The Rick Nash Dilemma

The day before the New York Rangers bounced back against the Tampa Lightning with a 5-1 win that evened their series at two games apiece, slumping sniper Rick Nash organized a private screening of the upcoming "Entourage" movie for his Rangers teammates.

The next day, Nash broke his recent cold streak, scoring two goals in a game for the first time in his playoff career. He previously potted just one in each of the Rangers two playoff series.

So there it is: the answer to all the "What's wrong with Rick Nash?" questions lies in an hour-and-a-half cinematic brofest. It's not exactly a scientific correlation, but with scorers like Nash, big slumps can be puzzling.

Game 5 for example: the Rangers tried to build on their Game 4 win by taking to the ice with the "Entourage" theme song. With Kevin Dillon, "Entourage"'s own Johnny Drama, wearing a Rick Nash jersey in the stands, Nash himself went goalless in a 2-0 loss.

Nash has long feted for his regular season scoring abilities and maligned for his failure to hit the back of the net in the postseason. He scored a career-high 42 goals this regular season, which is not a bad deal given his $7.8 million salary. This is especially important for the 30-year-old, considering that scorers generally peak in their mid-20's and tend to drop off drastically after the age of 29.

But a deeper look at Nash's scoring trends reveals a streaky scorer who was white-hot before Christmas this season, scoring a remarkable 0.72 goals per game throughout the first 32 games of the season before cooling to 0.40 goals per game in the final 47 games he played. It's less a surprise that Nash has been unable to sustain his goal scoring into the spring than it is the continuation of a disheartening trend.

The Rangers knew what they were getting when they traded for him in 2013. Nash played just four playoff games in his first nine years with the Columbus Blue Jackets and scored a paltry four goals through 37 playoff games in his first two seasons with the Rangers.

Nash's playoff struggles underline the need for players to become accustomed to the grind of the second season early in their career. The best player on a bad team for most of his career, Nash never had the chance to prove his worth on the game's biggest stage, or face the physical challenges of the second season.

He was goalless during last year's Stanley Cup final against the Los Angeles Kings. It's beginning to look more and more like this year's breakout regular season and his two-goal Game 5 were simply blips on the radar.

Opposing teams will often tighten up defensively in the neutral zone throughout the playoffs, and Nash has been constantly forced to the perimeter this year. He's looked sluggish entering the neutral zone and has failed to be the big body needed in front of the net.

Nash's plight is eerily similar to that off 31-year old Thomas Vanek. Through his first eight regular seasons with the Buffalo Sabres he scored consistently: an impressive 0.43 goals per game. The Sabres only made the playoffs in four of those eight seasons, however, and only twice made it past the first round.

A hot commodity at the 2014 trade deadline for a team needing an extra scoring push, the Montreal Canadiens overlooked his lack of post-season experience and took a chance on him. He scored just five goals in the Habs three-round playoff run. When it mattered most, in their Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers, Vanek was held scoreless. In ten post-season games with the Minnesota Wild this year, the 31-year-old Vanek again failed to score.

Nash's 42-goal regular season has provided the Rangers and their fans with a false sense of security. It was fun while it lasted, but is looking as hollow as an episode of "Entourage."