NEW YORK -- During the regular season, it was Derek Stepan who was the primary facilitator when Rick Nash found the back of the net for the New York Rangers, assisting on 13 of Nash's team-leading 26 goals.
But in a sudden role reversal, Nash has become the passer and Stepan the scorer on a top line that has led New York to a 2-1 lead in its Eastern Conference First Round series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Nash leads the Rangers with four assists and Stepan is tied for the team lead with two goals entering Game 4 against the Flyers on Friday at Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m. ET; CNBC, TSN, RDS, MSG, CSN-PH). That unlikely shift has allowed each player to move on from their respective disappointments in the postseason last year.