Your New York Rangers do not play again until April, but that will be a testing schedule for the Blueshirts. With eight games remaining, the Rangers will face six teams in playoff position, and they will be fighting for their lives in almost every game. Their playoff aspirations are on the line as they try to salvage this campaign's inconsistencies. It won't be easy, but the Rangers can fix their season with a few wins.
It'll start against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday. As the Rangers look to cement themselves in the second wild card in the East, the Wild are fighting to stay above the playoff line out west. The red-hot St. Louis Blues have started to pull the team from the North Star State back into the fight for the playoff places, and a desperate game between the two teams will be one of the more interesting games to watch moving forward.
Then we'll see a game with the New Jersey Devils. At a 12:30 matinee the following Saturday, the Rangers will be fighting to keep their hopes of a divisional spot alive against the little brother from across the Hudson. The Devils are significantly injured and will need to be defeated by the Rangers if the Blueshirts want to have any hope of sneaking into the postseason. They're there for the taking, and the Rangers cannot let the chance slip.
The following Monday, the Rangers prepare for a clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning. They're trying to win the Atlantic, with the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs also in the mix heading forward. If the Blueshirts are lucky, it could be another chance for the Rangers to put up points as the Lightning rest for the playoffs. It's unlikely, but the Rangers must attempt to defeat the Bolts anyway.
From there, the Rangers go on a daunting back-to-back. The Philadelphia Flyers begin that with a new head coach and a new lease on life. While they're mathematically still alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, they need a lot to go their way to sneak into the postseason. It's going well so far with many of their top-end players heading up in the absence of former New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella, but the Rangers will need to defeat them regardless.
Then, it is a big clash with the New York Islanders. If the Rangers cannot get that win, they may be out of the playoff picture. Their rivals from across the city have gotten hot recently, and they are trying to fight for their playoff lives ahead of the season's final weeks. Patrick Roy and his group have tried to mount a late charge despite not being in the playoff picture since late November, and the Rangers could put the final nail in their coffin or be exterminated by their rivals.
Across the Following, the Rangers face the Carolina Hurricanes in another matinee, and it could be a game in which the Hurricanes rest their players for the playoffs. With the Canes already locked into second place in the Metropolitan and very little hope of catching the Capitals, while also being comfortably clear of the New Jersey Devils, they could start protecting their star assets for the big dance in the postseason.
Penultimately, the Rangers face the Florida Panthers as the reigning Stanley Cup Champions look to retain their crown. While it has not been easy for the Stanley Cup Winners to get to this point, they must be better if they get over the line. Without Matthew Tkachuk, the Cats might be vulnerable, but it won't be easy. And that comes before the Rangers end the season against Tampa again. It's not an easy path, but the Rangers face a gauntlet. Can they survive?