Keys For Success
1. Dan Boyle Must Be Benched
It’s never a favorite of mine to begin the No. 1 key for success as a negative. In this case, however, it’s dead on.
Dan Boyle isn’t a young man anymore. He’s now 39-years of age playing in a young man’s sport. It’s physical, demanding, and at most times, downright nasty.
It was clear that Boyle (aside from St. Louis) was the worst Ranger on the ice during the playoffs. He simply couldn’t keep up with the youth and physical play of the Washington Capitals, and then the speed of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
When Keith Yandle was paired with him, Rangers fans needed to hide the women and children.
To have Boyle in the lineup coupled with Dylan McIlrath sitting out as a healthy scratch is a sin of all sins. Granted, it’s only the first game and there will be a rotation, but Vigneault cannot allow the wool to be pulled over his eyes again (like last year).
When Boyle deserves to sit, he needs to.
Rick Nash Bringing the Nastiness In The Playoffs
We all know what a horse Rick Nash is. The guy is a scoring machine.
With 42 goals and 69 total points last season, the guy was in pursuit of the Maurice Richard Trophy for most of the season.
Where he’ll make his bones now, and only now at this stage in his career, will be the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Nash has sort of entered the same realm Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals have. Nobody cares what you do during the regular season. Only the playoffs matter.
The guy should be a power forward. The thing is his style of play suits more the skill guy. There’s nothing wrong with that, and in fact, if he plays better than way than so be it.
But, and this is a big but, he needs to show a little snarl come spring time. It’s just that simple. Penalty killing and playing a terrific overall game isn’t good enough for a guy who’s making $7.8 million a year.
He needs to produce goals in the playoffs if the Rangers want to taste a championship.
Health
Mats Zuccarello going down last spring had an even bigger effect on the team than anybody could’ve envisioned.
It wasn’t just him though.
Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh were all playing on fumes by the time Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals came and went.
It’s an easy key to success to figure out, but needs mention regardless. This team must stay healthy.
McDonagh especially needs to stay healthy. He’s been a little injury prone thus far in his NHL career and needs to prove he can stay healthy over a full 82 games and beyond.
