Alexis Lafreniere Picks Up the Pace with New York Rangers Alexis Lafreniere [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxMDk3Mzk3MjQ0Mjc0NTUz/usatsi_20184779_168400847_lowres.jpg] Alexis Lafreniere Going first overall in the NHL draft can be both a blessing and a curse - sure, it means the hard work you've already put into your burgeoning career has been recognized, but expectations are high when it comes to the No. 1. Toss in a pandemic that wreaked havoc with the hockey world, and it's understandable why Alexis Lafreniere wasn't an instant sensation when he got to the NHL in 2020. Now 22 years old, Lafreniere is playing on the New York Rangers' top line with Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin, and the team continues to run roughshod over the NHL as one of the league's best teams - if not the best - this season. "It doesn't matter how the game goes, we always think we're going to win," Lafreniere said. "Up or down, we still have belief in our group." It's been a long time since the Rangers played for the Stanley Cup and even longer since they've won it, but right now, New York appears to be in its best position to clinch another title in years. Panarin, on pace for his best season ever, is a big reason, but the Rangers are getting contributions from everywhere - including both goalies, Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. For Lafreniere, watching his linemates and fellow forwards, such as veteran Mika Zibanejad, has been great for his development. "Just watching them in practices and games, they're pretty unreal so I watch them and try to learn," he said. "Playing with 'Bread' and 'Troch,' you're going to get good looks for sure because they're such good playmakers." Lafreniere himself is on pace for career-bests in goals and points, having already put up 17 points through 30 games. He's got the best possession numbers of any New York regular, and perhaps most importantly, he earned praise from new coach Peter Laviolette after a recent win in Toronto that featured a Lafreniere goal. "He's been on point with his game the entire year," Laviolette said. "His line has been really good; they've created a lot and generated a lot. We've been really happy with him and the way he's been playing. Inside of every season, with actual production, that seems to be the noise right now. But for me, if you're doing the right things, playing hard and playing the right way, things always turn around, and it was nice to see him chip in." Lafreniere has played almost the entire season with the same linemates, though he has also seen time with Filip Chytil as his center. In past years, New York had experimented with a 'Kid Line' with Lafreniere, Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, but it never really bore fruit. This season, the consistency of Panarin and Trocheck as his linemates has been a boon for the left winger. "It's good just to build chemistry with guys," Lafreniere said. "We're still finding where we like to have the puck on the ice, but hopefully we keep playing good games." So far, the Rangers have played a ton of good games, which is why they find themselves on top of the Eastern Conference standings while also possessing the best winning percentage in the NHL. Lafreniere may not be producing eye-popping amounts of offense like fellow first overall picks such as Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews or even Connor Bedard, but he's playing his role on a team that looks incredibly dangerous right now. And you can ask pretty much any NHLer out there if they would prefer a scoring title or a Stanley Cup and be pretty confident what their answer would be. Lafreniere is certainly in the right spot to chase that title. THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTg5MzM3NTA5NzY2MjUy/my-thn-ad-banner-1500x150.jpg] THN.com/free
