By: Michael Abitabilo
Everyone is familiar with the numbers by now: 23, 1, 11, 0, 3-1, 7.8 million.
Fair or unfair, these are the numbers that are beginning to define Rick Nash. In 23 playoff games as a New York Ranger, Nash has scored a grand total of 1 goal. In 11 playoff games this year, he has scored 0 goals. And with the Rangers trailing their second round series 3-1, their $7.8 million man is in danger of becoming known as a very good player who failed to elevate his game when it mattered most.
To put Nash’s struggles into perspective, here is a list of players who have scored more goals than Rick Nash this postseason
(for the sake of reference, former Rangers’ names appear in red, while current Rangers are listed in blue):
Rk |
Player |
Tm |
G ▾ |
1 |
Marian Gaborik |
LAK |
6 |
2 |
Jussi Jokinen |
PIT |
6 |
3 |
Bryan Bickell |
CHI |
5 |
4 |
Patrick Kane |
CHI |
5 |
5 |
Evgeni Malkin |
PIT |
5 |
6 |
Paul Stastny |
COL |
5 |
7 |
Jamie Benn |
DAL |
4 |
8 |
Rene Bourque |
MTL |
4 |
9 |
Mikael Granlund |
MIN |
4 |
10 |
Anze Kopitar |
LAK |
4 |
11 |
Milan Lucic |
BOS |
4 |
12 |
Zach Parise |
MIN |
4 |
13 |
Wayne Simmonds |
PHI |
4 |
14 |
Brandon Sutter |
PIT |
4 |
15 |
Vladimir Tarasenko |
STL |
4 |
16 |
Jonathan Toews |
CHI |
4 |
17 |
Justin Williams |
LAK |
4 |
18 |
Patrice Bergeron |
BOS |
3 |
19 |
Nick Bonino |
ANA |
3 |
20 |
Kyle Brodziak |
MIN |
3 |
21 |
Jeff Carter |
LAK |
3 |
22 |
Charlie Coyle |
MIN |
3 |
23 |
Pavel Datsyuk |
DET |
3 |
24 |
Lars Eller |
MTL |
3 |
25 |
Brendan Gallagher |
MTL |
3 |
26 |
Ryan Garbutt |
DAL |
3 |
27 |
Ryan Getzlaf |
ANA |
3 |
28 |
Carl Hagelin |
NYR |
3 |
29 |
Nick Holden |
COL |
3 |
30 |
Jarome Iginla |
BOS |
3 |
31 |
Boone Jenner |
CBJ |
3 |
32 |
Jack Johnson |
CBJ |
3 |
33 |
Chris Kunitz |
PIT |
3 |
34 |
Gabriel Landeskog |
COL |
3 |
35 |
Patrick Marleau |
SJS |
3 |
36 |
Corey Perry |
ANA |
3 |
37 |
Tomas Plekanec |
MTL |
3 |
38 |
Benoit Pouliot |
NYR |
3 |
39 |
Brad Richards |
NYR |
3 |
40 |
Reilly Smith |
BOS |
3 |
41 |
P.K. Subban |
MTL |
3 |
42 |
Tyler Toffoli |
LAK |
3 |
43 |
Thomas Vanek |
MTL |
3 |
44 |
Mats Zuccarello |
NYR |
3 |
45 |
Jason Akeson |
PHI |
2 |
46 |
Matt Beleskey |
ANA |
2 |
47 |
Dustin Brown |
LAK |
2 |
48 |
Brent Burns |
SJS |
2 |
49 |
Matt Calvert |
CBJ |
2 |
50 |
Daniel Carcillo |
NYR |
2 |
51 |
Zdeno Chara |
BOS |
2 |
52 |
Trevor Daley |
DAL |
2 |
53 |
Cody Eakin |
DAL |
2 |
54 |
Nick Foligno |
CBJ |
2 |
55 |
Brian Gibbons |
PIT |
2 |
56 |
Claude Giroux |
PHI |
2 |
57 |
Dougie Hamilton |
BOS |
2 |
58 |
Erik Haula |
MIN |
2 |
59 |
Tomas Hertl |
SJS |
2 |
60 |
Marian Hossa |
CHI |
2 |
61 |
Ryan Johansen |
CBJ |
2 |
62 |
Duncan Keith |
CHI |
2 |
63 |
Torey Krug |
BOS |
2 |
64 |
Kris Letang |
PIT |
2 |
65 |
Trevor Lewis |
LAK |
2 |
66 |
Ben Lovejoy |
ANA |
2 |
67 |
Nathan MacKinnon |
COL |
2 |
68 |
Patrick Maroon |
ANA |
2 |
69 |
Alec Martinez |
LAK |
2 |
70 |
Jamie McGinn |
COL |
2 |
71 |
Dominic Moore |
NYR |
2 |
72 |
Jake Muzzin |
LAK |
2 |
73 |
James Neal |
PIT |
2 |
74 |
Nino Niederreiter |
MIN |
2 |
75 |
Matthew Nieto |
SJS |
2 |
76 |
Matt Niskanen |
PIT |
2 |
77 |
Ryan O’Reilly |
COL |
2 |
78 |
T.J. Oshie |
STL |
2 |
79 |
Ondrej Palat |
TBL |
2 |
80 |
Joe Pavelski |
SJS |
2 |
81 |
Mathieu Perreault |
ANA |
