The Rangers' top power-play unit is still trying to find its rhythm after an offseason roster makeover changed the look of a group that had been mostly unchanged for years. Through five games, the Rangers are 3-for-14 on the power play, and head coach Mike Sullivan said Thursday that the unit remains a work in progress before the team headed for Washington, D.C.
For a long stretch, the first unit had a familiar feel. Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad were holdovers from the 2019-20 season, while the rest of the setup stayed steady enough that opponents could get a clear read on it. That predictability eventually became part of the discussion around the NHL, and the Rangers chose to change things this offseason.
How the first unit changed
Two summers ago, the Rangers shipped Chris Kreider to Anaheim, and after that they traded away Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. Out of training camp, Alexis Lafrenière took his spot on the first unit for the first time in his seventh NHL season. That change gives the Rangers a different look, but it also means the group is still building chemistry in real time.
Sullivan said he called Lafrenière to make sure he knew he would not be taken off the first power-play unit. That matters not just for the power play itself, but for Lafrenière's overall growth. Sullivan believes the role is important for his maturation as a player, which helps explain why the Rangers are giving him a long runway to settle in.
What Sullivan sees so far
Sullivan was direct about where things stand. He said the power play is still a work in progress and that the staff is still trying to work through it. He also said he does not think the Rangers are there yet.
There is also a new element in the group. Sullivan pointed to Pavel Dorofeyev, saying he can finish and really shoot the puck. That addition changes the makeup of the unit a little bit, and the Rangers are still feeling out how all of the pieces fit together.
The early return has been uneven, but not alarming enough to rewrite the plan after five games. The Rangers have already gotten two of their power-play goals from the second unit, which is another sign that the first group is still being sorted out. For now, the task is simple: keep working, keep adjusting and get the top unit closer to the level expected from a group built to drive offense.
