New York Rangers: Previewing Important Home Stretch Ahead
The New York Rangers have a big week ahead of them with four games on their plate. The matchups will feature Western Conference teams all coming to Madison Square Garden.
Traveling will not be on the New York Rangers agenda this week. All four of their games will be at home against Western Conference teams. They have a great opportunity to string some wins together against teams that are far from home. Here’s a closer look at the matchups.
Sunday February 5th vs. Calgary Flames
The Flames are suddenly red hot (pun intended) after going into the All-Star Break losers of six of their last eight. They come to New York on Super Bowl Sunday in the midst of a three game road trip on the east coast.
They were able to embarrass the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night by a score of 5-1. On Friday, they were in New Jersey, beating the Devils 4-3 in overtime.
The Flames are scoring in bunches and getting offensive help from all over the ice. Defenseman TJ Brodie had four assists against the Devils on Friday. Their top line featuring Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau has done a great job scoring as well.
The New York Rangers traveled to Calgary earlier this season and dominated the Flames 4-1. However, its a much different situation this time around. The Flames didn’t start this season out very hot (pun intended, yet again).
When the Rangers came to town in mid-November, the Flames only had five wins to their name. They currently sit in the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.
The Rangers will need to outscore the Flames if they want to win this game. They play a fast-paced game and they like to score. Slowing them down will be crucial for the Rangers.
If they do that, they will have a great chance to walk away with two points.
Tuesday February 7th vs. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks come to New York in the middle of a brutal six game road trip with lots of traveling. They lost to the Florida Panthers on Friday night, 2-1. They will play Tampa Bay on Saturday before they come to the Garden on Tuesday.
Ryan Getzlaf’s group has played very well this season. They are currently in second place in a surprising competitive Pacific Division. They have especially been playing well in the new year. Their record in January was 10-3-1.
The Rangers should be a tough test for a team that likes to play defense. The Ducks are 6th in the league in goals allowed. They are certainly a team that wins their battles on defense, as they rank 21st in the league in scoring.
The Ducks have an above average special teams unit. They are 5th league-wide in penalty kills, and 8th league-wide in power play goals.
The Rangers have done an excellent job staying out of the box. They are among the top teams in league in least penalty minutes. Being well-disciplined helps at all times, but especially against teams like Anaheim that make you pay for your mistakes.
If the Rangers want to win, they will just need to find ways to score. If they take advantage of power plays and the defense holds their own, they will come away with a victory.
Thursday February 9th vs. Nashville Predators
The Predators are another team that started slow, but has heated up as of late. Before the All-Star Break, they had a couple of great wins vs teams like the Wild, Blue Jackets, and Oilers; all surprising Stanley Cup contenders this year.
Their schedule is favorable coming into this matchup. It will be the first time they have left Nashville in the second half. They beat the Oilers on Thursday night, and play the Red Wings and Canucks this week before coming to New York.
For the Rangers, the Tuesday’s matchup with the Ducks will be an excellent primer for P.K. Subban and the Predators. They play great defense and have a great penalty kill. The biggest difference between the two is that the Predators are much better at scoring.
The Rangers played the Predators a week before Christmas, besting them 2-1 in the shootout. Thursday’s game could look a lot like that one, low scoring and needing extra time.
The major key for the Rangers in this one is all about getting the puck in the net. They have been great at it all season, but Nashville posed a problem in scoring before. Nashville can be defended against, but if the Rangers can’t score, they won’t win.
Saturday February 11th vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche have been an absolute dumpster fire this season. It seems like they couldn’t get worse if they tried. They have won just four games since November 21st, when they were 9-9-0. Today, they are an embarrassing 13-33-2.
Coming into this week, the Avalanche have lost nine in a row. There are talks of a fire sale and gutting the whole front office. Right now, it seems like their mind is on looking forward and trying to get this franchise back on the right track.
For the Rangers, they just need to play smart. The Avalanche allow the league’s most goals and score the league’s least amount of goals.
That being said, they are still a professional hockey team that can win. Out of their four wins since November 21st, they have beaten the Blackhawks, Islanders, Maple Leafs, and Bruins.
Next: New York Rangers: Re-Acquiring Brian Boyle for the Stretch Run
The Rangers can’t go into this game with the mindset that this will be an easy win. If they stay focused and don’t make mistakes, the Rangers should easily win.