New York Rangers vs. Cup Contenders: Minnesota Wild

The New York Rangers appear locked into the Atlantic Division playoff bracket, giving them their best shot at reaching the Stanley Cup Final. But if they do get there, they still have to deal with the best the West has to offer.

Over the course of the 2016-17 season, the New York Rangers have been nothing short of remarkable against Western Conference teams. Their 21-6-0 record against the West is tops in the Eastern Conference.

But one of those six losses came at the hands of the Minnesota Wild, a 7-4 drubbing back in December. Since then, the Rangers edged the Wild in a 3-2 decision on March 18.

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The Wild are a bit of an enigma as the season winds down. Once appearing to run away with the Western Conference, the Wild are now mired in a terrible stretch. Losers of their past three and 10 of their past 12, Minnesota looks like a different team from the juggernaut that was once atop the Central Division.

Measuring Up

So what’s the real story? Are the Wild a team that just used a hot stretch to climb the standings, and now they’re crashing back to reality? Are they going through an uncharacteristic cold stretch?

And how do they really compare to the Rangers?

When looking at the numbers, two things jump out. According to Corsica Hockey, the Wild are one of just two teams in the NHL with a better shooting percentage than the Rangers. Their 9.04% mark is only worse than Washington’s 9.54%; the Rangers are shooting 8.93% on the season.

Minnesota’s current stretch has been marred by spotty goaltending. Their tandem of Devan Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper have been consistently turning in sub-.900 performances—a far cry from earlier in the season, when Dubnyk was looking like a Vezina frontrunner.

On February 27, NHL.com considered Dubnyk the favorite for goalie of the year, with a sparkling 2.05 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.

Those numbers have since dropped to 2.18 and .926—still very good, but on the downward trend. Dubnyk’s last five games have seen him post numbers .900 or below three times, including a 5-goal, .762 Sv% loss to Winnipeg.

Like the Rangers (who are going through a rough stretch, themselves), the Wild have shot the lights out this season, but are struggling with inconsistent goaltending.

Next: Rangers' Late-Game Prowess Key for Playoffs

Star Power

Minnesota has seen a true breakout from center Mikael Granlund in 2016-17. After setting a career high with 44 points last season—only his first with 10+ goals in the NHL—Granlund has exploded this year to the tune of 25 goals and 41 assists in 75 games.

The talented Finn leads Minnesota in assists and sits only one goal back of Eric Staal’s 26.

Eric Staal himself might leave a bitter taste in the Rangers’ mouths. After coming over last season (for a hefty price at the trade deadline), Staal was largely ineffective in New York. His resurgence in Minnesota has helped take them to true contender status.

X-Factor

With the talent Minnesota has up front and on the blue line, and taken into account with their recent struggles, look no further than their goaltending for a playoff x-factor.

Dubnyk will need to regain his earlier form if the Wild hope to win the Cup. Going every other game with a sub-.900 Sv% is a great way to lose a quick five-game series.

For the Rangers, on the other hand, they would need to play a fast, heavy-forechecking game against the Wild. Chris Kreider is the man who best represents those qualities (though Jesper Fast is an unsung hero in this area).

Kreider is enjoying his best year in the NHL, scoring ridiculous goals, and proving himself to be an indispensable part of the Rangers’ core. With six games remaining in the season, it’s still possible he can hit 30 goals for the first time.

Next: Grabner Still a Threat Despite Drought

A Stanley Cup Final between the Rangers and the Wild might seem unlikely, but both teams have goalies capable of turning it on at the right time and carrying them through tough matchups.