Rangers forced to get creative on power-play setup with Adam Fox out
Mika Zibanejad of the Rangers and Anthony Duclair of the Islanders battle for the puck during the first period against at UBS Arena on Tuesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH — With Adam Fox on injured reserve and out for at least the next week with an upper-body injury, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette decided to get creative.
When the Rangers ran through their power-play setup at Thursday’s practice in preparation for Friday’s home game against the Maple Leafs, Laviolette needed to replace Fox as the point man on the first unit. But rather than bumping K’Andre Miller up from the second unit or putting Zac Jones in Fox’s spot, he instead put together an unorthodox first unit, one that featured five forwards and no defensemen.
Mika Zibanejad ran the point most of the time, though Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere (who joined the unit because J.T. Miller was excused from practice because of illness) rotated through at times. Vincent Trocheck handled the bumper position, with Chris Kreider in his usual spot at the front of the net.
“There’s been a lot of teams that [have] used five forwards before, and so we’re just getting to . . . see what that looked like,’’ Laviolette said. “If it did go that way, I feel like Mika is somebody when repositioned to that spot can be able to manage that.’’
It was Zibanejad — usually a center but often a right wing since J.T. Miller’s arrival on Jan. 31 — who took a short shift on defense in the third period of Tuesday’s 5-1 win over the Islanders. That was necessitated after K’Andre Miller and Fox left with injuries. He pointed out that he’s played on a five-forward power play before — with the Rangers, in fact.
“I played with [Kevin] Hayes, Kreids, [Mats Zuccarello] and [Pavel] Buchnevich, I think,’’ he said. “Obviously we miss Foxy, but we’ve got to make the most out of it.’’
Zibanejad called the new-look power play “another challenge’’ and said he is excited to try it.
“We have guys on either flank that are elite, [and] having an elite guy [Kreider] in front of the net and the bumper [Trocheck], that’s unbelievable, too,’’ he said. “Good players around me, so I’m just going to make sure to distribute to them and shoot when I get the opportunity.’’
If the five-forward power-play unit was unconventional, the second unit was different-looking, too. It had two defensemen on it: K’Andre Miller and Jones. The forwards were Reilly Smith, Will Cuylle and Jonny Brodzinski.
K’Andre Miller, who left Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury, practiced in a red, no-contact jersey but seemed to be skating and moving around fine and looked as if he’ll be good to go Friday. So did Kreider, who practiced in a regular full-contact jersey.
“I’m really, really happy about that,’’ Laviolette said. “We’ll make those decisions tomorrow, but it’s just great to have those guys out there practicing with us.’’
J.T. out Friday?
J.T. Miller’s status for Friday’s game is uncertain.
“I can’t speak to that,’’ Laviolette said. “I mean, he’s not here today. You never know how that goes.’’
Panarin, Trocheck and Lafreniere, the Rangers’ top line last season, were reunited at practice with J.T. Miller out. Zibanejad centered a second line between Kreider and Cuylle.
The fourth line was Jimmy Vesey, Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe. The third line rotated four players: Brodzinski, Smith, rookie Brennan Othmann and Arthur Kaliyev.
Kaliyev did take some shifts on a fourth defense pair with Matthew Robertson, an indicator he likely is the odd man out.
Urho Vaakanainen, who scored the game’s first goal Tuesday, was plugged into Fox’s spot on defense alongside Ryan Lindgren. K’Andre Miller skated with his regular partner, Will Borgen, and Jones partnered with Braden Schneider.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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