In the mind of Alain Vigneault, Rick Nash has done many positive things for the New York Rangers in these Stanley Cup playoffs.
He just hasn’t been scoring, which has been an issue in the two previous times the 29-year-old Nash was in the post-season.
“I mean, he’s doing everything that I think you want from a player. He’s going to the tough areas. He’s shooting the puck. He’s going hard on the forecheck. He’s being physical. He’s creating turnovers,” Vigneault, the Rangers’ head coach, told reporters on Thursday, the day after his team staved off a sweep in the Stanley Cup Final against the L.A. Kings.
“You know, all I can say right now is I got to believe by playing the way he is right now, he will get rewarded. I’m hoping that’s going to be tomorrow.”
The Rangers, down 3-1 in the series, need three more wins in order to win their first championship since 1994.
Nash’s struggles to score in the post-season go beyond this year; he had two goals in a combined 16 playoff games prior to this spring. The tale of his post-season woes has been interesting, especially again this year.
Some examples of the ever-evolving story line:
April 26: Rangers hope for more goals from Rick Nash
May 6: Rick Nash has yet to don his boy boy pants
May 7: Video: Slumping Rick Nash booed by Rangers fans
May 11: Nash on playoff-long goal drought: ‘The chances are there’
May 16: ‘Overdue’ Nash getting chances, says AV
May 17: Video: Rick Nash finally scores a playoff goal in 2014
May 19: Video: St. Louis, Nash score again
May 20: PHT Morning Skate: Rick Nash has reason to smile more
June 4: Rick Nash getting things done in other ways for Rangers
June 7: Nash says he has to finish chances, cut turnovers in Game 2