Lafreniere's confidence grows as role with Rangers increases
Forward has scored twice in two games after being moved to top line
"It's big," Lafreniere said. "It was a couple games in a row with not much going on, some decent games, but it's good to score and I'll try to keep going and bring as much consistency as I can in my game."
Limited in his opportunities to play in the top-six forward group through the Rangers' first 26 games this season, the 21-year-old left wing was elevated from the third line to the top line with center Mika Zibanejad late in the second period against the St. Louis Blues on Monday.
He scored the game-winning goal with a net-front deflection of Zibanejad's shot after having an assist on defenseman K'Andre Miller's game-tying goal in the 6-4 win. He scored again near the front of the net off a pass from Zibanejad in New York's 5-1 win at the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
STL@NYR: Lafrenière scores tip-in goal in the 3rd
A few days after telling NHL.com that he was "not at the highest level of confidence now" because he had three goals in 26 games, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft all of the sudden has two goals in the past two games, each a Rangers win. He is feeling good and finding purpose in his game heading into the Rangers' (13-10-5) showdown against the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche (13-10-1) at Ball Arena in Denver on Friday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, MSG2, ESPN+, SN NOW).
"We believe in the kid," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said before the game against the Blues.
Gallant admitted before that game his own role in limiting the forward's ability to drive consistent production for the Rangers because of where he was playing Lafreniere in the lineup.
"As coaches I guess we've got to try to fix that sooner or later," Gallant said of changing things to allow Lafreniere to flourish. "But when you've got things going, you've got your superstars ahead of them, sometimes you have trouble getting a certain amount of ice time."
Lafreniere had been a regular on the third line for more than a month.
He also is part of the second power-play unit, but that group never starts the man advantage and typically has to wait 90 seconds for a shift playing behind Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox. In 28 games, he's averaging 1:01 power-play ice time per game.
It hasn't helped Lafreniere that Gallant prefers him to play on his strong side, meaning at left wing, where he usually is behind Panarin and Kreider.
The Rangers tried Lafreniere at right wing for much of the first 14 games of the season, playing him on a line with Panarin and Trocheck, but he had five points (two goals, three assists).
But when Gallant did not like what he was seeing from his team midway through the game against St. Louis, he moved Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko up with Zibanejad, dropping Kreider to play on the third line with Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey.
It was the kind of move Gallant was being asked about in press conferences ahead of the game, although he expressed hesitancy because of the desire to keep Lafreniere at left wing and separating Zibanejad and Kreider.
It also was a move mentioned by NHL Network analyst and former Rangers forward Mike Rupp during an interview with NHL.com about Lafreniere after the first period against the Blues.
"'Kreids' is a veteran, he gets a lot of power play success, but you need 'Laf' going," Rupp said. "Kreids is a good dude. He's a team guy. He knows who needs the help. Laf needs the help."
Giving it to him and Kakko, for that matter, not only has paid immediate dividends on the score sheet, but the mere fact that they know they're getting ice time with Zibanejad gave both an instant shot of confidence.
Like Lafreniere, Kakko scored in the win at Vegas as well.
"Mika is an exceptional player, one of the best centers in the League," Lafreniere said. "He makes our job a little easier. With guys like that, you hang around the net and you're going to have some scoring chances, some rebounds. They shoot the puck so well so I just try to get to the net and get some rebounds or tips."
Before this mini hot streak Lafreniere was talking a lot about the need to not only be at the net, "but trying to make plays there too. You can't just stay there at the net."
He said he felt he was getting there, but also that nothing was happening except for a goal by being at the net against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 26.
"Keep doing that," Kreider said when asked about Lafreniere a few days after that game. "I see
banging home pucks around the net a lot too.
,
,
,
, you see the highlight-reel goals from those guys, but you also see them getting around the net. As long as he gets around the net, he's going to get chances. With his skill level, he's going to finish them."
Kreider called it the "law of averages," a point he has referenced many times about himself and how his game is built on being around the net in the offensive zone.
He scored 52 goals last season by being around the blue paint.
Add in the two he just scored and all five of Lafreniere's goals this season have been because he's put himself in a net-front position.
He scored 19 goals last season largely because he did the same.
"When I'm on my game I'm making plays, I go to the net, I forecheck hard and spend some good time in the offensive zone," Lafreniere said.
But to find his game he needed an opportunity. He got it and confidence has followed. Next is consistency.
"Sink or swim," Rupp said. "They need Laf going."
