Is it time for the Rangers to shake up their lineup? If so, what are the options?

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Boy, did the Rangers need that.

Their 5-2 triumph Sunday night against the bottom-feeding Ducks caused a spirited postgame celebration − the release of pent-up frustration stemming from an extended stretch of mediocrity.

For a while, the game looked to be heading in the opposite direction. New York trailed 2-0 after one period, prompting Peter Laviolette to uncharacteristically throw his lineup into the blender. There were at least 10 forward combinations used in the final two periods, along with some mixing and matching of the defensive pairs.

The head coach called it a "change of scenery for a little bit" and largely went back to the usual combos by the time the Rangers had rallied to take a 3-2 lead. But is one comeback win enough to convince him to stay the course? Or would a more permanent shakeup help achieve the consistency that's eluded the Blueshirts in recent weeks?

Laviolette seems more focused on how the team is playing versus how they're lining up. It's fun to draw up mock lineups on Twitter, but he knows solving the problems that have emerged during this 11-11-1 slide will require a more substantive approach. He noted improving their defense against the rush, cutting down on undisciplined mistakes and avoiding poor starts as a few of the top priorities.

Give him credit for trying to tackle those issues head on without looking for a superficial fix. The players have appreciated his steady hand, as opposed to the kneejerk lineup changes that became commonplace under previous coach Gerard Gallant. But with the March 8 trade deadline approaching and the Rangers dealing with an uncertain salary cap situation, it's worth wondering if there are any internal solutions that should be explored before important decisions need to be made.

There are valid arguments for going in either direction − staying the course or trying something different − which adds to the difficulty of making those choices. The guess here is that Laviolette takes the former approach, at least for Tuesday's 10 p.m. game in San Jose, but let's use the day off in between games to analyze the limited options.

Top-six forwards

My gut tells me the best course of action is to keep the top-two lines intact − Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko on one, with Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière on the other − and give them as much runway as possible leading up to the deadline.

Laviolette has been open about his reluctance to break up the Trocheck trio, and for good reason. They've generated a 56% xGF in nearly 450 minutes together, according to moneypuck.com, and have been the Rangers' only consistent source of five-on-five scoring all season. They've actually been outscored, 25-24, but many of those goals against have been the result of taking risks and pushing for offense when the rest of the team isn't producing.

It's been much tougher sledding for the Kreider-Zibanejad line, which has seen at least five different right wingers cycled in and out. The results have varied, with much more actual goals when veteran Blake Wheeler was used in that spot (14 vs. five with Kakko) but much better underlying numbers when Kakko is in there (55.7% xGF vs. 45.3% xGF with Wheeler).

Once the Wheeler experiment ran its course, Laviolette came to logical conclusion that the positive analytics produced with Kakko merited a longer look. That's why, as soon as the 22-year-old returned from his lower-body injury on Jan. 14, he was immediately inserted at 1RW.

But clearly, the coach hasn't loved what he's seen in the five games since. Kakko was dropped to the fourth line Sunday and finished with just 8:08 time on ice.

It would be one thing if he had another viable right-wing option. But outside of promoting players who are clearly better served in bottom-six roles − such as Jonny Brodzinski, Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey and rookie Will Cuylle − there isn't anywhere else to turn. The Rangers, as currently constructed, need both Kakko and Lafrenière to be impact players on an otherwise thin RW depth chart.

Kakko will likely remain in the top six out of necessity, at least until the deadline. It's sink or swim time for the No. 2 overall pick from the 2019 draft, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, with less than seven weeks left to seize the opportunity.

The only other consideration regarding the makeup of the top six is whether Kreider and Zibanejad could use a shakeup. They have a long history together, but it's looked stale for long stretches this season. Zibanejad, always a hot-and-cold scorer, has netted just one goal in his last 11 games. And for the season, that duo has posted a sub-50% xGF together, regardless of who their RW is.

Would a center swap make sense? Kreider had success playing with Trocheck last season (they outscored opponents, 19-8, in over 300 minutes together), while Zibanejad could benefit from the notable chemistry that Panarin and Lafrenière have developed.

Bottom-six forwards

You could argue the larger issue lately has been the bottom six, which has some glaring holes.

