New York Rangers Need Rick Nash To Produce To Make Stanley Cup Run

Stop me if you have heard this before, but the New York Rangers need Rick Nash to produce in the playoffs if they hope to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Rangers have been waiting for their highest paid forward to provide them with the game-changing stuff they thought Nash had when they acquired him in 2012. Entering the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it doesn’t look encouraging that Nash will change his playoff ways.

This season hasn’t been kind to Nash. He missed 22 games due to injury and recorded 15 goals and 21 assists in the 60 games he did skate. The injuries are gone and so are the excuses. The Rangers need Nash to play like the guy from the regular season last year when he notched 42 goals. He did set playoff career highs in goals and assists last year, with five and nine respectively in 19 games. It wasn’t enough, especially when you consider he shot the puck 69 times.

Last year was a step in the right direction for Nash. Then again he couldn’t get lower than his 2013-14 performance which saw him shoot the puck 83 times and find the net only three times and record just seven assists in 25 games. The Rangers made the Stanley Cup Finals in spite of Nash. Now they need to make the Stanley Cup Finals because of Nash.

The Rangers will not go far if Nash continues his disappearing act. The 31-year-old winger knows he has to be better and has mentioned that to the press. Knowing he has to be better and playing better are two different things. He knows the pressure is on him to produce and create, but Nash just seems to press when the puck is on his stick. The rest of his game has always been solid, especially on defense. For whatever reason, he just can’t find the back of the net.

If Nash can provide a scoring touch, then the Rangers should be able to go deep into the playoffs and make a Stanley Cup run.