Last night's win puts the New York Rangers back in a playoff spot, and as the three-stooges race continues, the Rangers have postseason aspirations. A 6-1 demolition of the San Jose Sharks put the Rangers back into the second wild-card spot, and they hold position over the Montreal Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Islanders. It'll be a close-fought finish in the Eastern Conference, but the Rangers are in the position right now, which counts for something.
As the Rangers return from California, they'll face another strong team in the Wild, and it presents another game the Rangers might be required to win if they want to reach the postseason. New York's grip hangs only by a single thread, and the Rangers still need help elsewhere to get in, but right now, holding the position looks like the best way to get in. Possession is critical, and the Rangers need to hold on.
Currently, the only two teams in the bottom nine in the Eastern Conference above .500 in their last 10 games are the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres, neither of whom is an immediate threat for the final wild-card spot, so the Rangers should be trying to get better. Still, they are not required to get over that line yet. They're holding on tight still, hoping to overcome that awful November and December they endured.
In the mean time, they will need help from other teams, but they're in a good position right now. When the regular season ends, they need to be the team in that second wild card, and they'll get themselves a little extra playoff revenue. It also means that the Vancouver Canucks won't get a top-10 pick, which is a nice trade-off, considering the price they paid to get J.T. Miller.