The New York Rangers have endured a lot this season. They have fought internally, fought externally, and fought back into a playoff spot.
But, as great as it is to see them succeed, there is no easy way into the playoffs like some teams. The Rangers have a tough road ahead of them, and it could put a damper on the high hopes of playoff dreams.
Let’s discuss it.
12th hardest schedule
At this time, the Blueshirts have the 12th hardest schedule in all of hockey for the rest of the season. According to Tankathon.com, their opponents have a strength of schedule of .556. They have meetings with six playoff teams, in seven of the remaining 14 games.
They have to face off against Carolina, Minnesota, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Toronto, Florida, and Tampa Bay twice. Those are some heavy hitters in the last month of the season.
Fragile roster
With the return of defenseman Adam Fox, the roster is just about ready to be playoff-ready. The core has been replenished and lines have been re-aligned. But, it begs to say that if another injury were to happen between now and the end of the year, the Rangers playoff hopes might be cooked.
This roster is fragile, with no margin for error. The Rangers were very lucky in these last few weeks that the absence of Fox didn't sink their season. Instead, K’Andre Miller and Will Borgen stepped up and replaced the injured Fox and the traded Ryan Lindgren.
That was just on the defensive end, don't get any ideas about what would happen if J.T. Miller or Artemi Panarin were to go in the last 14 games of the year. That would truly be tragic.
They have to play for their playoff lives, while also keeping themselves safe from harm. Sounds easy enough, right? Couple that with one of the hardest remaining schedules in the NHL, the Rangers have a tough battle ahead of them.