After criticizing Alexis Lafreniere’s inconsistency on Wednesday, New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant decided to drop him for Thursday’s game against the Lightning in Tampa.
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Limited to five goals and 17 points this season, the 2020 National Hockey League (NHL) first draft pick practiced on Wednesday with the fourth line. “I want him to be better,” Gallant said after the session, according to the New York Post.
Lafrenière is in his third season in the NHL. He has 36 goals and 69 points in 171 games so far and struggled to find the offensive rhythm that allowed him to win the Jean Béliveau Trophy in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ) with the Rimouski Océanic . ).
Also on the left wing, the competition at Rangers is very strong with Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Vitali Kravtsov and Samuel Blais.