As of November 30, The New York Rangers sit in sole possession of third place in the Metropolitan Division with 26 points. They are now 11-8-4 this season. The Blueshirts have won four out of their last five games and are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games. So how did they fare in those five games?
The first of those games on November 19 featured a 2-0 shutout from backup goalie Cam Talbot against division rivals Philadelphia Flyers. This game ended the team’s previous three game skid and showed a much better effort than two nights ago against a strong Tampa Bay Lightning team. Talbot made 31 saves to cap off a sensational night with his first shutout and win of the year against Steve Mason, who kept the Flyers in it. He was much sharper and more comfortable in between the pipes here than he was in his previous three starts. Kevin Klein scored his fourth goal of the year, tying his career high and continues his strong play on both sides of the puck, while munching up solid important minutes. He leads the team’s defensive corps in goals and tied for the team lead in points. Klein has really stepped up in Captain Ryan McDonagh’s absence and has been playing terrific hockey for the Rangers. This game was also an improvement from their previous outing against Tampa. They controlled the puck, they dictated the play throughout majority of the game, made smart decisions with the puck and won the one on one battles. The Rangers also played a tight defense and had strong goaltending with 3:33 left in the game as the Flyers pulled for the extra attacker. They came out on top the hungier and more motivated team against a stuggling Flyers team.
The second game, November 23, featured another Rangers shutout win against one of the top Eastern Conference teams, the Montreal Canadiens. It was a 5-0 win at the Garden for the second night in a row: This time around, Henrik Lundqvist outdueled Dustin Tokarski. Lundqvist finished the evening with 21 saves earning his fourth shutout of the year and got some help in front of the crease from the defense. This game was one of the most complete full 60 minute games the Rangers played in. Every line up front chipped in for a least one goal and a point as they kept pushing and upping the pressure on the forecheck. Martin St. Louis, who served as the Rangers hottest player on the ice at the time, recorded two points in this game with a goal and an assist.
The third game, November 26, was a rematch against the Tampa Lightning, who previously defeated the Rangers at Madison Square Garden 5-1 with the return of Ryan Callahan, Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman. This time, the Rangers flew down to Amalie Arena for the first time as St Louis takes on his former team. Although they showed a much better effort than the game on November 17, the final result was still the same. The Rangers would drop this game 4-3 and the problems against Tampa remained the same. The Blueshirts couldn’t get the puck out of their own zone, they had trouble sustaining pressure and maintaining control of possession. This time, they did score some goals and played hard but they only manage to get 19 shots on Ben Bishop the whole night. The Lightning was just dominant with the puck and never gave the Rangers a chance to make use of the style of play that Head Coach Alain Vigneault wanted them to play. In fact, Callahan has four goals in two games against the Rangers. Former Lightning Dan Boyle was the Rangers best skater in this matchup. He recorded his first goal with the Rangers on the power play and had several scoring chances against Tampa. His presence helped improved the power play a lot. They’re moving the puck well, generating chances and the puck is going in. Boyle is starting look more like the guy Rangers General Manager Glen Sather picked up in the offseason game after game.
The next two games were a home and home series against the Flyers starting at the Wells Fargo Center. The first game of the back to back affair took place on November 28 and the Rangers once again shutout their rivals 3-0 thanks to another strong performance from Talbot. It was Talbot’s second win and shutout of the season. He finished the day with 26 saves. It was also a historic day for the red hot St Louis as he became the 81st player in NHL history to record 1,000 career points. He finished the day with a goal and assist. McDonagh played in his first game back off the disabled list. He finished with an assist and looked great on the ice leading the defense. In what would be another strong game, the Rangers played well with all their players healthy for the first time this year.
The fifth game and second of the home and home series against the Flyers on November 29 was another epic performance in front of the Garden Faithful as the Blueshirts swept the final game of the weekend series 5-2. The Rangers are now 3-0 against the Flyers this year. This game had several players out of the lineup such as Boyle, Chris Kreider and Tanner Glass. But that didn’t stop the Rangers from picking up from where they left off. Derrick Brassard scored two goals and the fourth line stepped up at a crucial moment when Jesper Fast scored his first NHL goal to tie the game at 2. J.T. Miller scored his first goal of the season as well. Overall, it was another tremendous game from the Rangers.
Fans React..
Considering the injuries they had to overcome, the Rangers played well for a .500 team through the first 23 games of the season. “Most teams would have crumbled but they didn’t and that speaks to the depth of the organization and how good the coaching staff is” said Shaun Brenner. “As far as winning the last four out of five, it’s not surprising considering they are healthy again”. “They performed amazingly this weekend” said Ross Mazin. “They were in sync with each other and played like a real team.” If the Rangers want to make a deep run and go on a massive winning streak, they may need at least two or perhaps three more weeks of this play for them to really pose a serious threat. They are playing better overall and communicating with one another better and that’s what allowed them to be successful for the last week and a half.
“Monday’s game against the Lightning is huge” said Bobby Bevilacqua. “You don’t want to lose to them three times in 10 days.” Jim Reilly would agree with this statement when they play their next game on Dec 1st against Tampa Bay. “I won’t get too giddy about this recent success if they don’t beat Tampa tomorrow night” said Reilly.
