New York Rangers: Lottery update and latest on prospects
No lottery standings movement for the New York Rangers as a result of their loss to New Jersey Devils. With last night’s results, the Rangers can now finish anywhere from fourth to tenth in the lottery (reverse) standings.
The two teams below the New York Rangers in the standings were not in action. Without Buffalo or Detroit playing the Rangers remain three points better than both teams, though the Blueshirts hold the ROW tiebreaker. The scenarios are clear. If those two teams win all of their remaining games the Rangers have to win won out of their last three. It’s doubtful.
As far as moving further away from the bottom, Anaheim is one point better with only two games to play. Edmonton lost to Vegas so they remain two points better. Vancouver was idle and remains three points ahead.
Chicago did the Rangers a favor, going to overtime in a 4-3 loss to Winnipeg. If the New York Rangers lose just one of their last three games, they are assured of finishing behind the Blackhawks. The bad news in that game was that Winnipeg won and moved into sole possession of first place in the Central Division. Since the Blueshirts own their first round draft pick, the worse they finish, the better.
There are some interesting playoff races still ongoing, so the number of “meaningless” games is still small. No matter, it still looks like a finish anywhere from sixth to eighth from the bottom for the Blueshirts. In “The Athletic’s” daily analysis, they place the Rangers sixth from the bottom at the end of the season.
The standings (Worst is first)
Teams GR W-L-OTL PTS ROW
1. *Ottawa 3 28-45-6 62 28
2. *Los Angeles 3 29-40-9 67 26
3. *New Jersey 2 30-40-10 70 27
4. Buffalo 3 31-38-10 72 26
5. Detroit 3 31-38-10 72 28
6. Rangers 3 31-35-13 75 25
7. Anaheim 2 33-37-10 76 29
8. Edmonton 3 34-36-9 77 31
9. Vancouver 3 34-35-10 78 28
10. Chicago 3 34-33-12 80 32
11. *Minnesota 3 36-34-9 81 35
12. *Philadelphia 3 37-34-8 82 34
13. *Florida 2 36-32-12 84 33
14. *Arizona 3 38-33-8 84 34
15. *Montreal 3 42-29-8 92 40
Asterisk means the Rangers cannot pass them in the standings.
Second East Wild Card Cut Line: 93 points
Second West Wild Card Cut Line: 86 points
Who to root for
Another busy night in the NHL with ten games on the schedule. The New York Rangers and their fans will be following four of the games closely.
Predators @ Sabres – Nashville is two points out of first place and at the very least, are battling for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Sabres stink and are in full tank mode. Root for the Sabres to win, and if it happens, go buy a lottery ticket.
Penguins @ Red Wings – Detroit has won five in a row and the Penguins have lost only two of their last ten. Two hot teams in a meeting that is crucial to Metropolitan Division playoff standings for Pittsburgh. It’s a big game for the Rangers as a Red Wings win will move them within one point of the Blueshirts. The Wings are the Rangers’ only hope of moving up in the lottery standings. So, root hard for the Red Wings to beat the Penguins (which shouldn’t be hard to do anyway).
Oilers @ Avalanche – An Edmonton win will almost put them out of reach of the Rangers. Colorado is holding on to the last wild card spot by the fingernails over the Coyotes who are playing the Kings. An Arizona win and an Avalanche loss knocks them out of the playoffs. It will be a tall order for Edmonton to win, but with Connor McDavid, anything can happen.
Sharks @ Canucks – San Jose has clinched second place in the Pacific Division so this game doesn’t mean much to them. Hopefully they will rest some regulars so the Canucks can have a shot at winning. A Vancouver win won’t put them out of reach of the Rangers, but it will make it almost impossible to catch them.
Prospect Update
Patrick Newell
The undrafted free agent signed his Entry Level Contract with the New York Rangers as soon as St. Cloud State was eliminated from the NCAA playoffs. Now, he has reported to the Hartford Wolf Pack on an ATO (Amateur Tryout). He is expected to make his debut Wednesday when the Pack play Springfield. Hartford has six more games left this season, so we will have an opportunity to see how he does.
Newell, 23, is a Hobey Baker finalist who was named NCHC Forward of the Year. He was the leading scorer on the team. St. Cloud State was the top ranked collegiate hockey team this season, but were upset in the first round of the NCAA. He led his conference in goals and points.
There are still questions about his size. The St. Cloud State website lists him as 5’9″ and 155 pounds. The Hartford roster lists him as 170 pounds. Dave Maloney said he is 180 pounds last night on the telecast. Let’s just agree that he is small,but fast. Let’s also hope he is another Martin St. Louis.
Western Hockey League Playoffs
Sunday, the Lethbridge Hurricanes forced a game seven in their first round series against the Calgary Hitmen with a thrilling 7-6 overtime win. Lethbridge had tied the score with 33 second left after pulling their goalie.
Ranger prospect Jake Elmer had one assist on five shots and was a plus one on the game. Calgary has done a good job of shutting down the Lethbridge top line that include Elmer and top draft prospect Dylan Cozens. Elmer was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Rangers on March 15. He has one goal and five assists in the six games so far.
Game seven is tonight in Lethbridge. A live stream of the game is available on a pay-per-view basis if anyone is interested.
Ontario Hockey League Playoffs
Joey Keane and the London Knights are off until Friday when they play the Guelph Storm in the second round of the OHL playoffs. Keane signed an Entry Level Contract with the Rangers a few weeks ago. He has two assists in four games with London as they swept their first round series. Keane was a third round (#88) 2018 draft pick and turns 20 in July. After three years in the OHL, look for him to turn pro and start next season in Hartford.
Defenseman Nico Gross and the Oshawa Generals take on the Niagara IceDogs in the second round of their OHL playoffs starting on Friday. Gross is a stay at home defenseman from Switzerland who is in his second season in Oshawa. He was drafted 101st overall in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. He is expected to play another season with Oshawa and to compete in the WJC for Switzerland for the fourth time. He turned 19 in January.
British Columbia Hockey League Playoffs
Riley Hughes was an unheralded forward who was drafted 216th overall in the seventh round of the 2018 draft by the New York Rangers. He may turn into the steal of the draft after a stellar season in the BCHL with 24 goals and 58 points in 53 games. Unfortunately, last night his Victoria Grizzlies lost their third straight game in their second round series with the Prince George Spruce Kings.
The Grizzlies face elimination tonight. In 14 playoff games, Hughes has four goals and 15 assists for 19 points, good for third place among all players.
dark. Next. Sloppy, frustrating loss
Hughes turns 19 in June and has committed to playing at Northeastern University in the fall. Northeastern has done a good job at turning out future NHL players including Adam Gaudette, Josh Manson, Dylan Sikura and Zach Aston-Reese. This year’s squad includes the highly regarded Tyler Madden and Caden Primeau.