Who do the New York Rangers want to play in the playoffs?

With the Stanley Cup Playoffs less than two months away, it is time for the New York Rangers to start thinking about potential playoff opponents. There are definitely some that they wouldn’t mind facing, and at the same time, there are some they would like to avoid. Here’s an assessment of all of the possible team they could meet in the first three rounds of the playoffs.  We’ll start with two they would definitely prefer to play..

These two teams are currently in wild card positions, and they’ll probably stay there. New York should be happy to play either of these teams.

Washington Capitals

The Rangers wouldn’t be too upset if they had to play the Capitals in Round One.

New York played one of their worst games of the season opening night against Washington, but they are a completely different team now; this showed when they blasted the Caps on February 26.

Washington has some flaws: their goaltending is not consistent, their defense has not looked great, and sometimes their only glimpse of offense comes from Alexander Ovechkin. With all these taken into account, the Rangers match up well against Washington and would love to play them Round One.

Boston Bruins

Since being re-called from a five game stint in the AHL, Jeremy Swayman has looked like a new man. He is second in the league in GAA behind Igor Shesterkin and fourth in save percentage, and overall he has looked great.

Boston also has experience: Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and others have all played in big playoff games. This would be a tougher matchup than fans think.

Still, New York should enter as the favorites. They have beaten Boston in both their meetings this season and have the look of a more talented team when the two are on the ice together. Boston has struggled for consistency at times as well, and who knows what Swayman (or Linus Ullmark) will look like in the playoffs?

The Rangers could face these next two teams if they make it t the Eastern Conference Finals.  If it does happen, New York could face challenges, but they have the capability to overcome.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Look, the Leafs are loaded. Austin Matthews is playing like a Hart Trophy frontrunner. They have studs up and down the lineup. Their power play is also statistically the best in the league currently. I don’t think anyone would be happy about playing Toronto.

But, this team always finds a way to fold in the playoffs. Toronto will be haunted by the “not again” mantra, no matter who they play.

Also, the Rangers looked good against them in their three meetings (even the loss). New York matches up well against Toronto, and they have the fire power to send the Leafs’ home and keep Toronto’s Stanley Cup drought going.

Lastly, goaltending is Toronto’s biggest weakness. Jack Campbell started the season strong, but has cooled off, making a  major issue for Toronto. The Rangers should have the stability of Igor Shesterkin, and this matches up very well compared to whoever Toronto puts in the crease.

Florida Panthers

Florida is also an incredibly talented team. They have one of the top Art Ross candidates in Jonathan Huberdeau, a defense that is much improved and Sergei Bobrovsky has been good.

I don’t think the Rangers would want to play Florida, especially because of the talent Florida boasts. But, they have a few things that favor New York.

First, almost every game would be a home game. There are many Rangers fans in Florida, and in recent years they always show up to games and one can see all the blue in the stands. Second, New York played well in their three meetings against the Panthers this year, posting a 2-1 record, with both wins coming at home.

I do think if these teams meet, home ice will be more important than it seems.

If the Rangers get a chance to play these teams, brace yourself. These are two teams the Rangers would love to avoid.  They would be daunting matchups that would have New York fans worried and hoping for the best.  They could face one of these teams as early as the second round and the other may have to wait until the Conference Finals.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Who would want  the Rangers to play against the two-time defending champions?  Only anyone who would want to see a matchup between the two best goalies in the NHL.

The Lightning match up with the Rangers (or the Rangers match up with the Lightning) better than every team when it comes to goaltending. Andrei Vasilevskiy, for the past few years, has been one of the best goaltenders, if not the best, in the NHL. If the Rangers and Tampa Bay meet, it would be an elite goalie matchup between Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy.

Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy are two of the best goalies in the league, and it would be a great matchup to see them line up for a playoff series. Both would be called to make big saves, and one or the other might need to stand on their heads to win this series.

The Rangers are 2-0 against Tampa Bay this season, with one being a massacre at the Garden, but Igor Shesterkin helped steal that win. The Rangers have the firepower to beat Tampa Bay, but most factors work towards the Lightning’s favor.

Also, it is worth noting that Tampa Bay has the experience, and against a fairly young Rangers team they could take advantage. The Rangers have not been to the playoffs since 2017, and Tampa Bay won the Cup the past two years.

Carolina Hurricanes

If the Rangers can make it past the First Round, it’s likely that they will face the Carolina Hurricanes next.  From their one matchup so far this season, I don’t think New York would want to play Carolina considering how they dominated the Rangers in that January meeting, winning 6-3.

I don’t think anyone would want to play the Canes, who look like the favorite to come out of the Metropolitan Division.   Also, playing against that many former Rangers, you know something is going to go wrong.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are in less than two months, and even though one can evaluate all the Rangers playoff matchups now, it’s early as there is still plenty to come.

The NHL trade deadline is under two weeks away, and who knows what moves teams, including the Rangers, are going to make?  As all these contenders are looking to fill in their gaps as they gear up for playoff runs, we will definitely have to re-evaluate when we know what roster moves have been made.

As for the Rangers, we don’t know what changes they are going to make and we don’t know  where the team will be in May when the Playoffs start.  Soon enough, there will be more clarity, but for now, New York needs to gear up for the home stretch of the regular season.