2 |
82 |
Brandon Saad |
CHI |
2 |
83 |
Marco Scandella |
MIN |
2 |
84 |
Brent Seabrook |
CHI |
2 |
85 |
Teemu Selanne |
ANA |
2 |
86 |
Andrew Shaw |
CHI |
2 |
87 |
James Sheppard |
SJS |
2 |
88 |
Devante Smith-Pelly |
ANA |
2 |
89 |
Jared Spurgeon |
MIN |
2 |
90 |
Martin St. Louis |
NYR |
2 |
91 |
Steven Stamkos |
TBL |
2 |
92 |
Lee Stempniak |
PIT |
2 |
93 |
Derek Stepan |
NYR |
2 |
94 |
Joe Thornton |
SJS |
2 |
95 |
Raffi Torres |
SJS |
2 |
96 |
Jakub Voracek |
PHI |
2 |
97 |
Dale Weise |
MTL |
2 |
98 |
Craig Adams |
PIT |
1 |
99 |
Bryan Allen |
ANA |
1 |
100 |
Artem Anisimov |
CBJ |
1 |
101 |
Cam Atkinson |
CBJ |
1 |
102 |
Beau Bennett |
PIT |
1 |
103 |
Francis Bouillon |
MTL |
1 |
104 |
Johnny Boychuk |
BOS |
1 |
105 |
Brian Boyle |
NYR |
1 |
106 |
Derick Brassard |
NYR |
1 |
107 |
Justin Braun |
SJS |
1 |
108 |
Daniel Briere |
MTL |
1 |
109 |
Mike Brown |
SJS |
1 |
110 |
Matt Carle |
TBL |
1 |
111 |
Jordan Caron |
BOS |
1 |
112 |
Alex Chiasson |
DAL |
1 |
113 |
Andrew Cogliano |
ANA |
1 |
114 |
Logan Couture |
SJS |
1 |
115 |
Adam Cracknell |
STL |
1 |
116 |
Sidney Crosby |
PIT |
1 |
117 |
David Desharnais |
MTL |
1 |
118 |
Drew Doughty |
LAK |
1 |
119 |
Brandon Dubinsky |
CBJ |
1 |
120 |
Loui Eriksson |
BOS |
1 |
121 |
Vernon Fiddler |
DAL |
1 |
122 |
Justin Florek |
BOS |
1 |
123 |
Matt Fraser |
BOS |
1 |
124 |
Brian Gionta |
MTL |
1 |
125 |
Dan Girardi |
NYR |
1 |
126 |
Luke Glendening |
DET |
1 |
127 |
Alex Goligoski |
DAL |
1 |
128 |
Erik Gustafsson |
PHI |
1 |
129 |
Dany Heatley |
MIN |
1 |
130 |
Victor Hedman |
TBL |
1 |
131 |
Shawn Horcoff |
DAL |
1 |
132 |
Matt Irwin |
SJS |
1 |
133 |
Barret Jackman |
STL |
1 |
134 |
Erik Johnson |
COL |
1 |
135 |
Tyler Johnson |
TBL |
1 |
136 |
Alex Killorn |
TBL |
1 |
137 |
Dwight King |
LAK |
1 |
138 |
Mikko Koivu |
MIN |
1 |
139 |
Niklas Kronwall |
DET |
1 |
140 |
Marcus Kruger |
CHI |
1 |
141 |
Nikita Kucherov |
TBL |
1 |
142 |
Maxim Lapierre |
STL |
1 |
143 |
Vincent Lecavalier |
PHI |
1 |
144 |
Mark Letestu |
CBJ |
1 |
145 |
Andrew MacDonald |
PHI |
1 |
146 |
Derek MacKenzie |
CBJ |
1 |
147 |
Cody McCormick |
MIN |
1 |
148 |
Cody McLeod |
COL |
1 |
149 |
Matt Moulson |
MIN |
1 |
150 |
Valeri Nichushkin |
DAL |
1 |
151 |
Johnny Oduya |
CHI |
1 |
152 |
Brooks Orpik |
PIT |
1 |
153 |
Max Pacioretty |
MTL |
1 |
154 |
Daniel Paille |
BOS |
1 |
155 |
Kyle Palmieri |
ANA |
1 |
156 |
P.A. Parenteau |
COL |
1 |
157 |
Tanner Pearson |
LAK |
1 |
158 |
Alex Pietrangelo |
STL |
1 |
159 |
Jason Pominville |
MIN |
1 |
160 |
Chris Porter |
STL |
1 |
161 |
Teddy Purcell |
TBL |
1 |
162 |
Rickard Rakell |
ANA |
1 |
163 |
Matt Read |
PHI |
1 |
164 |
Mike Richards |
LAK |
1 |
165 |
Michal Rozsival |
CHI |
1 |
166 |
Colton Sceviour |
DAL |
1 |
167 |
Luke Schenn |
PHI |
1 |
168 |
Jaden Schwartz |
STL |
1 |
169 |
Tyler Seguin |
DAL |
1 |
170 |
Patrick Sharp |
CHI |
1 |
171 |
Kevin Shattenkirk |
STL |
1 |
172 |
Jakob Silfverberg |
ANA |
1 |
173 |
Ben Smith |
CHI |
1 |
174 |
Marc Staal |
NYR |
1 |
175 |
Alex Steen |
STL |
1 |
176 |
Jarret Stoll |
LAK |
1 |
177 |
Clayton Stoner |
MIN |
1 |
178 |
Mark Streit |
PHI |
1 |
179 |
Ryan Suter |
MIN |
1 |
180 |
Fedor Tyutin |
CBJ |
1 |
181 |
Marc-Edouard Vlasic |
SJS |
1 |
182 |
Slava Voynov |
LAK |
1 |
183 |
