New York Rangers: Contenders or Pretenders?

The start of the 2017-2018 season has been underwhelming for the New York Rangers. While it is still early, it might be time to seriously question whether the Rangers are legitimate playoff contenders or not?

20 points through 20 games. Not a position the New York Rangers expected to be. But after the start that the team had through 13 games, things are looking up for New York. The Rangers were dead last in the Metropolitan just six games ago. Now they are a point outside the wildcard.

Sports aren’t played on paper. For that reason, the Rangers aren’t one of the better teams in the league right now. This isn’t the first time the Rangers have started off a season poorly. They did so in 2013-2014 and rebounded nicely (like a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals nice).

The Rangers have started to turn things around. They are one of the best teams in the NHL over the last 10 games. The power play is operating on a level unheard of on Broadway in some time. There are still issues, however. Player deployment decisions have been questionable. Goaltender play is still shaky and Alain Vigneault is still under question. So will the Rangers live to fight for Lord Stanley’s Cup?

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The Issues

There are a multitude of issues that have contributed to the Rangers lackluster start. Whether it was giving up early goals, blowing late leads, not playing a full 60 minutes or simply getting outplayed, the Rangers have found plenty of ways to lose this year.

Things have certainly started to change as the Rangers have won six of their last eight. The Rangers have gotten off to better starts and have started to play close to a full 60.

However, problems still persist. Brendan Smith had been a healthy scratch for six straight games prior to Friday night. Alain Vigneault continues to stick talented players with lesser linemates on the ice. Take J.T. Miller playing on the third line for example. The Rangers also still have defensive and goaltending issues to contend with.

A season can’t be won just 20 games in. The Rangers were close to throwing their season away before it started. Now they are right back in the thick of things. Goaltending, solid defense and a full 60 minutes have been this team’s mantra for so long. All are getting better, but if the Rangers want to continue their winning ways, they need to see more improvement in all three areas.

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The Current Stretch

After starting off the season with just 10 points in 13 games, the Rangers were dangerously close to falling completely out of the playoff race altogether. Earlier I believed that the stretch of the next 10 games was the most crucial to the Rangers season. That meant games 14-23 for the Rangers, eight of which are or were against teams with winning records.

The Rangers are currently 6-2 in those games. For everything poor that they showed in the first 13 games, the Rangers have shown a lot of good in the past seven. If they finish the stretch with even just one more win, it will be a win for New York. The stretch against good teams is all important for the Rangers and more than halfway through, the team has been up to the task.

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Contender or Pretender?

There are a lot of good teams in front of the New York Rangers. The Rangers have the potential to be a good team, maybe even a great team. The season started off with the look of a lost season. Since, the Rangers have sprinkled in plenty of hope for their fans. For that reason, I will label them a contender. They will certainly make the playoffs. Plus, if they continue to figure things out during the course of the season, they will be in midseason form come playoff time.

Next: Predictions for the Rangers

In the end, the Rangers are contenders, at best they will be a top-four seed in the Metropolitan Division. It won’t be easy for the Rangers to battle back into that position, but the team is more confident now than ever before and that is dangerous for a team with their talent level.