The New York Rangers are the most well liked staff within the NHL proper now. The Blueshirts at the moment sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 79 factors and maintain a six-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Rangers are properly past their rebuild. Their younger guys are taking part in properly, the celebrities live as much as their names, whereas the veterans are holding all of it collectively. New York has gained 9 straight. With a win tomorrow over the Flyers, the Rangers will tie their longest successful streak of 10, set in 1939-40 and 1972-73.
All in all, this staff shouldn’t have any bother qualifying for the postseason. However it’s what occurs as soon as they get there that needs to be of concern to followers.
We’ve seen this earlier than: A terrific common season, the place every little thing seemingly goes proper — just for it to unravel come the postseason.
Take final yr’s marketing campaign for instance. New York went 47-22, solely to lose in seven video games within the first spherical to the rival New Jersey Devils. The yr earlier than that, the Rangers put collectively a 52-win season, however couldn’t get previous the Tampa Bay Lightning, who defeated the Blueshirts 4 video games to 2 within the Japanese Convention Finals.
However these groups that got here up brief are totally different than this present bunch — even when among the names are the identical. One thing about this Rangers squad feels totally different. So how does NY win a fifth Stanley Cup?
The offense wants to supply
The offense has been there throughout this win streak. The Rangers have one of the best document within the sport when having a lead (38-16-3).
Artemi Panarin is fifth within the league in factors (78). He’s adopted by Chris Kreider — who’s approaching 30 objectives — Mika Zibanejad, and Vincent Trocheck, who’ve all recorded 54 factors.
Nonetheless, we noticed the offense stall at occasions in that sequence in opposition to the Devils. New York was shut out twice — in Video games 5 and seven. The Blueshirts additionally solely managed to attain a single objective in each Video games 3 and 4 — losses that negated goaltender Igor Shesterkin’s stellar play via a lot of the sequence.
Religion within the fourth line
Jimmy Vesey is the king of clutch. You heard that proper. At the moment, the previous Hobey Baker winner is playing on the first line. He’s quick to the puck, he’s bodily and most significantly, he scores objectives. He might not stay there — he might return to the fourth line — however he’s been making an affect.
Talking of that fourth line, it’s anchored by Barclay Goodrow at middle, and rookies Adam Edstrom and Matthew Rempe, who’ve made some fast impacts to date. Each guys are large, being six-foot-seven and six-foot-eight respectively. Rempe dropped the gloves in his NHL debut on the Stadium Collection, and has performed bodily, high-pressure hockey since becoming a member of the staff. Edstrom scored a objective in his first recreation with the Rangers, and has since been taking part in good hockey by way of getting pucks in deep, utilizing his dimension to his benefit, and naturally, the physicality. The Rangers have wanted a bodily presence since they’ve traded Ryan Reaves, and have discovered it in these two rookies.
Goodrow is a two-time Stanley Cup Winner with Tampa Bay. Not solely is he robust as nails for powering via his jaw injury from earlier this season, however is aware of what it takes to go deep within the playoffs.
Talking of going deep…
How about Jonathan Fast? He joined the Rangers after a Stanley Cup-winning season with the Vegas Golden Knights. Earlier than that, he had secured two with the Kings. And regardless of his age — 38 — he’s 13-4-2 when filling in for Shesterkin.
Kreider additionally boasts playoff expertise, having been on the Rangers staff that reached the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals. Although he solely managed one objective in that sequence, the winger has discovered the again of the web 40 occasions in his postseason profession.
