Well, the NY Rangers looked like an impressive bunch heading into 2024-25, and even throughout October, I liked what I was seeing. But that has since gone to the wayside somewhat, and the Blueshirts now find themselves in quite the fight for a top-three spot in what is suddenly an ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division.
Remember last season when the division contained one good team and one great team? Yeah, the Rangers were the latter, and those days look like they’re over. The resurgent Metro Division is one of three major storylines regarding the Rangers roughly a month and a half into the season, so let’s talk about it and two more.
The NY Rangers vs. the Metro
Okay, the Rangers got competition and a lot of it, or at least that’s the case at the quarter-way mark of the 2024-25 season. It shows that this isn’t going to be like it was last year, with teams like the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals looking like relevant teams again.
We knew the Carolina Hurricanes would be good, but were they going to be that good? For a team that lost some talent since last offseason, I wasn’t so hot on the ‘Canes, but right now, they’re the best team in the Eastern Conference.
For the Rangers, this means kicking it into high gear and looking more like the team they were in October.
Chris Kreider: Playmaker or near future depth scorer?
Chris Kreider has been amazing this season as a scorer, with eight goals and a 19.0 shooting percentage. But is he currently being miscast with top-six minutes at this point? Kreider has been physical, and he’s found the net often, but he’s on pace for just 41 points this year as he still has yet to record an assist.
Maybe I’m looking too far into it, but I’m seeing more playmaking coming from Kaapo Kakko at this point. This isn’t a knock on Kakko, who has nine points in 16 contests with a plus-10 rating and has been impressive, considering his circumstances, but you’d think Kreider would pitch in more.
Igor Shesterkin’s so-so play and Jonathan Quick’s epic play
Just 10 days ago, I was singing praises for Igor Shesterkin, but now, I’m not so sure. Shesterkin has just a 2.78 GAA and three ‘really bad starts,’ even if his save percentage is still a healthy 0.914. His struggles started vs. the Buffalo Sabres, and we don’t even need to talk about how bad that was before he allowed another five goals against the Winnipeg Jets, giving him a pair of awful outings.
Now, maybe this was just one of those speed bumps, but it’s something to keep tabs on since Jonathan Quick has been epic in his five games and four starts and may provide some epic insurance. Yeah, he’s got limited playing time at his advanced age, but still, a 0.970 save percentage, two shutouts, and a 0.91 GAA is unreal.
Maybe play Quick a little more than you otherwise would? I’m not saying this is an undisputed idea, but it couldn’t hurt.