New York Rangers Need Their Star Players to Step Up Against Panthers – Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

For the first time in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New York Rangers trail in the series after losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Florida Panthers. Despite their chances, they couldn't beat Sergei Bobrovsky and the Panthers looked like the better team throughout the game. Now, as we head into Game 2, there are questions about whether the Rangers will change their lineup to give themselves a spark as they try to avoid a 2-0 series deficit.

Many suggest that Matt Rempe should return to the lineup because he brings energy and is a good physical presence for the Rangers to have. However, changing who comes in and out of the bottom six is ​​not something that will help them win this series. If the Rangers want to come out victorious and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, they will need more from their core players, as they will carry the offense going forward. So while a change in the bottom six could bring more energy to the lineup, it's up to the star players to step up their games and help lead the Panthers.

Mika Zibanejad Needs to Start Scoring

Mika Zibanejad's offensive game declined in 2023-24 where it had been a few seasons ago. He went from scoring 39 goals and 91 points in the 2022-23 season to just 26 goals and 72 points this past regular season. To start this tournament, he has been playing very well and is currently tied for the team lead in points with Vincent Trocheck (both have 14 points in 11 games so far in these playoffs.) However, he hasn't been scoring enough goals either. that needs to change going forward in this series.

He has scored only three goals in the playoffs and has played six games without scoring a goal. He finally scored when he scored two goals in Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. This is not enough production from a top center in this league. Although he likes to set up his teammates more than he likes to shoot the puck, he needs to start doing more of the latter. Zibanejad has one of the most underrated shots in the league and he doesn't use it enough. Moving forward, the Rangers will need more scoring from Zibanejad if they want any shot at making this series competitive.

Adam Fox Needs To Be More Influential

Another Ranger who hasn't played that well in the playoffs is Adam Fox. He has just four assists in 11 games and is yet to score after getting 17 in the regular season. He appears to be playing through injury after being hit in the knee by Washington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen in Game 4 of the first round. He's taken a few maintenance days so far and hasn't trained much since the injury. If he plays through the injury, that's a big blow for the Rangers as he is their best defenseman and they need him to be better in this series.

Related: Rangers Need More Defensive Points to Beat Panthers

He hasn't looked like himself in many of these tournaments. He looks slow and unconvinced in his game and if he struggles, the other defensemen need to start picking up their games to account for Fox not playing at his best. To get the most out of him, the Rangers need to spend more time in the offensive zone while on the ice. He is a great offensive defender and that is where he can have the most impact. Fox is a great player, but he needs to start making a big impact in these games.

Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck Need to Step Up

Artemi Panarin and Trocheck have both had very good playoffs so far, but they haven't been very productive lately. Panarin has 11 points in 11 games, but hasn't scored since Game 3's overtime win against the Hurricanes and in Game 1 against the Panthers, he was minus-3 with three shots only in the goalposts. Trocheck was hot early in the playoffs but has cooled off a bit in recent games. He has just one goal in his last five games and has gone clean in three of those games. The Rangers need to be very upset with these two players if they want any chance of beating the Panthers.

This series will determine whether or not Rangers' top players play at the highest level fans have ever seen them play before. If they don't come out to play in Game 2, the Rangers could find themselves down 2-0 in the series going into Games 3 and 4. The Panthers will be a tough team to beat, but if the Rangers can get star-level performances from their top players, they have a good chance of making this a hard-fought series all the way to the end.