New York Rangers’ last ten games have given them some life
The New York Rangers seemed in danger of dropping out of the playoff race earlier in the season. Now they are right back in the thick of things.
*Editors note: This article was written prior to Friday night’s game against Detroit.
Earlier this month I wrote about how the current stretch for the Rangers was the most crucial of their season.
Flashback a month or so, the Rangers sat at 3-7-2. They were last in the Metropolitan Division and one of the bottom four teams in the league. Then came the next 10 games.
It was a stretch that saw the Rangers face off against all but two opponents with winning records.
Now, after those 10 games, the Rangers sit at 11-9-2, in a much better position than they were just 10 games before.
The Breakdown
The Rangers kick-started the 10 game stretch by winning six in a row. The back and forth contest against Vegas was a strong start, but the key to the stretch was back to back overtime wins against the Florida teams.
After that, the Rangers rattled off another three victories including a dramatic third period comeback over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Despite two losses in a row after the six wins, the Rangers were able to go 2-0 in their last two games to finish the stretch at 8-2.
The key in it all was the victory over Columbus. If the Rangers had lost that game, it would have only been three wins in a row. Not only did it keep the win streak alive, but for the Rangers, it was a dramatic win that was lacking earlier in the year. After being well out of the playoff race, the 10 games put the Rangers right back in the race.
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The Positives
After breaking down the negative aspects of the Rangers game for so long, it’s time to acknowledge the positives that this streak brought. The Rangers changed large portions of their game. The improvement was noticeable.
Five on five play was where there was the largest difference for the Rangers. They obviously passed the eye test, more so than in the previous 12 games. While the power play has continued to help New York, during the last 10 games, the Rangers have scored 30 goals during even strength after scoring just 25 in their first 12 games.
Their differential on 5-on-5 is even better. During their first 12 games, they were a minus-6 during the 5-on-5 portions of their games. During their last 10 games, they have been a +7 during 5-on-5 play.
Not only has that been better, but Henrik Lundqvist, and the defense in front of him, have been much more sound. The Rangers gave up 43 goals in their first 12 games as opposed to just 25 these last 10. In the teams current stretch, Lundqvist has started every single game and while his overall numbers are fairly similar to that of his first nine games, the wins are starting to pile up.
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Moving Forward
Looking ahead the Rangers schedule won’t get any easier. If you want to look at the next 10 games, they might even be tougher than this past stretch. The reality of the situation is this. The Rangers are going to face good teams all season long just like everyone else.
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They have proven that they are a good team with the potential to be great. Now the biggest question lies ahead. Can they execute? If they can, this stretch of 10 games will have just been the beginning.