If you ask a rangers fan who the most important players on the team are you’ll get the same basic answers; Lundqvist, Gaborik, Callahan, Dubinsky etc. While these players are undoubtedly the primier talents on this team, I’ve set my eye on two other players that must play a key role during the stretch run.
A playoff team can only be as good as the depth it has, one power line and a top goalie are a must. However, the role players on a team is what sets playoff teams apart.
The Rangers posses two key role players that will need to embrace the challenge and allow this team to succeed.
These two players are Artem Anisimov and Enver Lisin. Anyone who has watched the rangers consistently this season has seen the flashes of brilliance from these two youngsters, as well as the moments when they look like the belong in the ECAC and not the Atlantic Division. As third line players it is important that these two realize there’s more to NHL hockey then scoring a flashy goal once every other week. Their role is to provide energy and play with a certain edge. The best NHL scorers create opportunities to score not through talent but through hard work.
Instead of feeling pressure to carry a team from an offensive standpoint, they need to make it their job to carry the team from an energy standpoint, set the tempo of the game, bring the crowd back into the game with a big hit or a strong defensive stand. By doing this they will create opportunities to score and instill confidence in their teammates
to do the same.
Nick Rutherford
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