Name me a team that’s been more disappointing this season than the NY Rangers. Okay, so I can list a couple. The Vancouver Canucks are one of them, and I’ll also roll with the Boston Bruins. But there’s not a single Rangers fan out there who would have a problem watching Boston continually sink, right?
As I write this the Blueshirts are gearing up for a big matchup against those Bruins, so I’ll go out on a limb and consider myself correct in that sentiment. Anyway, something I was shocked to find was just how good the Rangers looked as a team overall from a statistical standpoint, only to fail in the one stat that matters more than anything else: Points.
Here I was, thinking I’d write about a few statistical categories that are responsible for the Rangers downfall, or at least struggles. But there was hardly anything to point at. Instead, the Rangers are, well, a good hockey team with a not-so-good record and points total.
They’re currently in the middle of the road with 155 goals scored and 160 allowed, and they’re just barely in sixth place in the Metro. Still, their power play is about average, their penalty kill is roughly 3.5 percentage points above the NHL average, and their eight short-handed goals are among the best in hockey.
Good team? Bad points total? That’s the story of the 2024-25 NY Rangers
With a goaltender like Igor Shesterkin and a backup of Jonathan Quick’s caliber, it was a given that the Rangers 0.900 save percentage would supersede the NHL average of 0.895 and their 0.920 would sit right on par. No, their shooting percentage in all situations isn’t quite there, but at 10.0, it’s a meager half percentage point under the 10.5 average.
At 5-on-5, the Blueshirts are at 8.2 percent, slightly above the average of 8.0. They spend more time trying to take away opportunities than they do creating them, but a 49.4 Corsi For Percentage also isn’t terrible, and their actual goals scored at 5-on-5 of 107 is three above the league average.
Yeah, their actual goals allowed sits at 110, or six below average, so that’s an eyesore. But it’s an outlier. Their 48.1 scoring chances for at 5-on-5 also isn’t close to the league average, but it’s also not so far behind that it’s been detrimental, especially since the Rangers are a team that can make the most of their scoring chances.
Should we see more of that? Absolutely. But, as this article’s been saying: The Rangers aren't severely lacking in any one category, even if a few of them could be better. But that’s the case with even the best teams.
Overall, the Blueshirts are a prime example of a team residing near the bottom of their conference’s and division’s standings, but aren’t severely lacking in any one category as opposed to the occasional outlier. Still, it won’t get them into the playoffs. Only taking two points regularly on game day will do that, and that’s the stat they need to get better in.