There has been a leak in Pavel Buchnevich’s game in the past six games or so, and enough to have earned a job to the fourth line in the trajectory of Friday’s 1-0 defeat to the Bruins, that meant two shifts with a value of 1:46 of the time during the last 11 minutes.
The winger, who has skated on the right side of Mika Zibanejad in the center and Chris Kreider on the left flank for most of the past two plus seasons, has scored one goal in the last 11 games in Tuesday’s Garden clash against the well equipped Devils. . That was an empty net against the Caps in the 4-2 win on February 4 that represents the Blueshirts’ last win.
Due to the lack of production, Buchnevich hardly stands out. Indeed, he would fit right in with the crowd who entered Tuesday’s game and had all scored twice in the 181: 23 since No. 89 put the puck in the empty cage. It’s other elements of the game that David Quinn mentioned in his pre-game video conference to explain why Buchnevich was dropped from the order.
“I thought he was our best attacker for seven or eight games and then there is a dip in his game,” said the coach. “The consistency of what he did earlier this year, where he put in a constant effort, a constant lead on his game.”
The translation is that Quinn doesn’t see the same level of hardness on the puck, zeal away from the puck, and competition in combat as the Rangers try to make their way through this desert of production.
“It’s kind of fallen and I think he’s a little frustrated from an offensive perspective, which can creep into other parts of people’s games,” said Quinn. “We just need him to get back to where he was.
“We’ll see how it goes [against the Devils] and at some point we can reward people [who are] play better. “
Here’s the thing, though. Buchnevich’s average ice age of 8:00 p.m. per game, placing him 30th among NHL forwards, should likely be reduced regardless of his production or competence outside the puck. He was on the alleged front line with Zibanejad and (mostly) Kreider, he was on the power play and he was on the first penalty-killing tandem.
Its 8:00 PM per represents a jump from 18.1 pct. from 4:56 pm last season. That’s a notable addition to Buchnevich’s workload, who included work with the shorthanded unit for the first time in his NHL career. That’s something the 25-year-old Russian has been very good at, even during this fallow period of violation. Indeed, Buchnevich conceded just three power play goals in 35:25 and stood up for the fewest shots per 60 minutes from a Blueshirt forward.
Perhaps the drop in the winger’s physical play coincides with the additional Ice Age. No offense (alternate meaning), but we’re not really talking about a physical one here either. However, it should be noted that Buchnevich was there, front and center, to challenge Brad Marchand as the Boston winger tried to take some liberties with Artemi Panarin after No. 10 returned to the ice on February 10 after a long time with an unidentified lower body injury that has since sidelined him. It should also be noted that Buchnevich stepped in and exchanged punches with Boston defender Jeremy Lauzon two nights later.
The bigger picture, however, is this: Quinn is one of those coaches who loves to ride his horses, one of whom he identified as Buchnevich this season. Edmonton-based Dave Tippett rides with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the trio among the top eight forwards in the NHL for average ice age. Maple Leafs’ Sheldon Keefe rides Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews first and fourth respectively. Ralph Krueger of The Sabers rides Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Taylor Hall, the three between 10th and 18th in front.
Quinn and the Rangers? Panarin is 14, Zibanejad is 16 and Buchnevich is 30. That doesn’t seem like an exaggeration, especially for a team that is top heavy and lacks depth, but it can be sure when the big boys act like bit players. This hasn’t been last year, when Panarin and Zibanejad took turns carrying the offense from start to finish.
Filip Chytil’s continued absence, sidelined since he sustained an unidentified injury in Pittsburgh on Jan. 24 and still doesn’t skate, has highlighted the lack of depth. That has been a double blow for the team and the coach, whose doubling of the top men has not produced any results. Prior to New Jersey, the Rangers had scored a total of 19 goals in five-on-five in their 13 games, which equates to 1.46 per. Only the Sabers with 1.36 each were worse.
So if Quinn is considering giving more ice to players who ‘play better’, the time may not only be near, it may have already come.