With Adam Fox recovering from a lower-body injury suffered last week, defenseman Erik Gustafsson has stepped into the superlative Fox’s spot on the New York Rangers’ top powerplay unit.
Why did NYR’s coaching staff select the Swedish veteran over captain Jacob Trouba (an experienced PP point man), K’Andre Miller (a superior all-around rearguard) or Zac Jones (an offense-minded prospect)?
It comes down to details. Despite Gustafsson’s lack of star power, few Dmen are as poised and dynamic on the offensive blueline. (Related read: Gustafsson’s 5v5 patterns)
Here are some of NYR56’s foundational skills. Practice them diligently and you’ll be ready to play a bigger role on your team’s PP, when you get the opportunity.
Skill 1: Backward start & transition skating
The ability to quickly get off the mark while going backwards isn’t trivial for a powerplay quarterback.
As a lone defenseman on a 1-3-1 PP, Gustafsson uses a variety of backward skating patterns to start in a tight gap (on contested wall pucks) and then reverse to get open once NYR has full possession.
Off an OZ draw, NYR56 uses his right foot outside edge to break inertia and then hits a series of crossovers to cover ground while facing the play. From that posture he can seamlessly transition into a pinch, a pass reception or a pivot to retrieve a clear.
Ds with clunky backward starts are limited in how aggressive they can be when choosing a starting position. In contrast, Gustafsson can lean offense while still being able to get back quickly against a dump-out or a shorthanded rush.
Skill 2: Movement in and out of a puck catch
The difference between good and mediocre powerplays is the velocity at which they operate.
Since 2021, with Adam Fox at the point, no NHL PP has operated at a higher velocity than NYR’s.
Fox is a tough act to follow, but Gustafsson is similarly good at increasing his unit’s overall puck movement velocity. He does this best with his play off the catch.
As his teammate gets his eyes up, Gustafsson presents his forehand and begins walking the line even before the puck arrives. This habit allows him to keep the entire play in his sightline while catching the puck in a triple threat (shoot/pass/carry) position.
Understanding his options allows Gustafsson to play faster, and so does having the puck on his forehand as much as possible.
Gustafsson is comfortable receiving pucks on his backhand, too, but only resorts to this on an off-side rim retrieval, or as a way to bait the high penalty killer into committing his defensive stick. Then he escapes to his forehand and zips the puck into a high-danger area.
Skill 3: Driving through the NZ on a drop-pass PP breakout
Another way elite point men such as Fox boost the velocity of his unit is by contributing on the PP breakout.
Whether on a Single Drop or a Double Drop, a point man’s worth is measured by how far he can drive the puck into the NZ before passing it back to the speeding forward(s).
Drop inside the defensive blue line: Bad
Drop at the defensive blue line: Okay
Drop at the red line: Elite
Gustafsson consistently gains the defensive blue line and has the presence of mind to keep carrying to the red, if he reads a collapsing PK forecheck.
The farther he can drive the puck into the NZ, the more static the PKers and the better the odds for NYR’s forwards to enter with control, set up and get pucks to the net.
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