Derek and Rangers Stepan up at right time

Derek and Rangers Stepan up at right time

Nick Latham/Getty Images

Derek Stepan (r.) picks up his play at the perfect time - as the Rangers approach the NHL playoffs.

PHILADELPHIA Derek Stepans return to the point has improved the Rangers power play, but another benefit could be the return of the 21-year-old centers confidence and production heading into the playoffs.

Stepan had just three points in 11 games going into Winnipeg on Marc h 28, but since John Tortorella put him back at the point on the first unit against the Jets, Stepan had a goal and two assists in three games all on the power play entering Tuesday nights showdown in Philadelphia.

The timing couldnt be better.

The Rangers clinched the Eastern Conferences top seed with Tuesday's 5-3 win over Philadelphia, and they need top forwards such as Stepan to remain offensive threats into the playoffs.

Torts has given me a good opportunity to play up top there, and Ive had the ability to make some plays, Stepan said Tuesday morning at Wells Fargo Center. Thats going to build some confidence for me and get (me) more comfortable playing with that spot, too. Im still learning up there. Richies helped me out quite a bit.

Richie Brad Richards had a red-hot March with 22 points, second in the NHL only to Pittsburghs Evgeni Malkin. The veteran center can empathize with Stepans struggles and recent rebound o n the power play, though, since he and Stepan have similar playmaking tendencies that tend to flow easier with more touches of the puck.

Its different with (each) type of player, and Steps not the type of player like (Gaborik), neither am I, Richards said. Were probably better if we hold onto it, he gives it to us and jumps into holes and uses that speed to create openings and gaps and we can give him the puck. Steps that type of player, hes a cerebral player.

This is not Stepans first turn on the point. After the Blueshirts opened the season 0-for-16 and slumped until Nov. 6, when Stepan joined the top unit on Nov. 6 against Winnipeg. On Nov. 25 in Washington, he slid up to the point and demonstrated poise early, but the experiment lasted only about a month. Stepan even fell off the Rangers first man-advantage completely, but once Mats Zuccarello broke his wrist on March 23 and the power play went 0-for-8 in three games, Tortorella decided it was t ime for a change.

I dont think I was making good decisions with the puck early on, Stepan said. Thats what made me move off that unit to begin with. I dont think I was touching the puck as much as I needed to (in order) to be effective on a power play. I think there are guys that could play the position I was playing better than I could, and so I moved to a different group to get more touches and started to make some plays, and then he tried me up top there and I seemed to kind of fit in, and it seems to be working right now.

I think part of (Stepans) evolution will be shooting the puck more and being more selfish, Richards said. Thats something that a lot of guys like us have to work on I had to work on that, too so you dont become as predictable. But him having the puck more and using his patience, hes young. Sometimes he probably doesnt think he has as much time as he has because he doesnt have the experience and the reps that older players have, but hes so smart and patient, when he gets that feel of holding onto it, its gonna help our power play a lot more, because its just another guy on there thatll settle things down.

Tuesday night was the first of three remaining regular-season games for the Rangers, but they had an opportunity to clinch the No. 1 seed with a win, overtime loss or shootout loss against the Flyers, or a Penguins loss to the Bruins in Boston.

If the Blueshirts do not clinch in Philadelphia, it would turn Thursday nights visit to Pittsburgh into a heavyweight showdown with implications for the one-seed, with the Rangers then hosting Washington Saturday while Pittsburgh takes on the Flyers to end the regular season.