SUNRISE, Fla. — Offense took priority for the Rangers at the trade deadline, but that’s just how it seemed to happen when the opportunity arose to acquire scoring juggernauts Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko.
It prompted head coach Gerard Gallant to change course on how he handled the power-play units up until the deadline. He went from leaving it alone for months to switching it up on a weekly basis.
And yet the Rangers, with all their new talent, haven’t been able to put it all together on the one aspect of the game that is supposed to highlight a team’s offensive prowess.
The Rangers went 0-for-3 on the power play Saturday night in a 4-3 win over the Panthers at FLA Live Arena, extending their scoreless streak with the man-advantage to three straight games.
They have now gone 3-for-23 on the power play since a 3-2 overtime loss to Penguins on March 12.
Some games, the Rangers do everything but score with the man-advantage. In others, they struggle to even hold the zone.
Saturday was one of those instances, and the Rangers were only able to put up four shots on goal while on the power play.
Ryan Lindgren was sidelined for the 13th time in the last 14 games with a lingering shoulder injury.
The 25-year-old defenseman is still considered day-to-day.
Asked if he feels the Rangers should get some new players up with Lindgren out, Gallant said “we’re fine.”
“If we need them, we know where to get them,” he added.
The Rangers would have to place Lindgren on long-term injured reserve to receive the necessary cap relief to make a recall from AHL Hartford.
It appears the Rangers may be holding onto the hope that Lindgren will be ready to play sooner rather than later, which would give them reps as a full lineup before the playoffs. That time, however, also could be spent acclimating a depth defenseman ahead of the postseason.
Patrick Kane’s third-period goal was the 450th goal and the 1,233rd point of his career, which surpassed Phil Housley for second place on the NHL’s all-time list among U.S.-born players.
The Rangers will be off on Sunday before returning to the ice for practice on Monday at MSG Training Center.
They will host the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, then will venture to New Jersey, Buffalo and Washington to wrap up March and begin April.