Rangers' Kaapo Kakko hoping playoffs can make him forget about his regular season
Kaapo Kakko of the New York Rangers shoots the puck in front of Hendrix Lapierre of the Washington Capitals during the first period in Game 4 of the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 28, 2024. Credit: Getty Images/Scott Taetsch
When the trade deadline came and went, and he stayed with the Rangers, Kaapo Kakko could breathe a sigh of relief.
He was well aware that his name had been out there in trade speculation on social media. But the 23-year-old winger, who has shown plenty of signs but has struggled to establish himself since the Rangers chose him with the No. 2 pick overall in 2019, didn’t necessarily want a fresh start back in March.
He'd like one now.
After completing his fifth season with the team, another in which injury played a big part, Kakko admitted to Newsday at the end of the regular season that he hadn’t had a good year. He missed 21 games because of a left knee injury and finished with 13 goals and 19 points in 61 games. It wasn’t what he’d hoped for after having his best season last year, playing in all 82 games for the first time and posting career highs in goals (18), assists (22) and points (40).
“No, but the playoffs are different,’’ he said. “So I’ll try to forget the regular season and be my best for the team in playoffs. That can change something, you know? [It will] help me feel good after the season, if I play well in the playoffs, and the whole team does great. So that's how I try to take it right now."
Kakko scored in the first minute of the game in the 4-2 series-clinching win Sunday over the Capitals in Washington that advanced the Rangers to the second round of the playoffs. He happened to be in the right place at the right time when Caps defenseman Nick Jensen, being pressured by Will Cuylle, whiffed on an attempted clearing pass and put the puck right on Kakko’s stick in the middle of the slot.
“It happened fast,’’ Kakko said. “I was thinking of maybe taking a couple steps, just like a breakaway, but I was kind of close to the net already, so I just wanted to shoot it.’’
“I thought that the first goal was big,’’ Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “I thought they [Kakko, Cuylle and center Alex Wennberg] were playing well as a line. That was a big goal, because you can tell Washington came out with a lot of pep in their step. And to get that goal was really important early in the first period."
The goal, the first for the third line in the series, set the tone for the Rangers and forced Washington to play catch-up all night. And it was a reward for Cuylle, Kakko and Wennberg after a series in which they’d played well, holding possession in the offensive zone and creating chances but hadn’t managed to score.
“Yeah, we've been having a couple of chances all the games, like good chances, [but we] just couldn't finish," Kakko said. “But I think for us, the ‘D’ zone is the biggest thing, to not give up anything. And I think that's what we did all the games. No goals against, and it feels good to score a goal."
When asked last week about Kakko, Laviolette said he believed the 6-2, 205-pound Finn’s game, built on first being responsible defensively, then being strong on the boards, strong in holding onto the puck and making plays from behind the goal, is well suited for playoff hockey.
“I do think it is conducive for him to be able to implement that game that you're talking about into the playoffs,’’ the coach said. “Watching [playoff] games, you need to be able to use your size and your physicality, and at times when he has the puck on his stick, It's difficult to get it off of him. And then you look to create from there. And I think his line has done that.’’
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.