During the Rangers’ recent successes, there are several players who stood out according to the fans. “Kevin Klein is finally starting to look and feel comfortable on the ice” said Bruce Weston. “I like to see more out of rookie Anthony Duclair. Fast’first NHL goal yesterday looked like a seasoned veteran goal. I would keep this kid in for a few games, work him over and he should prosper if he’s got the talent for the big league.”
John Cokefair believes the young guns like Fast and Miller should play more. “Let Miller play without being afraid of making mistakes and he will contribute on a regular basis” said Cokefair. “Young players need confidence. I want to see them win with what they have. I’m just not in favor of trading young talent for aging players.” If Fast and Miller can continue to play important minutes and score on a more consistent basis, then Vigneault should not be afraid to instill some trust and give important minutes to these promising young talents. So hopefully these two can impress and continue to maintain their level of play to stay in the NHL. It will be interesting to see what Vigneault decides to do with them.
Derek Stepan has been amazing since returning to the lineup. He really is just important to the team’s forward depth and made a huge impact in the team’s resurgence. “He takes a lot of pressure off the other centers” said Brenner. “Step has ‘stepped’ up his game” said Ruchi Taub. “He may not be scoring but he’s assisting. The only way to be successful is to not hog the puck and pass to someone that’s open to help win, which is happening.” Since sliding back in the lineup, the second line center has been solidified and Stepan has been productive. He picked up 12 points in 11 games with two goals and 10 assist. He also helps fix the power play and allows St. Louis to play on the wing again, which allowed him to up his game. Stephan is without a doubt one of the Rangers most consistent forwards whose all over the ice and plays well on both sides of the puck. St Louis is another player who’s been on a roll after starting the year off slow and playing center. Nine goals and 19 points so far this year for the future Hall of Famer and what a way for him to start off the weekend by celebrating his impressive 1,000 point milestone.
One player who is starting to click recently is Brassard. He has really done an excellent job as the number one center. He’s scored two in the second game against the Flyers, giving him eight goals this year. He also has 11 assist for a total of 19 points so far. That’s an impressive for a guy who has been centering the third line last year. Once again, Rick Nash continues to score goals. He’s using the body, driving to the net and playing with much more confidence.
Boyle has been a key cog to the Blueshirts recent success with the man advantage since returning to the lineup. The power play has been floating around 25-30% efficiency and so far, it’s helping them. If they continue to score more with the man advantage with guys like Stepan and Boyle on the ice, the Rangers will be a team no one will want to play against.
Kreider is another player that fans want to see more from. He was a sparkplug that gave energy to the first line last year and the fans are hoping he can play that same role this year. Lundqvist is 9-6-3 on the season and fans are hoping he gets back to form. In Saturday’s win against the Flyers, he didn’t have much to work with as he made 21 saves on 23 shots. He came up with some big saves when needed and got help in front. “Motivation is the key here I believe!” said Jamie McHugh.
So do the Rangers have enough to compete in the East? Well if they can replicate their recent play, then why not? In the Metropolitan Division, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders are tied for first place. The Penguins have been great with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc Andre Fleury leading the team in the regular season. However, once they get to the playoffs, they become the exact opposite of the team who dominates in the regular season. The Islanders have gotten off to a strong start in the first two months of the year. But, they usually struggle in the later stages of the year so who knows how long they can maintain their success. The New Jersey Devils continue to have problems with the shootout and offensive productions. In the Atlantic, it’s an intriguing race. The Montreal Canadiens and Lightning are fighting for first and the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs are all in the mix and hold the two wild card spots in the East. “It certainly will be interesting to see who represents the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final” said Jeffrey Schnoor.
The Rangers are definitely up for the challenge of competing against some of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and there’s no reason for the defending Eastern Conference champs to be counted out. “They’re always ready to compete!” said Bevilacqua. “It’s just a matter of them being consistent, playing a full 60 minute and getting contributions from all over the ice.”
If the Rangers are to continue their winning ways, these factors will always be a must for the team no matter who they face. “With a healthy McDonagh and Stepan and Nash on a 50 goal pace, the Rangers will definitely be one of the top seeds in the East” said Brenner. “By the way, they do have one of the top goalies in the entire league. That always helps.” Indeed it does. If the Rangers do make the playoffs and once they do, they will be more experienced and much more prepared, especially with a guy like Lundqvist in the net. He is a warrior, a competitor and wants to win. “For the playoffs, I have been a watching a long time” said Cokefair. “The rabid fans are expecting another deep run in the playoffs.”
With expectations high and about, there’s no reason to believe they can’t do it again. “Let’s wait and see what they do over the next five games” said Rich Schott. “Philly is a horrible team right now so I wouldn’t get excited just yet.” The next five games going into the month of December could even potentially make or break their year. They play Tampa on Dec 1 then they go to Detroit on Dec 6, then back home against the Penguins two nights later and then they go on a four game road trip from Dec 13 to Dec 20.
“The next five opponents have a better record than they do” said Schott. “If they come out of this stretch with a 3-2 record, I will start to believe in this team!” It will be a huge test for the Blueshirts going forward. But with guys like McDonagh and Stepan back in the fold ready to make an impact and Nash continuing to light the lamp night after night, the rest of the NHL should watch out for the New York Rangers. “If they play the way they did against Philly, I feel pretty good about our chances of going deep again in the playoffs” said Schnoor. “With their recent success, I am proud to call myself a New York Rangers fan.”
