New York Rangers: Predicting the 18-19 season month by month
We are roughly two months away from the beginning of the 2018-2019 season, which means it is time for an unnecessary amount of prediction.
The Rangers are in uncharted territory this year as they try to traverse a full fledged rebuild. Youth and patience have been the key words of the offseason. As the rest of the Metropolitan division has bettered themselves, the Rangers have stuck to the long game. The hope is that they have bettered themselves, but realistically no one will know that for sure until a few years in the future.
New York has locked up Brady Skjei long term this offseason. They have signed a few bridge deals with Ryan Spooner and Vladislav Namestnikov and they will have Kevin Hayes around for one more year at least. The next question becomes, what will the starting lineup look like for New York come October 4th against Nashville.
While the finished product is still in question, here is a look at home the Rangers season will play out month by month. Disclaimer: if you expect to read about a miraculous playoff push in late March and early April you can stop reading now.
Month: October
Number of Games: 12
Record: 5-6-1
Highlights: After losing their first game of the season the Rangers will rattle off back to back wins on the road in Buffalo and the Carolina. The Rangers have compiled an impressive record against both the Sabres and the Hurricanes over the last three seasons. Combined, the Rangers have been 15-6 against the Sabres and Hurricanes.
A road win on a Thursday night in Chicago will be a nice victory for New York as well. This will be the first look at a few younger faces in their first full season for New York. That alone should keep the intrigue, despite the middling results of the first month.
Player of the Month: Unleash Pavel Buchnevich. No one will benefit more from the departure of Alain Vigneault more than the young Russian winger. Expect a lot more ice time and freedom for Buchnevich which will allow him to showcase his top line talents. Buchnevich will finish the month at a point per game with 12 points (5g, 7a).
Bold Prediction: The Rangers and the Oilers will combine for 12 goals in a early season shootout on Saturday the 13th showcasing two teams whose defenses still need some work.
Month: November
Number of Games: 14
Record: 6-6-2
Highlights: The Rangers won’t be favored in many games this season and they certainly won’t be favored to blow teams out, so fans should savor the end of November.
The Rangers play a home and home with the Ottawa Senators, one of the few teams predicted to be worse than New York this season. Expect the Rangers to end the month on a high note with a close win and a drubbing of the Senators.
The level of competition New York will face this month is particularly stellar, but the inexperience will play a factor in the record. The Rangers will also win an afternoon matinee against the Flyers on Black Friday in what will be a high emotion contest.
Player of the Month: Playing with Buchnevich and Kreider, Mika Zibanejad should have a solid year if he can stay healthy. Expect him to kick it in to gear by early November. Zibanejad will have a profound effect on how the Rangers power play performs this season.
How about seven goals in the month of November for Zibanejad? With 14 games it can be done and with teams like the Islanders and Senators on the card twice, it isn’t as if the defensive competition will be stellar.
Bold Prediction: Brady Skjei will record his first four point game with the Rangers against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday the 12th. After a sophomore slump Skjei should rebound nicely behind a six-year security blanket.
Month: December
Games: 12
Record: 3-8-1
Highlights: It won’t be a super happy holiday season for the Rangers with what is their toughest month of the season. Of the 12 games, the Rangers might be favorites in two. The highlight of the month will be a gutsy effort against Columbus post-holiday break for the Rangers final victory of the month.
Winnipeg, Nashville, Toronto, Vegas, St. Louis and Tampa Bay all appear on the schedule this month. Needless to say, it will be a tough month even for a good team, so the Rangers will need to keep their heads up during this stretch.
Player of the Month: Filip Chytil will have a nice month and show why he can be a star for New York. Against stiff competition, Chytil will come out of his slow start to the season. With two months under his belt, Chytil will finish the month with 10 points and a couple highlight-reel plays.
Bold Prediction: It won’t be all holiday cheer against the Flyers on December 23. Chris Krieder will record a Gordie Howe hat trick with a little extra as he will propel the Rangers to a victory with two goals, one assist and one fight.
Month: January
Games: 12
Record: 5-7
Highlights: Back to back road wins against the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche early on in the month and then a crazy home-and-home with the Islanders during the middle of January will lead to a very interesting month.
Expect the Rangers to rebound as best they can to begin the month strong as the competition severely dips after their toughest month of the season. Chicago, Boston, Philly and New Jersey will be a tough stretch to end the month, but the Rangers will have compiled a decent amount of points by then.
Player of the Month: Henrik Lundqvist won’t be bad earlier in the season, but just based on the teams on the schedule this month I think King Henrik will have a good start to 2019. He always seems to play well against the better teams (Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) and he should have his way against Arizona and Carolina per usual.
Bold Prediction: Speaking of Lundqvist, he will flash the pads early in 2019. So much so that he will be able to secure back to back shutouts on the road against Arizona and Colorado.
Month: February
Games: 13
Record: 6-6-1
Highlights: This month rivals December in terms of difficulty. In all honesty it might even be tougher. But, the Rangers will be up to the task. Wins against Tampa Bay, Washington and Pittsburgh will make this month seem like a major victory for the Rangers.
The only lull in this month will be two games against Carolina, but even those aren’t as easy as they used to be.
Player of the Month: It’s the great Buchnevich again. Just because he hasn’t been mentioned in these predictions since the first month doesn’t mean he’s having a bad season. But, in the shortest month of the year, expect big things. Buchnevich will once again finish at a point per game, in fact he will finish at over a point per game in this month. 14 points, 13 games and the month of Buchnevich will be complete.
Bold Prediction: A hat trick and five point night for Buchnevich against the Buffalo Sabres will be a lot of fun to watch on February 15. Mark your calendars, it’s a guarantee.
Month(s): March and April
Games: 19
Record: 8-9-2
Highlights: Three in a row against Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary as the Rangers sweep the Canadian West Coast road trip will be one of the team’s best stretches of the season. New York will also close out the season on a high note by beating Pittsburgh on the road in Game 82. There should also be a few new faces in the lineup for New York after the trade deadline and some call-ups from Hartford.
Player of the Month: Mats Zuccarello will remain a Ranger after the trade deadline and despite all the rumors, will put together a solid finish to the season with five goals and 12 assists in the last 19 games.
Bold Prediction: Not only will the Rangers sweep the road trip to Canada, but they will do so in style. The Rangers will outscore the three teams they play by a combined 11-3 and will mix in a shutout.
Final Record: 33-42-7 (73pts, last in the Metro)
Top Producers: Pavel Buchnevich (28g, 34a, 62pts)
Mika Zibanejad (31g, 30a, 61pts)
Brady Skjei (8g, 31a, 39pts)
Recap: The record will be disappointing but not surprising. I think the Rangers will show a lot of signs that show the team is headed in the right direction, but at the same time will show their youth as well. I’m expecting big things from Buchnevich and Zibanejad with Krieder not far behind on that top line.
Expect youngsters Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson to stick around in the NHL all season, each accumulating close to 40 points. By season’s end, both players will have top six roles; Chytil on the wing and Andersson at center.
The team will trade Kevin Hayes at the trade deadline while holding onto Vlad Namestnikov and Ryan Spooner.
Next. Five players worth an invite to training camp. dark
Overall, the Rangers will go into the offseason holding the sixth overall pick in what should be another solid draft class.