Rangers Power Play Shows Signs of Life After Line Shuffles
Rangers Power Play Shows Signs of Life After Line Shuffles
Head coach Mike Sullivan’s decision to shuffle lines and deploy star defenseman Adam Fox across multiple units has sparked a modest uptick in the New York Rangers’ power play. The team scored in four of its last five games, raising its season success rate to 20.6 percent as it looks to build on recent special-teams momentum.
The New York Rangers’ power play is showing early signs of improvement following head coach Mike Sullivan’s recent lineup adjustments, though the team acknowledges it will take more than a short five-game stretch to return to the dominance of past seasons.
The shift in fortunes became evident during a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. Oliver Bjorkstrand capped the win with a goal that marked the fourth consecutive game in which the Rangers managed to score at least one power-play tally. This 4-for-15 performance over the five-game span lifted the team’s success rate for the 2026-27 season to 20.6 percent, moving them up to 18th place in the league standings as play resumed on Saturday.
Sullivan initiated the changes six games ago, primarily by demoting J.T. Miller to the second line and elevating Gabe Perreault to the first unit. A critical component of this strategy involved deploying star defenseman Adam Fox to quarterback both power-play groups whenever possible. With Sean Durzi sidelined, Fox has managed the man-advantage units while avoiding excessive ice time following clears.
The new configuration has yielded immediate offensive returns. In addition to Bjorkstrand’s goal against Vancouver, Mika Zibanejad, Tye Kartye, and Pavel Dorofeyev have each scored during this stretch. Both of the newly structured units have recorded two goals apiece since the changes were implemented.
The power play’s recent activity complements a penalty-killing unit that has been among the league’s most effective. Against Vancouver, the Rangers killed all four penalties they faced, marking the 14th time this season they have achieved a perfect game on the penalty kill. This performance kept them second in the NHL with an 89.1 percent success rate.
Sullivan praised the defensive group's resilience during long shifts against Vancouver. He specifically highlighted the efforts of Noah Laba, Will Cuylle, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Marcus Pettersson for their willingness to stay on the ice and compete hard despite being trapped in their own zone.
Off the ice, the Rangers are managing roster changes ahead of their upcoming matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. Former Ranger Chris Kreider will not return to Madison Square Garden this season. Traded to the Anaheim Ducks in June 2025, Kreider was scheduled to play his second game at his former home rink on Monday but suffered an injury during Thursday’s contest against the Boston Bruins. He has been given a recovery timeline of six to eight weeks.
Kreider signed a one-year deal with the Canadiens for the 2026-27 campaign and has recorded three goals and nine points through 19 games.
On the offensive end, Zibanejad extended his point streak to five games after providing an assist on Alexis Lafrenière’s goal in the second period. Fox also contributed to the win, recording his team-leading 23rd point of the season with a secondary assist on Bjorkstrand’s power-play goal.
V.Walter--BP
