Brad Richards was signed as a free agent in the summer of 2011 to provide the New York Rangers with additional Stanley Cup-winning experience and a reliable scorer as a center in a top-six role.
In his first season with the Blueshirts, Richards lived up to expectations by tallying 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 20 playoff games, including a memorable game-tying goal in Game 5 of his team's Eastern Conference semifinals series versus the Washington Capitals.
The Rangers need this type of performance from Richards in this year's playoffs if they are to make another deep run to the Eastern Conference finals or beyond.
This year has been a struggle at times for Richards, but he's starting to find a rhythm and produce offensively on a consistent basis in the final few weeks of the regular season. His skating has improved, and he's being physical along the boards to win puck battles, which is a really good sign.
As a catalyst for this team, it's no surprise that Richards' improved offensive production and the Rangers scoring more goals in April (3.6 per game compared to the team's season average of 2.6) have ha ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Nicholas Goss
Breaking Down the Importance of Brad Richards’ Playoff Role for New York Rangers
April 25th, 2013 by Nicholas Goss Leave a reply »
Advertisement