New York Rangers: Too good too soon?

The benefits of playoff contention

Coach David Quinn knows that he is judged on results.  In looking at the coaches in the NHL, the average lifespan is 2.1 years.  That means next fall, Quinn will have exceeded his expected tenure as head coach of the New York Rangers.  He did sign a five-year contract so he should be confident in his job security, but he has still done everything he can to make the playoffs in both of his years as coach. .

There are benefits for a young team like the Rangers to make a playoff run as they did this season.  Every game means something.  The lessons that they will learn from players like Zibanejad and Panarin who are rising to the occasion are immeasurable. It will make them better players, better equipped to handle pressure games in the future.

The ultimate benefit would be if they make the playoffs.  Getting a minimum of two games in the Madison Square Garden playoff atmosphere would whet their appetites to get back and even if they were manhandled by the likes of the Penguins or Capitals, the experience would be awesome.

Could a miracle happen and could the team survive as far as the Conference Finals?   Sure, but even the most optimistic fan would concede that that would be practically impossible.

Of course, the millions of dollars that the Madison Square Garden Company and owner Jim Dolan would reap would be gravy.