New York Rangers preview: Last attempt to rock the Avalanche

This Saturday afternoon, at 3:00 PM, the New York Rangers will face the Colorado Avalanche in their second meeting of the season. The last time these two teams met, it was on opening night.

Records: New York Rangers (24-17-5) 53 points, Colorado Avalanche (25-16-3) 53 points

Head-to-head: New York Rangers (0-1-0) 0 points, Colorado Avalanche (1-0-0) 2 points

The New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche were both in very different places the last time that they played against each other.

The Rangers had a great regular season in 2016-2017. They finished with 102 points and a 48-28-6 record. They even made the playoffs in a Metropolitan Division packed with talent. However, fans were left disappointed once again when the Rangers fell to the Ottawa Senators in six games in the second round of the playoffs.

Think it couldn’t be worse? Last season, the Avalanche finished last in the NHL, putting up only 48 points with a 22-56-4 record. They also placed 30th out of 30 in the league for both goals for (166) and goals against (278).

Then, they won their first game of the season against the Rangers, who had earned 54 more points than they did in the 2016-2017 season. This left New York in a rocky situation–get it? The loss started their early season rough patch where they went 3-7-1.

The Avalanche have improved greatly since last season, but still can’t break out in their division. Meanwhile, the Rangers are trying to make a name for themselves in a packed Metro Division.

Now, is a perfect time for the Rangers to redeem themselves. But, between injuries and a lack of consistency, it’s uncertain if this will be the game that they finally solidify their play in.