BOSTON – A conundrum all season, the Rangers’ power play hasn’t even come close to equaling the sum of its impressive parts.
There’s been too much perimeter play; too much force-feeding Jaromir Jagr in the right circle; too little movement without the puck; too little traffic in front; too few shots from the point.
And even with the hockey-wise Jagr, Martin Straka, Martin Rucinsky and Michael Nylander on ice to orchestrate the operation, somehow there’s been too little creativity.
Still, though, even with the Blueshirts stuck in idle on the man advantage, specialty-team play didn’t come at the cost of points. And that’s because the penalty-kill unit had done a superlative job throughout the year, holding course as the second-best such unit in the league.
Until recently, that is. Because now, the Rangers’ specialty units on both sides of the equation are killing the team. Heading into last night’s match here against the Bruins, the Rangers had gone 3-for-36 on the PP in their last eight games while going only 15-for-53 on the PK in their last 11 matches.
Including the two short-handed goals the team surrendered to Edmonton on Jan. 12, the Rangers have been outscored 12-3 on the specialty teams over the last eight games, 16-7 over the last dozen, and have been outscored on the specialty units in each of the last five games.
The PP has skidded to 22nd overall at 15.9 percent – the Devils, who come to the Garden tonight and who just weeks ago were suffering through a nearly impossible 4-for-103 stretch with the man advantage, are 16th – while the PK unit has slipped to seventh in the NHL, that even with Henrik Lundqvist acting as an eraser in nets.
It’s time, therefore, for Tom Renney – nothing if not loyal and steadfast – to consider personnel changes on both his units. On the power play, it’s time to replace Rucinsky on the point with Petr Sykora.
Rucinsky, scoreless (with three assists) in his last eight games, has never been particularly comfortable on the point, a position he had never played prior to 12 games ago. Sykora, meanwhile, is a natural on the point, both creative and equipped with a big shot. He was an invaluable weapon on the point for the Devils in their run to the 2000 Stanley Cup and the 2001 Cup Finals.
It’s silly to keep Sykora planted to the second PP unit – where he plays up front – and especially so when the first unit as often as not eats up 90 seconds of time.
At the same time, while the PK unit had shown signs of wear even before Blair Betts went down with a knee on Jan. 7 – he won’t be back until after the Olympic break – the strain of filling his time has worn on the Blueshirts.
Specifically, the Dominic Moore-Jed Ortmeyer tandem has begun to seriously fray. Here again, it’s time for Renney to adjust his thinking and his assignments. Again, the change should involve Rucinsky, who should get the ice time on the PK he yields on the PP.
In 63:24 of PK time, generally amassed on the third unit with Steve Rucchin, Rucinsky has been on for only three power-play goals against – or one every 21:08, far and away the best ratio on the team.
It’s time for a change.
larry.brooks@nypost.com
