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NHL New York Rangers

New York Rangers Need More From Mats Zuccarello

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Getty Images

Getty Images

Over Mats Zuccarello’s first three NHL seasons, he only combined to play 67 games and tallied just 34 points for the New York Rangers. After that, Zuccarello was on the bubble to even make the team coming into the 2013-14 season, but he did and proceeded to break out for 59 points, which led the Rangers.

Zuccarello developed into a fan favorite and a formidable playmaker in just one season, but it hasn’t translated to the 2014-15 campaign to this point. Zuccarello has six points in 12 games, and his lack of production is a huge problem for the Rangers. He needs to find a way to make a bigger impact offensively, something he did on a nightly basis last season.

The Rangers lack offensive playmakers on their team and Zuccarello is one of the best at creating chances for teammates. He needs to start showing up on the score sheet more for New York, whether he’s lighting the lamp or setting someone up.

Zuccarello is not expected to lead the Rangers in points for consecutive seasons, but his production was expected to be higher and hasn’t been there. Five of his six points came in two games, leaving him with only one assist in the other 10 games combined during the young season. It’s a little puzzling to think about because no one can deny Zuccarello’s drive to make a difference.

He has also failed to make an impact on the power play, an area that he excelled in last season. He compiled a very productive four goals and 13 assists with a man advantage last season. So far, Zuccarello has zero points on the power play, and needs to start making it happen. The whole team is having a hard time with the man advantage, but he has to be one of the catalysts in turning it around.

There’s no doubt that the Rangers have less depth in terms of forwards this season, and Zuccarello was expected to be one of the main guys that would pick up the slack left behind by Brad Richards and Brian Boyle. He’s typically the smallest player on the ice, but seems to play with the biggest amount of heart and effort. That type of play is something that the whole team can feed off of.

However it happens, Zuccarello must start scoring more points. The Rangers have had a rocky beginning of the season, and Zuccarello is one of the keys to getting it back on track.

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