There has not been much for the New York Rangers and their fans to get excited about recently.
The team has hit a rough patch , going 1-5-1 over their last seven games, which has sent them plummeting down the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference standings. All the positive momentum built early in the season has unraveled with injuries starting to take a toll.
If the Rangers are going to get back on track, they need their best players to step up and perform at a high level. That includes Pavel Dorofeyev , their big offseason acquisition, who has had a slow start to his tenure with the franchise.
However, the talented winger has started to show some signs of breaking out and getting into a rhythm. Underlying metrics painted a much nicer picture than his raw production, and it is starting to translate on the ice.
Nov 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) skates to his bench after scoring a goal in the second period against the Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Dorofeyev is entering the game against the St. Louis Blues with a five-game point streak. He has recorded a goal in two out of his last three games, starting to finally find the back of the net. It certainly hasn't been a lack of opportunities, as Dorofeyev is letting the shots fly; he just hasn't been able to finish.
His shooting percentage of 9.3% is starting to experience some positive regression to the mean. For his career, he has a shooting percentage of 14.4%; his single-season low is 13.4%, so even getting back to that range would provide a nice boost to his goal total.
His Expected Goals Rate of 53.99% is the sixth-best mark on the team, and No. 3 among forwards. Only J.T. Miller with 61.61% and Oliver Bjorkstrand with 56.37% are higher than Dorofeyev for players up front.
Scott Morrow, who has played one game this season, Vladislav Gavrikov and Adam Fox are the only players ahead of the team's dynamic winger, and all three of them are defensemen.
According to Money Puck, Dorofeyev has the most Expected Goals on the team with 6.7
In the other three games during that streak, Dorofeyev has recorded an assist in each contest, giving him five thus far. He didn't carry a reputation for contributing much else beyond his wicked left-handed shot, but he is showing that he is capable of doing more on the ice.
While his fit in the system that Mike Sullivan wants to deploy may not be perfect, Dorofeyev is starting to find his spots and get more comfortable. Remaining on the top line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere after another shake-up of the line combinations is something that he will certainly benefit from.
In their first game together, that trio generated an Expected Goals Percentage of 72.7%. When Dorofeyev has shared the ice with Miller and Tye Kartye or Bjorkstrand, their xG% is at least 60%.
Now, it is up to the high-paid forward to start making the most of these chances and scoring goals.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/rangers/onsi as NY Rangers Need Pavel Dorofeyev To Keep up Hot Streak .
