Rangers star Alexis Lafrenière gets candid about recent form, 4 Nations impact

Alexis Lafrenière returned to practice with the New York Rangers looking refreshed. After a week off during the 4 Nations Face-Off, he appeared more relaxed. His performance this season has been inconsistent, but with the break behind him, he hopes to reset and improve.

"It was great," Lafrenière said (via lohud.com). "We play a lot of games in the season. You never really stop, it feels like, so to get a midseason break, it's always good to kind of reset, relax a little bit, and be fresh for the rest of the year."

Lafrenière acknowledged that the season started well, but his production has dipped.

"I started off well, and then lately, I haven't liked my game as much," Lafrenière continued . "I’m not making that many plays, but I feel like just the game in general, I'd like to be better and be more involved."

Lafrenière recorded 20 points in his first 26 games but only 12 in his last 29. His expected goals percentage has also dropped. More concerning, his offensive struggles have started to affect his defensive play. He has also been caught out of position, leading to costly mistakes.

The young forward knows where he needs to improve. He said his backchecking needs to improve. He also needs to manage his shifts better to avoid being caught with tired legs.

"I definitely need to be better on (the backcheck)," he added.

Lafrenière’s early success last season came from his chemistry with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. They were one of the league’s top-scoring lines, but their production has dipped this year. Their underlying numbers are still solid, but they aren’t creating as many chances.

Moreover, the addition of J.T. Miller via trade has also shuffled the Rangers lineup.

New York Rangers entered the 4 Nations break with a win over Blue Jackets

Before the 4 Nations break on Feb 8, the New York Rangers won 4-3 against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Arthur Kaliyev scored first at 1:56 of the first period. Kent Johnson tied it at 14:31 and Justin Danforth made it 2-1 at 15:29.

Mika Zibanejad tied it 2-2 at 6:38 of the second. James van Riemsdyk put Columbus up 3-2 at 17:17. Urho Vaakanainen tied it 3-3 at 1:57 of the third. Will Cuylle scored the game-winner at 18:21. Jonathan Quick made 22 saves for New York in the win.

In their first game after the break, they will play the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.