The New York Rangers will not be in action this Thursday night, but there will be games capturing the attention. We will get into what the Rangers need to happen on the out-of-town scoreboard for the Blueshirts to strengthen their playoff chances. New York needs a lot to go right, but that starts with the new gameday. If this could go a little better than Tuesday did for the Rangers organization, the Blueshirts' faith in their ability to make the postseason will be restored.
Focusing here on an essential game in the Atlantic Division as the Montreal Canadiens take on the Boston Bruins. It's a rivalry as old as time, and the Rangers will be looking for a favor from the oldest NHL team in the United States. However, the Bruins have lost six straight, so it seems unlikely that the Rangers will get a favor from their Original Six rivals from Beantown.
The Columbus Blue Jackets face the Colorado Avalanche in a critical Eastern Conference playoff race game elsewhere. Colorado is trying to mathematically lock up its spot in the Central Conference, while the Blue Jackets Must win to get into the wild card spots in the Eastern Conference. Columbus is about to run a gauntlet of teams that sit in wild card positions, which will be a substantial test for them, but it will mean they drop points, allowing the Rangers to capitalize.
There are a few other games tonight where the Rangers could benefit, but they are not the main events for the Rangers tonight. The Rangers could see the Ottawa Senators falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but that is a distant third place on the list of required results tonight. If the Canadiens and Rangers win, they will move clear of the Rangers again, putting more pressure on the Blueshirts this weekend.