The New York Rangers have finished the 2014 portion of the 2014-15 season with a 20-11-4 record. They currently hold on to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 46 points, good for 21 wins. They started off the weekend and 2015 on a surge by routing the Buffalo Sabres 6-1 on Saturday January 3 at Madison Square Garden. That makes it 10 out of 11 for the Blueshirts!
Now is a good time to be a Rangers fan (or jump on the bandwagon) – especially with their recent play. The team closed the month of December with an impressive 9-3-1 record since a Dec 8 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They finished the month 9-5-1 overall. This was a huge improvement from last season’s progress when they went 6-6-2 before the calendar flipped to 2014. Fast forward to this year, the Ranger’s last 11 games showed how dangerous they can be when they feed into Coach Alain Vigneault’s system. They outscored the opposition 40-17 in that span and scored 11 goals in their last two games. The Rangers seem to have really cranked up their play after overcoming a slow start to the season. Next thing you know, they are playing up to their expectations as they look to replicate last year’s magical run.
The above shouldn’t come as a surprise to most fans. Just when you thought the Rangers wouldn’t have a shot at competing with the Penguins and the New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division, the blue-shirted mavens are playing catch up and now sit seven points back from the division lead.
The Rangers have been great on home ice so far this year; they are 13-5-3 at Madison Square Garden. In their last nine games at the Garden, they outscored the opposition by a 33-15 margin, where they were 8-1 in those games. Their defense has only yielded 90 goals this season, which is the fourth lowest in the League; that shouldn’t come as a surprise for a team that succeeds with stellar defense and strong goaltending. Captain Ryan McDonagh has played well during the winning streak and leads the defense with 14 points this year. Kevin Klein also has stepped up tremendously and has been sensational the entire season. Klein also set career highs with seven goals and 13 points this year to round off the defense. Thanks to these guys, the defensive corps has been playing lights-out hockey at the right time.
In the last three seasons, the Rangers have played very well in the front of Henrik Lundqvist. The Swedish net minder has five shutouts this year, which is magnificent for second in the League. With a 2.35 goals against average and 18 wins right now, Lundqvist could be on pace for another 30-win season if he keeps up his play between the pipes. Between Lundqvist and the defense in front of him, the New York Rangers continue to build on a strong foundation that allows them to remain one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. In fact, the Rangers are ranked seventh in the NHL in Goals against with average of 2.39.
Rangers’ offense is also beginning to rekindle the excellent chemistry the team had going last season, only with new line combinations. With any team coached by Vigneault, expect plenty of offensive firepower.
The Rangers also are third in the NHL in goals per game with a 3.08 average. So far, the team leader in goals is superstar forward Rick Nash. What a year he’s been having! Nash is already has 24 goals and that’s amazing for second in the league. Can you imagine how last year’s Stanley Cup Final would have gone down with the way he’s playing this season? If they want another shot, Nash will have to continue his dominant play and continue to find ways to get to the net if they want to win it all. So far, with 24 goals and 38 points, he could be on pace for 50-60 goals this year if he keeps up his play. Another guy who’s been a consistent goal scorer is Martin St. Louis. The 39-year-old winger continues to impress and shows no sign of slowing down. He has 12 goals and 30 points this year and continues to make General Manager Glen Sather look like a genius when he signed him last season.
St. Louis’ playoff heroics help the Rangers return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years and he can do it again with the way he has played. Overall, the offense is just clicking for the Blueshirts. All four lines are starting to produce, which is a plus for any team with Stanley Cup aspirations. As a matter of fact, they got nine different guys who scored a goal in the last two games. With the Blueshirts sitting seven points behind first place and the team playing well, it will also be interesting to see what the Rangers do when the trade deadline approaches. With the team’s recent success, should the blueshirts make another trade or two to bolster the roster.. or should Sather and Vigneault stick to what has been working for the past month?
Fans Say..
“The Rangers need a big forward along with a big physical defenseman” said Alan Robbins from Old Bridge, New Jersey. “The reason they lost to L.A. was because they were worn out by their physical presence.” If the price is right, then it wouldn’t hurt to do so. They could shop for another defenseman if they lose out on Marc Staal, who is a free agent this year. Adding another forward could also be on the horizon if they can’t come to a deal with Mats Zuccarello. However, adding toughness may be a necessity if they want another shot at the cup, especially when playing against a physical team.
Donnie Moore from Michigan would seem to agree. “As of right now, I would love to get someone who can help us get our faceoff percentage up” said Moore. ‘We are second to last and if you look at any good team in the playoffs, they have guys who can win defensive and offensive faceoffs. This is a huge reason we got to finals last year.” One area that has hindered the team this year is winning on the draw. Under Vigneault’s system, puck possession is a must and if they can solve their problems on the faceoff circles, then they will become a more aggressive team that wants the puck more.
“I like the team as currently constructed” said Marc Lefton. “The two most important things to me in making a run are solid, consistent goaltending and a system that works executed by talented players. I believe it takes 20 games or so for those things to gel each season, we’re seeing a repeat of last year where after a shaky start, the system and the goaltending are both working. It’s hard to make hockey trades midseason and have them work.” One exception to this has been St. Louis for Ryan Callahan. It took a while for St. Louis to adjust to the Rangers style of play and he’s picked up where he left off from last year’s playoff run. Now, he’s been one of the most consistent players for the Blueshirts this year. “With a healthy team and the Staal issue resolved, I think the team that has hit the ice these past few weeks can make an honest run for the cup” said Laurie O’Hara. “As a hockey fan, I think it’s too early in the season to say that they will be making another Cup run, but a strong foundation has been laid” said Melissa Aumente from Montclair, New Jersey. “As a Rangers fan, I am very very confident after the last 11 games!”
The next three games will be a road trip to take on all three California teams starting January 7th. Their next home game will be January 13th against the Islanders. These upcoming games will be a true test for the Rangers as they take on some of the best and toughest teams in the League. The month of January presents a challenging obstacle for the Blueshirts and if they want to continue to climb up the standings, they got to continue to string together some wins against tough opponents.
