Rangers looking to improve net-front skills and put charge into power play

DETROIT — With their power play producing no goals in the last five games and one goal in 17 opportunities in the last seven, the topic of net-front play on the Rangers’ extra-man unit — and in general — has come up a couple of times during the last few days.

“I just think we’ve got to fight harder for the net front,’’ coach Mike Sullivan said after Thursday’s practice before the Rangers left for Friday night’s game against the Red Wings. “It’s not that we’re not there, we are .  .  . But I think we could be there more. And I think when we get there, we can have different intentions.’’

As he often does, Sullivan gave a detailed breakdown on all the things teams need to get out of their net-front play — screening the goalie, creating traffic that sometimes stops a shot coming in and leaves a loose puck in the slot — and came to this conclusion:

“I think playing the net front [both at] five-on-five and the power play, I think there’s an assumption that it’s a non-skilled position when in reality, it’s a very skilled position,’’ he said. “There are a lot of subtleties to playing it that make some players way more effective than others. But I think it’s a much more skilled position than maybe all of us think.’’

The Rangers used to have one of the best net-front guys in the business, Chris Kreider, but he is playing for Pacific Division-leading Anaheim now. He has nine goals in nine games for the Ducks, whose 4.15 goals per game topped the league entering Friday. The Rangers, meanwhile, were last in the league in goals per game with 2.21.

“I’ve had my experience with a net-front guy that’s no longer here,’’ said Mika Zibanejad, Kreider’s linemate and best friend on the Rangers during their nine years together. “People think it might be easy to do what they do, and what he did. It’s not easy. It’s a skill itself, and not just to get there but to position yourself to be able to get sticks and whatever on the puck and make it hard for goalies. And even if you don’t tip it, then at least you’re there for a good screen that makes it hard for the goalie to see it. No, it’s not an easy job.’’

In search of better net-front play for the struggling power play, Sullivan made a change to the personnel on the first unit, moving third-year winger Will Cuylle up from the second unit to station himself at the goal crease. The 6-3, 212-pound Cuylle had 20 goals last season, most of them from very close to the net. Entering Friday, he had produced a goal and four assists in the last five games. His play has started to pick up after he got over a brief illness.

“He’s a strong kid,’’ J.T. Miller said. “I think it’s a good opportunity for him and I think the message was very clear and obvious, that when we’re shooting the puck, he’s got to be in front of the goalie’s eyes. And like I said, he’s strong and has got enough skill around the net to make a play if we need to make a play.’’

Chmelar debut

Jaroslav Chmelar couldn’t hide his excitement as he prepared to make his NHL debut against the Wings. His parents were on their way over from Czechia to be in the building.

“I don’t even know what to say,’’ said Chmelar (pronounced kh-MEL-azh), who was called up from AHL Hartford on Sunday. “It’s unbelievable .  .  . You know, I try to put everything on the line every game. And now I’m here and looking around at all the guys I’m in a locker room with .  .  . I can’t express it.’’

Chmelar, 22, said he was on the phone with his girlfriend when he got the call from Hartford general manager Ryan Martin telling him he was going up. He replaced Adam Edstrom (who Sullivan said had some “bumps and bruises”) on the fourth line. Chmelar was on the right wing with center Sam Carrick and left wing Juuso Parssinen.

Blue shorts

Vincent Trocheck (upper-body injury, LTIR) practiced in a regular full-contact jersey at the optional morning skate. D Urho Vaakanainen, who missed the last two practices with a lower-body injury, skated but did not play .  .  . Jonathan Quick started in goal.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.