18-22 — Marc Staal – Nick Holden
Marc Staal is quite clearly not what he used to be, but his newfound partnership with the silently sturdy Nick Holden has been a bit of a throwback. At this point, the Staal-Holden combination looks to be AV’s second unit.Holden has played some very good hockey at times this season, but his turnovers have recently begun to pile up. One of the major reasons for optimism with Holden is the fact that he jumps into the rush unlike almost any other defenseman on the club, and has the speed and skating ability to do it successfully. The problem can be his decision-making in his own zone, but at this point, the Rangers are clearly going to need his presence in the lineup.
Holden’s nine goals more than double the total of the next closest defenseman (shockingly, Dan Girardi). The mixing of Holden’s offense and size make for a good partnership with Staal, who essentially represents the lesser of two evils when it comes to aging, behemoth d-man contracts currently on the roster. Staal has had flashes of being a capable second-pairing defenseman and the Rangers will need more and more of that player if they hope to succeed in the spring.
