The New York Rangers should be nothing but proud of their place in the Metro Division standings this season.
After a hot start, it seemed like the wheels were going to fall off following the loss of Igor Shesterkin for the season.
And yes, there has been a bit of a goaltending crisis for the organization since then. But the team has been nothing short of resilient. They’ve strung together solid efforts in front of whoever has been in the crease. And that attitude has helped them turn things around.
The Blueshirts are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, but they are riding a three-game winning streak. And instead of just giving up on this season, the Rangers have pushed through. After all, it’s not like New York had any other choice.
It was either sink of swim.
The Rangers chose the latter, and it’s been a remarkable turnaround thus far.
Joonas Korpisalo gave Rangers major boost in debut
The pressure stemming from Shesterkin’s devastating loss got much easier for the Rangers with the strong debut by Joonas Korpisalo on Saturday night against the Seattle Kraken.
Korpisalo made 25 saves in the 4-3 victory, helping his team fend off a fierce attack from Seattle. The Rangers opened up a 4-0 lead. And while the Kraken notched three unanswered third-period goals, the Blueshirts hung up.
That’s just the thing. The situation got a point where the Rangers could have crumbled. But they didn’t. And that’s what makes Saturday night’s game one of the most encouraging signs for the team moving forward.
Defensive numbers tell a major part of the story
When doing a cursory look at the defensive numbers for the Rangers this season, they tell a major part of the story.
The Blueshirts are seventh in the league in GAA at 2.89. That’s ahead of other Stanley Cup contenders like the Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers. Meanwhile, the Rangers are tied for fifth in the league with a .903 SV%.
As good as the overall defense has been, there’s one number that underlines just how well the Rangers' goalies have done their part. Before going down with injury, Shesterkin had a perfect 1.000 SV% on high-danger shots. Since taking over, Garand has an .857 SV% on high-danger chances. That’s good for eighth in the NHL.
It’s worth noting that most of the names ahead of Garand are mostly backup goalies, making Garand’s number stand out even more.
At the end of the day, the Rangers should be proud of what they’ve accomplished so far this season. There doesn’t seem to be any indication at this point that the club is trending in the wrong direction. So, this season may be a major turning point for the organization’s short-lived retool.
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