Mike Weaver |
MTL |
1 |
184 |
Henrik Zetterberg |
DET |
1 |
The truth is, plenty of Rangers have underperformed this postseason. In fact, it would be easier to list the Rangers players who have played well (Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal (most of the time), and Dominic Moore) than those who haven’t (pretty much everyone else). The difference? Expectations.
Let’s go back a few years to when Nash was acquired. The perception was that the Rangers were one explosive offensive star from being a true Stanley Cup contender. Having lost the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals in six games to the New Jersey Devils, the Rangers thought Nash was the dynamic goal scorer who would push them to the next level. And so the Rangers sent fan favorites Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov, along with defense prospect Tim Erixon and a two draft picks to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Nash. Nash’s acquisition seemingly created a redundancy at right wing, and so a few months later, the Rangers sent Marian Gaborik to the Blue Jackets in exchange for Derick Brassard, John Moore, and Derek Dorsett.
Along with the perception of being an elite goal scorer, Nash brought with him the final six years and $47.4 million of his contract. Nash’s $7.8 million salary cap figure is the 8th highest in the league this season. Among forwards, only Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Corey Perry, Eric Staal, and Ryan Getzlaf have a higher average annual value.
Maybe it wasn’t fair for the Rangers and their fans to expect Nash to perform at the level of those six players. But Nash’s postseason production has been abysmal, and the Rangers seem further from a Stanley Cup today than they did two years ago. That Gaborik now sits right there at the top of that playoff scoring list only serves to pour salt in a wound that is worsening by the game.
Nash was serenaded with boos during the Rangers game four loss to the Penguins at Madison Square Garden, despite the fact that he was one of the few players who created any offensive chances. Nash’s coaches and teammates have consistently lauded Nash’s work ethic and desire to score and win. But when it comes to superstar players, New York fans aren’t interested in things like effort or chances; they want results.
The Rangers aren’t one game away from the end of their season because of Nash’s production (or lack thereof). The truth is, they aren’t a good enough team. But for Nash, there is more on the line tonight than delaying what seems to be the inevitable end to the Rangers’ season. In a strange way, tonight could be a legacy-defining game for Nash. If Nash were to score a few goals and help force a game 6, at least some of the pressure would be alleviated. But if Nash and the Rangers go quietly into the night versus Pittsburgh, number 61 will be surrounded by questions regarding his ability to perform in the postseason for the next 11 months, regardless of how he performs during the 2014-2015 regular season.
The Rangers need a big game tonight. Rick Nash needs one worse.
* * *
Mike Abitabilo is the co-founder of the Read Zone, and is mentally preparing for the Rangers’ season to end.