New York Rangers: The team at Thanksgiving last year vs. this year

A lot has changed for the New York Rangers in one year. Although they have a similar record as this time in 2017, it tells a completely different story.

The New York Rangers have had surprising starts to last season and this season. Last season was surprising because of the Rangers’ poor play. This season is surprising because of how well the Rangers are playing.

As we reach the quarter mark of the season, we analyze every team’s play thus far. The playoff picture is shaping up and preseason predictions are tested.

Having said that, comparing the Rangers’ record this year so far to this time last season is intriguing. Let’s take a look at both records (as of November 20th)

Record at Thanksgiving 2017: 11-9-2

Record as of November 20, 2018: 11-8-2

These records are basically identical. The 2018-19 Rangers currently have two more points in the standings than the 2017-18 Rangers did at this time.

Now last season’s Rangers had a completely different look at Thanksgiving. Ryan McDonagh, Nick Holden, J.T. Miller and Rick Nash were all still in the lineup. Alain Vigneault was still the head coach.

This Thanksgiving, McDonagh and Miller are in Tampa Bay. Holden is in Vegas and Nash is currently unsigned. Vigneault does not have a head coaching position.

Instead, David Quinn is leading a young, rebuilding Rangers squad in his first year as an NHL head coach.

In fact, the Rangers’ position this time last year played a large role in what happened in the latter part of the season.

The Rangers started the 2017-18 campaign by losing seven of their first eight games. They followed it up with a six-game win streak from the end of October until the beginning of November.

This streaky play, particularly the beginning of the season, set off red flags. For a team that was projected to make a run in the playoffs, they were not playing to their potential. As the season went on, it was clear that it may be time to hit the restart button and rebuild.

The McDonagh/Miller trade with Tampa as well as separate trades with Boston involving Holden and Nash came early in 2018. The Rangers also drafted in the top 10 in June among many other picks.

Going into this season, the Rangers even acknowledged the team would not be at the same level as years past. They penned a letter to fans on social media, letting them know a rebuild was here and the playoffs could be far out of reach.

So far, the team has defied those expectations. They may have the same record as this time last year, but it tells a completely different story. The Rangers currently have the longest home winning streak in the NHL and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games.

This is beyond the expectations of a lineup riddled with rookies and a constant rotation of defensemen.

But Brett Howden and Neal Pionk are among leaders in points for first or second-year players. Filip Chytil is on a four-game goal streak. Lias Andersson was recalled after a strong start in the AHL.

Veterans like Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith responded well after Quinn decided to scratch them. He is hoping for the same result from Brady Skjei.

It seems like Quinn knows the right buttons to push and when. The Rangers lost their first three games, but have been steady ever since.

So despite the identical records, these are two very different teams. This year’s team is trending upwards and finds themselves in a playoff spot. In fact, they are two points out from the top position in the Metropolitan Division.

(American) Thanksgiving is considered by many indicative of how the standings will look at the end of the season. There may be a team or two that is different come April, but it relatively stays the same.

An argument could be made that a playoff run makes our first round draft pick lower. This is valid, but it is also a fairly big accomplishment for this team to be as successful as it has been so far.

There is always a chance to fall off as well. The Rangers could be one of those teams that enters Thanksgiving in a playoff spot but cools off and ends up out of the race.

No matter what, this is a positive sign for the future. As time goes by and this group develops together, they could be even better. Improvements on defense won’t hurt either.

It’s fascinating to see how much things can change in a year. While the changes the Rangers made may have been shocking, they’re clearly paying off. They enter Thanksgiving in great position to defy expectations and make the postseason.