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Since coming
into the NHL Ryan Callahan has been a heart and soul player for the New York
Rangers who works tirelessly, takes hits in order to make a play gives hits to
prevent them, and sacrifices his body constantly in order to aid his team each
night. If Callahan never became more
than what he was entering this season he would be a valuable player for any of
the 30 NHL teams because of what he brought to an organization both on and off
the ice. But that is not all Callahan is
this year. He has raised his game to an
entirely new level and has been leading the charge to the playoffs for the
Blueshirts both with his leadership and overall play from before, but also with
a dramatically increased scoring output.
Now the Rangers need him to see an even greater level in the final four
games of the regular season.
Callahan has
been the definition of the Rangers identity and his self-sacrifice and lead by
example mentality is why he will be the next captain of this proud original six
franchise. Right now is the moment where
that leadership will be tested the most as the Blueshirts have lost two
straight and the fears about their standing in the playoffs is in question with
just four games to go. In those last two
games the team has struggled to find the energy and desire necessary for this
time of the year one of the most surprising things has been how much that has
applied to Callahan himself. I expect
him to come out leading the charge on Sunday as he and the team look to regroup
from this bump in the road on their way to securing a playoff birth over the
final stretch of the season.
The now
26-year-old Ryan Callahan is having a career year in all offensive categories
despite missing 19 games earlier in the year with a broken hand that he, not
surprisingly, sustained blocking a shot.
On the year he has 23 goals and 24 assists in just 58 games, but in this
last five game stretch where the team has scored only five goals he has only
accounted for one point. He has
transformed from a guy where the offense he provided was seen more as a bonus
and secondary thing to one that the team relies on if they are going to
produce, so they need him to score. As
true as that is, the team needs him to give that energy and effort he was
famous for even before the year began.
If Callahan gets back to playing his game, tough, physical, grinding
style, then the goals will come again and when the Rangers start to score they
have a tendency to loosen up and watch the floodgates open up.
In the
Rangers last meeting with Philadelphia it was Callahan who set the tone early
and often with four goals and an assist in the 7-0 rout on March 6. The Rangers do not need him to have that kind
of career game against Philly on Sunday, but they do need him to combine his
skill and leadership to bring this team to where it needs to be both on and off
the ice.
