Rangers' practice consists of working extensively on the power play

GREENBURGH — Saturday was power-play day for the Rangers as new coach Mike Sullivan continues to implement his new system and philosophies before the regular season begins.

With a day off on Sunday, Sullivan ran an almost two-hour practice with the NHL group, and much of that was spent working on the power play. The most noticeable thing: Forward Alexis Lafreniere, now entering his sixth season, was a big part of the first power-play unit. Lafreniere alternated with Vincent Trocheck on the first unit, joining point man Adam Fox and forwards Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller.

Lafreniere and Trocheck also alternated working with the second unit, which had rookie defenseman Scott Morrow at the point along with Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe and rookie Gabe Perreault.

“If we’re going to get the best version of Laf, I think we’ve got to provide a pathway to try to give him an opportunity to capture his very best game,’’ Sullivan said of his decision to add Lafreniere to the power play’s first unit. “I think some power-play time on that top unit is an essential part of it.’’

Lafreniere, who will turn 24 on Oct. 11, is still looking to live up to expectations after becoming the No. 1 overall pick in 2020. Two seasons ago, when he had 28 goals and 57 points, it seemed as if that would be his breakout year. But after signing a long-term extension early last season, he fell back to 17 goals and 45 points in 2024-25.

Similarly, the Rangers’ power play also is hoping to rebound from last season, when it struggled in the second half and finished 28th overall in the league, scoring on only 17.6% of its opportunities. From 2019-20, Panarin’s first season with the team, through 2023-24, the unit was fourth-best in the league with a 24% success rate.

The power play will have a different look this season with the departure of Chris Kreider, who was the franchise’s co-leader in all-time power-play goals. Kreider, who was traded to Anaheim over the summer, had been one of the league’s best at playing the net-front position.

“Kreids was elite, obviously, in front of the net,’’ Zibanejad said. “If you look at all the goals that scored, from me to Foxy to Bread [Panarin] from up top, it’s not by chance. He’s there screening so the goalie can’t see anything. Even if he’s not touching it, he’s there doing that.’’

 Trocheck, Lafreniere and Miller all can play net-front and are flexible enough to play other places. And that is a good thing, according to Miller.

“I think we have guys that can play in a bunch of spots, which is helpful, because a lot of times you need movement [to] try to give the penalty kill a different look,’’ he said. “And when you have guys that are willing to play and capable of playing in multiple positions, that’s just going to make them . . .   harder to play against.’’

In the last preseason game, Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the Islanders, the Rangers scored two power-play goals — one from each of the first and second units — in four opportunities.

Notes & quotes: Perreault, Brennan Othmann and defenseman Connor Mackey practiced with the NHL group Saturday. Brett Berard, Conor Sheary and Matthew Robertson went to the Hartford group . . . C Justin Dowling returned to practice with the Hartford group. He missed the previous three days with a lower-body injury . . . Nathan Aspinall was returned to his junior team, Flint of the OHL.

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.