NHL New York Rangers

New York Rangers Need More From 3rd and 4th Lines

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The New York Rangers are a team built on speed, defense and goaltending, but they also rely heavily on all four lines producing on a consistent basis. That hasn’t exactly been the case of late, and the Rangers need more points produced by the third and fourth lines.

In terms of forwards, the Rangers don’t blow you away on paper. New York is at its best when it gets contributions from all four lines, but it hasn’t happened lately. New York’s top six forwards are its top six point scorers, which is no surprise for any team, but the other two lines have to step up and make a difference offensively. That would take a lot of pressure off guys like Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis.

Nash has been great all season, averaging almost a point per game, but the Rangers can’t expect him to score every night. He’s built some very good chemistry with Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello, but one line can’t represent an entire team on offense.

Carl Hagelin has been New York’s best bottom-six forward, but his efforts haven’t translated into as many points as he’s capable of contributing. Hagelin has two goals and one assist in his last two games, but had zero points in the seven games prior to that. The Rangers are a fast team that likes to rotate all four lines quickly, and they need to get more from their third and fourth lines.

Following the Rangers’ third consecutive loss to the New York Islanders last night, head coach Alain Vigneault hinted towards shaking up the bottom two lines during New York’s Wednesday practice. Dominic Moore was skating with Hagelin and Lee Stempniak, suggesting that Moore may be bumped up to the third line tomorrow night against the Montreal Canadiens. Stempniak had been a healthy scratch against the Isles, but he may take the spot of J.T. Miller in the lineup.

Changing up the third and fourth lines could just be experimental in practice, but it’s a good idea to see if it sparks some more production. Hagelin and Moore play on the penalty kill together, so making him the third-line center between Hagelin and Stempniak is a good idea. The hope is that Moore and Hagelin’s chemistry together will help raise both of their performances. If that’s the case against Montreal, Kevin Hayes will likely be the fourth-line center with Miller scratched.

However the Rangers do it, they could really use a spark from their bottom six forwards. The Rangers have been one of the best teams in hockey over the past two months, but no team can afford to hit a losing streak with the last third of the season approaching. It seems that Vigneault has found a concrete top two lines, but he needs to figure out the best combinations for the other two by the time Spring rolls around.

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