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New York Rangers: Five questions after six weeks of hockey

By Nicholas Zararis

COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 10: Tony DeAngelo #77 of the New York Rangers and Lias Andersson #50 line up for a face off during the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 10, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 10: Tony DeAngelo #77 of the New York Rangers and Lias Andersson #50 line up for a face off during the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 10, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 12: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers and the rest of his teammates celebrate the 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 12: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers and the rest of his teammates celebrate the 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The New York Rangers have rallied back from a weak start but after six weeks have raised a series of questions.

After coming out of the gate about as poorly as possible, the New York Rangers resemble a competent hockey team. Those who called for David Quinn’s head after the team took two weeks to win its first game are still bickering amongst themselves about his lineup decisions even though it’s winning now.

With 18 games under their belts, the Rangers’ players have started to figure out who they are as a team. Although the group is not the most talented in the league, its own internal growth is fueling the team on a nightly basis. This is a case in which the team is playing above its means through intangible factors.

The team exceeding expectations is a positive reflection on the coaching staff and the players in the room. While it is partly due to players performing better than they have in the past, it’s also a result of player development.

This poses a series of questions related to sustainability and luck. Just how much of the past three weeks is positive regression and how much is for real?

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