New York Rangers: stock market risers and fallers 3/11-3/17

The New York Rangers have started to turn themselves around. They are 5-2-1 in the eight games post trade-deadline, with their new acquisitions making their mark.

The New York Rangers have managed to crank out two wins this week. Jimmy Vesey led the way against the Carolina Hurricanes where he notched his first NHL hat trick in a 6-3 win. Next up came the two-time defending champions in the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers rallied in the third period when down 2-0 to tie it, then tied it yet again at 3-3. They managed to come back when Mika Zibanejad scored the overtime winner. In a back and forth game with the St. Louis Blues, the Rangers came away with a point in an overtime loss.

One of the biggest takeaways I have seen this week is chemistry. As much as I have criticized Jesper Fast being put on the first line, the line has been playing exceptionally well. Zibanejad has had a resurgence in this past week where he has five points in three games. Pavel Buchnevich, while he should still be playing on the first line, still has four points in his last three games. Additionally, Henrik Lundqvist is finally being rested, and Alexandar Georgiev has been given three starts this week.

My biggest hope playing out the rest of the season is that the Rangers keep trying new things. There is no point in making a playoff push at the moment because there is no possibility of real contention. I want the Rangers to move players around realistically, similar to the line combinations they are projecting for next year. This would mean moving Buchnevich back to the first line and Fast further down the lineup. Trying new combinations out this year can speed up the process next year.