New York Rangers' Barclay Goodrow Proves His Worth With Big Playoff Performance – Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

The New York Rangers currently hold a 2-1 series lead over the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. After losing Game 1 3-0, the team bounced back to win Game 2 in overtime without a goal with an unlikely hero. Barclay Goodrow scored to tie the series at one game apiece. Currently in his third season with the Rangers, Goodrow has come under fire over the past few campaigns due to his poor performance and the fact that he has one of the worst contracts in the league.

He is currently making $3,641,667 this season and over the next two seasons. He is in the third season of a six-year contract he signed with the Rangers after they traded his signing rights through the 2021 offseason. So, while he hasn't lived up to his contract in terms of regular season production, he's proving why he's worth his contract with his current playoff performance.

Goodrow's Goal Increase Since Regular Season

The 2023-24 season was a very memorable one for Goodrow, as he had his worst season as a Ranger to date. He scored just four goals and had 12 points in 80 games, while sporting a minus-13 average. His poor season was another reason for fans to hate him and talk about him being traded or bought this offseason. However, once the playoffs started, it was like the flip was turned and Goodrow looked like a completely different player. He has six goals and eight points in 13 playoff games so far; he has three goals in the last two games and has looked like one of the Rangers' best players in the series so far.

He has more goals in the Conference Final than Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, and Chris Kreider combined; three other players, who are Rangers' leading attackers, have zero goals so far in this series. So even though it's about those three players who haven't scored yet, it's great to see a player like Goodrow pick himself up and raise his game at the most important time of the season.

Goodrow is one of the Ranger's best assassins

One of the biggest strengths that Goodrow brings is his ability to kill penalties. He was paired with Vincent Trocheck for most of the regular season and playoffs and they were two of the most effective penalty killers. They were also effective in creating offense when they were cut, as Goodrow had two goals conceded in the playoffs, leading all players. He scored a shorthanded goal in Game 3 of the series, his second of the game, and gave the Rangers a 4-2 lead going into the third period. Although the Rangers didn't hold the lead for long, it was an important goal at a crucial time and performances like that make him very successful in the playoffs.

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The Rangers as a whole have been the best penalty killing team in this tournament. They currently sit third among the remaining teams in penalty kill percentage at 85.7% and lead the league in shorthanded goals in the playoffs with five. Goodrow's first shorthanded goal of the playoffs – in Game 3 against the Washington Capitals in the first round – was also the game-winning goal. Rangers have played well all season and Goorow has had a big impact on why they have been so successful in these competitions despite being an underdog.

Goodrow is a clutch playoff player

A phrase that goes around sometimes for some players is that they are “16 game players.” This means they can step up their game in the playoffs and be a factor in helping their team win the 16 games needed to win the Stanley Cup. For Goodrow, he is one of those players. It started in 2019, when he scored a game-winning double in overtime as a member of the San Jose Sharks against the Vegas Golden Knights. He then went on to win two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his first season with the Rangers, they went to the Eastern Conference Finals. He made the playoffs in the last seven seasons of his career and now, he and the Rangers are back in the Eastern Conference Final with a 2-1 series lead.

Goodrow has been a clutch playoff player for years now and he is showing that for the Rangers right now in this series. He has stepped up his game where other star players have struggled and has been great on both the offensive and defensive sides of the puck. If the Rangers finally win this series and reach the Stanley Cup finals, fans will look back and say that Goodrow's play was one of the main reasons why the Rangers won the series.