Rick Nash celebrates Brad Richards’ goal with Derek Stepan.
AP Photo/Gus Ruelas

When Rick Nash isn’t in the lineup, the Rangers struggle to win games. Acquired by Team President And General Manager Glen Sather in 2012, the All-Star forward was supposed to be the missing ingredient to a Stanley Cup. Instead, he’s been anything but due to injuries. In the same calendar year, he’s suffered two concussions. The first one kept him out four games at the end of February 2013. Not surprisingly, the team struggled posting an 0-3-1 record without him- getting outscored 12-6. When he returned, their play picked up immediately winning four in a row.

Despite a playoff disappointment in which he scored only one goal and totaled five points, Nash led the Rangers with 21 goals and 176 shots on goal in his first season. His 42 points ranked second behind Derek Stepan (44). In fact, the Rangers’ record was 13-4 in games he scored. An interesting correlation to the team’s success. Half their wins (26) came when Nash lit the lamp. In games he didn’t, they lost 14 times in regulation. A notable contrast.

Nash has played only three games this season registering three assists. In a win over the Kings, he was strong notching two assists and had six shots. He went down in a blowout loss in San Jose and hasn’t been back since. Not coincidentally, the Rangers aren’t winning. Last night’s 2-1 loss in Philadelphia made them 1-4-0 without Nash. They’ve been outscored 17-6 and have been shutout twice and held to two goals or less four times. It hasn’t helped that captain Ryan Callahan is also out with a broken thumb. He was off to a decent start scoring three goals in his last two games against St. Louis and Washington. Two came on the power play. In two games since his injury, the Rangers have been outscored 6-1 by the Devils and Flyers. Each rival has also struggled out of the gate but came away with victories.

Here is a closer breakdown of the team’s play without Nash in his first two seasons:

         MISSING NASH 

GP           Record         GF    GA      Diff.

2013       4              0-3-1              6       12       -6

’13-14     5              1-4-0              6       17       -11

Total       9              1-7-1             12      29      -17