Consider that the six forwards mostly used in those spots in the 11 games since the calendar turned to 2024 − Brodzinski, Cuylle, Goodrow, Vesey, Wheeler and Nick Bonino − have combined for only 10 points in that span.

The lack of secondary scoring depth has been exposed, placing the pressure to generate offense squarely on the Panarin-Trocheck-Lafrenière line and the power play. It's not a sustainable model for a team that fancies itself a Stanley Cup contender, but there are no obvious fixes until either Filip Chytil (concussion) returns and/or another depth forward is acquired. It doesn't seem the organization is ready to hand that responsibility to prospect Brennan Othmann yet.

Of course, the bottom six is responsible for doing other things besides scoring. Defense is a top priority, with Laviolette preferring to have one line designated as a checking unit to matchup with opposing teams' best forwards. In an ideal world, Cuylle would be a good fit there, but his offensive ability is needed in other places at the moment.

That leaves Bonino, Goodrow, Vesey and Tyler Pitlick as the checking-line candidates. Goodrow and Vesey aren't going anywhere, which has led to an emerging competition between Bonino and Pitlick. And if those are the choices, the numbers paint a pretty clear picture: Goodrow and Vesey have registered a 55.1% xGF with Pitlick as their running mate vs. a 26.2% xGF with Bonino.

Almost by default, Cuylle, Brodzinski and Wheeler have become the fourth and final line. You can call them the third, but they've often finished last in terms of usage. Regardless of TOI, their job is to bring energy on the shifts they do get and chip in occasional offense.

That hasn't been the case in most games − until Sunday. Cuylle scored the tying goal with less than 10 minutes left in regulation and that trio was credited with 12 scoring chances without allowing any, according to Natural Stat Trick. Those lopsided totals may be an aberration, but anything close to that in the coming games would be a huge win for the Rangers. In a small sample size of 44:40 TOI, they've generated an impressive 68.27% xGF.

D pairs

Laviolette has been even more consistent with the D pairs than he has been with the lines.

When all six regular defensemen are healthy, he’s exclusively used Ryan Lindgren with Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller with Jacob Trouba, and Erik Gustafsson with Braden Schneider. This doesn’t come as a surprise given the history of the top-two pairs, who have both been together for the better part of four seasons. (Five in the case of Lindgren and Fox.) But it’s interesting that, after being open about wanting his pairs to be interchangeable and experimenting with different combos during training camp, the coach hasn’t changed it up all season.

For a while, there was no reason to. But there has been some noticeable slippage lately.

For example, the Miller-Trouba pair registered a 51.15% xGF through their first 23 games, with the Rangers outscoring opponents, 19-9, while they were on the ice together − a very solid output considering the difficult assignments they tend to take on. But in 23 games since, their xGF has dipped to 45.2% with opponents outscoring them by an 18-12 margin.

Meanwhile, the overall results for Lindgren and Fox have been uncharacteristically shaky, with a 46.4% xGF in 35 games together. (Fox missed 10 games in November due to a lower-body injury.)

The one constant has been Gustafsson and Schneider, who lead the three regular D pairs with a 54.22% xGF and 53.79% Corsi. Granted, they usually draw the easiest matchups, but it’s worth noting that anyone who plays with Gustafsson has seen an uptick in all their on-ice rates. Lindgren posted a 51.7% xGF with him while Fox was hurt, while Fox is all the way up at 75% xGF when Laviolette uses him in late-game situations with Gustafsson.

Moving the 31-year-old up in the lineup may not be in the cards, though. He’s not the type of stout defender the Rangers would want to pair with Trouba given the shutdown role the captain is asked to play, and his skill set would be redundant in a more permanent arrangement with Fox.

If anything, Laviolette could try Lindgren with Trouba for the toughest defensive assignments. That would certainly be a take-no-BS pairing. It would also ease the burden on Miller at a time when he's had some hiccups, with the chance to play with Fox opening up exciting possibilities off the rush and in offensive-zone setups.

The Rangers could always go back to their comfort zone if it doesn’t work out. But if not now, when else would it make sense to experiment with a new look?

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Should the Rangers shake up their lineup? If so, what are the options?