5 Observations about the New York Rangers after a hiatus

I’m back.  For the longest period in over 40 years, I didn’t watch a single entire New York Rangers hockey game.  The hiatus began after I watched the Blueshirts drop a 3-2 decision to the Red Wings on November 6, a game that I watched via VPN in a hotel room in Jakarta, Indonesia starting at 7 am.  It ended with the team’s 4-3 OT win over the Devils Monday night, a game I had recorded on my DVR as I flew from Dubai Monday night.

Even better, I spent over three weeks on a tall ship sailing across the Indian Ocean, so I had NO idea about what was going on in the world as we had no internet or cell service.  The Norwegian sailing ship did have satellite connectivity but they posted news sparingly and mostly about the World Cup.

Once I reach dry land (Mauritius) I got back in contact with the world and was able to watch the full recaps on NHL.com for each of the 16 games I missed. It was a great opportunity to get some perspective on this wacky season and the trials and tribulations of the Rangers.  Some observations.

It’s been a roller coaster

The Rangers went 8-6-2, not bad, but for the fact that the record featured some truly awful efforts. I was truly happy that I didn’t see those blown leads to the Islanders, Devils, and Oilers.  Similarly, losing to teams like the Ducks and Blackhawks must have been a reason for calling the suicide hotline.

It was fascinating working my way through the 12 games when I had no connectivity.  They went 5-5-2 in that span and each game was a mystery.  It was a roller coaster with the Rangers defying expectations in every game. To their credit, just when I thought they were about to go into a tailspin, they pulled out a win and this latest winning streak is a reason for optimism.

What did you expect?

I also took the time to read many of the in-game threads with comments from our readers and the passion of the Rangers fan base is clear.  It’s also obvious that this team has been exceedingly frustrating for many, resulting in a constant stream of negativity especially when things are going wrong.  While I get it, the negativity gets tiresome and it is always easier to predict failure than success.  With only one of 32 teams getting to the Holy Grail, to predict that the Rangers won’t make it is the easy way out.

It’s worth noting that this morning, 30 games into the season, the Rangers have a tenuous hold on the last wild card spot.  They are there despite a pathetic 6-6-4 home record, offset by a sparkling 9-4-1 road record.

Did anyone really expect that the Rangers would waltz into the postseason?  Going into the season there are five solid contenders for the four Metropolitan Division playoffs post in Carolina, Pittsburgh, Islanders, Washington, and the Rangers.  Make that six with the impressive play of the Devils.  That’s six solid contenders for four spots.  That means two good teams won’t make it and the Rangers could be one of them.

Speaking of the Devils, let’s give a Bronx cheer to the pundits who predicted that New Jersey and Boston would be wannabes this season (me included).  They only boast the two best records in the NHL.  So much for predictions. And again, right now, the Rangers are in the playoffs.

Lofty expectations

If anyone thought that a playoff spot was a given coming off the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals, it’s worth a quick history lesson.

In 2021 the Montreal Canadiens stunned the hockey world by getting to the Stanley Cup Final.  Their reward?  55 points and last place the next season.  The Islanders were expected to go deep and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.  Their reward?  Fifth place and 84 points, 16 points out of the postseason.

In 2020 the Dallas Stars made it to the Western Conference Finals only to miss the playoffs in 2021.  In 2019 the San Jose Sharks lost in the Western Conference Finals and finished last the next season. Carolina got the Eastern Conference Finals the same year but got bounced in five games in the First Round the next season.

And let’s not forget the Lightning who lost the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016 only to miss the playoffs the next season.  Even better, what about Tampa’s embarrassing First Round four-game sweep by Columbus in 2019?  Every member of the championship Lightning points to that adversity as a reason for their consecutive Stanley Cup wins.

And again, right now, the Rangers are in the playoffs.

The coach

Does anyone really believe that Gerard Gallant is about to get fired?  Sure, Barry Trotz is sitting at home waiting for a phone call, but Gallant has not been close to bad enough to deserve termination.  Sure, he has made mistakes and some bad calls,  but in a salary cap era with volatile ownership, coaching an NHL team is a sticky wicket and Gallant is walking a tightrope.

It’s almost laughable to say that he is panicking when he starts changing lines and defensive combinations.  Every single NHL coach does it. It’s not panic, it’s simply an attempt to find something that works. Jon Cooper does it.  Jared Bednar does it.  Mike Sullivan does it.

And again, right now, the Rangers are in the playoffs.

The players

Finally, let’s talk about the team itself.   Let’s stop equating salaries to performance. Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba, and Chris Kreider were all signed BEFORE the pandemic.  They may be overpaid in post-pandemic dollars, but have they been that bad?

Is Mika Zibanejad overpaid?  Can you imagine this team without him?  Sure, they could have let him get to free agency after last season, but how could they have replaced him?  The top five free-agent centers available last summer were Nazem Kadri, Andrew Copp, and Vincent Trocheck. Max Domi and Ryan Strome.  Who would you prefer over Zibanejad?  Yeah, right.

Of the 40 highest-paid players in the NHL, the Rangers have two in Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Oilers, Maple Leafs, Golden Knights, and Panthers have three players each among the top 40 and how many Cups have they hoisted?

No one can argue with the Adam Fox salary, but where would the Rangers have to go to replace Panarin’s productivity?  He’s on pace for 95 points.  And Chris Kreider is on pace to score 38 goals.  It ain’t 50, but 38 goals is not half bad.

Aah, the kids.  Let’s just say that if Jeff Gorton had not taken Kaapo Kakko second overall or Alexis Lafreniere with the top pick, he would have been drawn and quartered by the press and the fan base. Have they lived up to elevated expectations?  Of course not, but let’s not waste time talking about how they have been deployed on a contending team instead of getting top-line minutes on a bad team.

Let’s just note that neither Kakko nor Lafreniere is on the top power-play unit.  That has never happened in NHL history before when it comes to two top-two picks.

And let’s take a look at Tage Thompson. A St. Louis Blues first-round pick (#26) in 2016, he was traded to Buffalo in the Ryan O’Reilly deal after scoring three goals in 41 games as a 20-year-old rookie. The Sabres’ management was roasted for that deal and when the Blues won the Cup with O’Reilly, it looked even worse.  But wait.

What followed were three mediocre seasons in Buffalo including two trips to the AHL. He made his NHL debut at age 20 and scored 10 goals in parts of four seasons. But in 2021-22 he broke out with 38 goals and this season he has 23 goals in 29 games.   At age 24 he became a goal scorer, with the 25-year-old making headlines with a five-goal night against Columbus last week.

So, the “let’s trade Kakko” and “Lafreniere’s a bust” talks should really take a hiatus. Let’s revisit Kakko in two years when he is about to turn 24 or in three years when Lafreniere will be 24. That’s when we will really be able to determine if the Rangers were “forced” to take two bad picks.

But you are totally allowed to castigate Gorton and company for going off the board to pick Lias Andersson in 2017, passing on Jason Robertson, Nick Suzuki, Martin Necas, Drake Batherson, and Robert Thomas.  Andersson is 24 this season and is officially a bust.

And again, right now, the Rangers are in the playoffs.