figured you were asking us if he "should" be on the PP. The title was asking if he "will" be. Unlike our PP, I am just trying to keep it consistent.

McDonagh and Boyle will be a fantastic pair on the PP. Boyle has great IQ and vision, not to mention a shot we can all welcome with open arms. You're right, those one-timers will be a treat.

 

[Ian]

Besides Nash pulling a Great Pumpkin in the last two months of the season, I still think a lot of his problems on the PP was compounded by the fact that MSL essentially fills the same role on a PP unit, and the other unit at the time (Brass/Poo/MZA) played an entirely different setup where he served no use anyways.

Given a whole summer, I'm pretty confident AV & co. will make it work just fine.

 

[Rick Nash 61]

Nasher has to be on the PP this year. Wouldn't mind it looking something like this:

Unit 1

Stepan-Nash-Marty

Boyle-Mac

Unit 2

Kreidizzle-Brassard-Zucc

Girardi-Johnny

If we were to song Heatley he would have to be on the PP. Still a great net front presence.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Never understand why he wasn't towards the end of the season/in the playoffs.

Hes not a very good player when hes not given space. What better time to get space than on the PP?

 

[Doctyl]

Maybe AV doesn't feel comfortable overplaying him. I mean he's already getting toi at ES and on the Power Kill

 

[Fletch]

Never understand why he wasn't towards the end of the season/in the playoffs.

Hes not a very good player when hes not given space. What better time to get space than on the PP?

I've always felt that for goal scorers, they need to be on the PP. Stay in the flow. Get into a rhythm. Stay offensive. Get chances, carry those chances over to even strength, etc. Your best goal scorers and best puck handlers shouldn't be sitting on the bench during the time when you're supposed to have the highest percentage chance of scoring.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Maybe AV doesn't feel comfortable overplaying him. I mean he's already getting toi at ES and on the Power Kill

It doesnt make much sense to take your best goal scorer and then not play him during the best chances to score.

 

[Fletch]

Maybe AV doesn't feel comfortable overplaying him. I mean he's already getting toi at ES and on the Power Kill

Never thought of getting PP time as being overplayed. It's not the same as even strength and killing penalties. It's a lot less taxing on the mind and body.

 

[aufheben]

On the 2nd unit I guess.

------Kreider-----
Stepan-------MSL
Boyle--McDonagh

Seems like the logical choice for the 1st unit.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

Please no Girardi on the PP!

 

[silverfish]

On the 2nd unit I guess.

------Kreider-----
Stepan-------MSL
Boyle--McDonagh

Seems like the logical choice for the 1st unit.

Really wish we had someone with a better one-timer as a righty in that Stepan spot. To the point where if we set up in the zone, I'd even consider putting Boyle where Stepan is, and Stepan on the point with Mac.

If Boyle is on the half-boards/near the top of the faceoff circle, MSL or Stepan can feed him for one-timers there. The forwards on the PK would probably have to cheat to Boyle, opening space for Stepan at the point.

Is it October yet?

 

[Fitzy]

Please no Girardi on the PP!

Your alternatives are Klein and Staal, and that's even IF we assume AV will use Johnny Moore out there.

I could give or take Staal vs Girardi on the power play. Staal can't shoot with any accuracy, Girardi has no pivotal motion.

 

[Fletch]

Really wish we had someone with a better one-timer as a righty in that Stepan spot. To the point where if we set up in the zone, I'd even consider putting Boyle where Stepan is, and Stepan on the point with Mac.

If Boyle is on the half-boards/near the top of the faceoff circle, MSL or Stepan can feed him for one-timers there. The forwards on the PK would probably have to cheat to Boyle, opening space for Stepan at the point.

Is it October yet?

a good PP will move around and get the best chances. Saw many situations during which Stepan was high so the defenseman can go down. You really want Stepan down low distributing the puck. MSL has a really good, one-knee one-timer; well, at least had. That's the opportunity you setup for if you can and Stepan is the best guy for that setup. Still think a big body needs to create havoc in front. Screen the goalie. Tip shots. Get to rebounds, either as a shot on goal or punch it out to re-group.

 

[Fletch]

the PP seems so simple on paper, doesn't it?

 

[Thirty One]

For whatever it's worth, I never thought that Nash being off the powerplay was a grave injustice. He's always trying to beat guys on the powerplay, which is his game. The powerplay is about maximizing space for the unit of five, which isn't his game.

Over the past four seasons, his powerplay scoring rate has only increased 26% from 5-on-5 to 5-on-4, a laughably low figure. Compare that to Brassard, who played on the same team for most of that period:

And yet, 2013-14 was the first season that Brassard got more powerplay time than Nash (Go AV!!!).

I think with one of the net-front spots vacated, he should and will take a spot back, though.

With the personnel the Rangers have now, this is how I would line up their PP units:

With Fast's spot hopefully taken over by an addition to the roster.

 

[member 116805]

Id like to see boyle with the zucc unit though. No other forward on our team has his ability to open it up for the D man like he does