Rangers new top line a handful, taking off with ‘complementary skill sets’
Few things have gone right for the New York Rangers as they enter the final weeks of a lost season. But the recent play of young forwards Gabe Perreault and Alexis Lafreniere on a line with veteran center Mika Zibanejad is one of them.
Perreault, New York’s first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, is improving by leaps and bounds in his first full season. He had a goal and an assist in the Rangers’ 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday night, giving him three goals and five points in his past four games.
“Definitely game by game, I feel like I get more and more confident, and that kind of helps with getting other players’ trust, and the coaching staff,” he said. “And I believe in being confident myself as well.”
The 20-year-old found chemistry with Zibanejad, who scored twice – once on a behind-the-back feed from Perreault, the other capping a play that began when the youngster knocked a Flyers defenseman off the puck behind Philly’s net.
Perreault isn’t a speedster, and at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds isn’t usually physical. But his skill and hockey IQ have the potential to make him special.
“The skill and stuff, it’s been pretty evident for everyone,” Zibanejad said. “Just the way he sees the ice, the way he makes plays. The power-play goal is a perfect example of the way he makes a play. It’s just the little things … The more he plays, the more confident he gets.
“He keeps trying to make plays, and he’s learning from it, too. It’s been awesome to play with him.”
Zibanejad said he wasn’t surprised by the behind-the-back feed that he quickly snapped into the net at 18:40 of the second period to put the Rangers up 5-2.
“It was funny because I was actually expecting it,” he said. “It was an unbelievable pass from him.”
Coach Mike Sullivan said after the game that he can see Perreault’s growth.
“I think Gabe is building confidence,” he said. “When his confidence grows, he’s hanging onto pucks. He’s got a higher panic threshold in the sense that he doesn’t just throw pucks away. He protects them, he hangs onto them, he waits for help. He’s looking to make plays. But he’s not a high-risk player.
“Having said that, he’s still recognizing when you have to just chip a puck in and make a simple play. I think with Gabe, experience is the best teacher because he has a high aptitude and he’s learning on the job, so to speak, literally.”
Zibanejad-Lafreniere-Perreault line producing for Rangers
Lafreniere is thriving as the left wing with Zibanejad and Perreault. He assisted on Zibanejad’s first goal and scored one of his own at 19:23 of the first period. “Laf” has seven points (three goals, four assists) and is plus-3 in six games since the Olympic break – the kind of production the Rangers haven’t seen enough of since they took him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft.
“There’s complementary skill sets in the sense that they’re a little bit different in what they bring,” Sullivan said of the threesome. “I think the common denominator is that they all have pretty good offensive instincts. They all see it pretty well.
“Laf’s a talented guy. He sees the play really well. He has good offensive instincts. I think he’s had pretty good performances for us recently.”
The coach said Lafreniere is doing a better job in puck support, leading to more time in the attacking zone.
“I think he’s hanging onto pucks in the offensive zone. He’s making good decisions when he has it,” Sullivan explained. “We talk a lot with him about just supporting the puck, staying connected to his linemates. I think he’s doing a much better job there. As a result, they’re spending more time in the offensive zone.
Lafreniere got bumped up in the lineup after the Rangers traded Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 4 and captain J.T. Miller went on injured reserve last week. Sullivan wouldn’t concede that Lafreniere might have been deferring to his higher-profile teammates, but did admit that “I do think he probably looks around and says ‘this team needs me to generate some offense and make an impact on the game.’ Not just offensively – his overall complete game, but in particular on the offensive side.”
Zibanejad, the senior member of the line at age 32, said he tries to help his young linemates as much as possible.
“They’re two highly, highly skilled and talented players,” he said. “I try to do my part. I try to help them as much as I can and try to play to their strengths, and I feel like that’s what they’re doing as well. Just try to use them as much as I can with their strengths and how they play and the plays that they’re making.
“It’s fun to watch.”
