Back to Work

Tonight marks the end of the ridiculous mandated week off negotiated by the NHL Players Association.  While I understand the benefit for the players, what doesn't make sense is that all three metropolitan area teams as well as the Penguins and Flyers all disappeared from sight for a week.  Hockey fans in two states went into a complete hockey void for five days...when it makes more sense for at least one of the teams in the region to keep playing and get the attention.  Oh well, if it gave Kevin Hayes time to recuperate from his "lower body injury" then it was a great time for a break.  Here's where the team sits as they get ready to play again:

Metropolitan Division	GP	Record	Points	ROW
Washington	44	27-14-3	57	24
Columbus	45	25-17-3	53	20
New Jersey	41	22-11-8	52	19
Rangers	42	22-15-5	49	19
Carolina	43	20-15-8	48	17
Pittsburgh	44	22-19-3	47	20
Philadelphia	42	19-15-8	46	19
Islanders	43	21-18-4	46	18

The fourth best team in the Atlantic Division are the Florida Panthers with 42 points in  42 games. That's five big points out of a wild card slot so it looks like both wild card teams will come from the Metropolitan. Division.

The Blueshirts are one game past the halfway mark and are still in  the playoff picture, but definitely on the downswing.  The team has not won a game in regulation since beating Anaheim 4-1 on December 19.  That was also the last time that the team score more than three goals in a game. In the last eight games, they have scored one goal twice, two goals four times and three goals twice.  That they have salvaged points in five of those games is completely due to outstanding goaltending from Lundqvist and Pavelec.  They've also maintained an excellent penalty kill.

The slumps are pretty awful.  Nash is scoreless in ten games.  Buchnevich has three points in his last ten games.  Zibanejad has shown signs with two goals but still has only two points in the last nine games since his return from a concussion.   The power play really misses Chris Kreider.   They continue to get little or no scoring from the defense.  Get this.  The last time a defenseman not named Nick Holden scored a goal was November 6 when Kevin Shattenkirk scored.  That's two goals (by Holden) in 22 games.  Brady Skjei and Marc Staal last scored in October. Ryan McDonagh and Brendan Smith are both scoreless.  That's just awful.

Probably the most discouraging sign is the fact that they squeaked out victories over Buffalo and Arizona, needing to win in extra time against the two worst teams in the NHL.  A saving grace is that they held their own against Vegas, Washington and the Devils...three of the top teams in the league.  The Rangers are a conundrum...or Forrest Gump's box of chocolates.

Overtime 

The number of games going to overtime is ridiculous...and this season, teams in the the Metropolitan Division have gone to overtime more than any other division, 28% of the time.  The Rangers have gone to overtime 31% of the time. The Devils lead the pack with over one third (34%) of their games going to OT.  However, they've only won six out of 14 games in OT.  A big reason that the Capitals are sitting in first place is their stellar OT record of 9-3.   And one reason that the Blueshirts have hung onto a playoff spot is their record of 8-5. The Flyers are only 2-8 in OT, a huge reason that they are on the outside looking in.   In fact, if you jump into a time machine and go back to the NHL of no overtime and ties, here is what the standings would look like:

Metropolitan Division	GP	Record	Points
Washington	44	18-14-12	48
New Jersey	41	16-11-14	46
Philadelphia	42	17-15-10	44
Carolina	43	15-15-13	43
Columbus	45	15-17-13	43
Rangers	42	14-15-13	41
Islanders	43	14-18-11	39
Pittsburgh	44	13-19-12	38

Clearly, overtime proficiency has played big role in the success of the teams in a playoff spot while lack of success has killed the Flyers and Hurricanes.  It will be something to watch over the second half of the season.  Let's just put it this way, if the Rangers and Flyers reversed their overtime records, the Rangers would be sitting in last place with 46 points and the Flyers would be tied with the Devils in third place.  Scary.

The Other Guys

The Atlantic Division looks like it is locked in with Tampa in first place and with Boston and Toronto slugging it out for second.  Victor Hedman left last night's game with a lower body injury and his loss could have a big impact on the Lightning the rest of the season.  Boston looks really solid and Toronto has been on a seesaw stretch.

In the Central Division, there will be a fight  to the finish with only 12 points separating the first and last place teams.  While Nashville, Winnipeg and St. Louis looks like the class of the division, you cannot count out Dallas, Minnesota or the Blackhawks.  Even the Avalanche are showing signs. In case you missed it, Chicago made a deal with Arizona, acquiring former Rangers Anthony Duclair and Adam Clendening.  Duclair had asked for a trade as his star has lost some of its shine in the last season and a half.  As for Clendening, the stats fans will be beside themselves that their Bobby Orr has found a home in the Windy City.  Actually, his home will be the Rockford Ice Hogs as he had only appeared in five games this season for the worst team in the NHL.

In the West, the most suprising team in spots, the Vegas Golden Knights, seem to be a lock for first place, with the Kings firmly in second.  That leaves Calgary, Anaheim and San Jose fighting for third place.  Fourth place may not be good enough for the wild card considering the quality of the teams in the Central.

What Does It All Mean?

We've been down this road before.  The Rangers will play well, winning games they shouldn't and losing games they should win.  The season will go down to the last game.  Keep this in mind if they haven't clinched a playoff spot by game 78.  They finish the season with four road games in Carolina, New Jersey, Brooklyn and Philadelphia.  

If they make the playoffs it will probably be as the second wild card team.  That will give them the pleasure of playing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs.  That would a Tampa Bay team that leads every team in the NHL with 65 points.  The Rangers only hope will be to dump the puck in Dan Girardi's direction and hope he gives it away.  

The next key date is Monday, February 26...the trade deadline.  That's 21 games away, 21 games to determine if they should go wholesale rebuild and deal UFA's Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, Nick Holden, David Desharnais and Paul Carey.  And if they are in the playoff picture, do they make a deadline move ala Brendan Smith or Eric Staal?  Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo will all be sellers.  If the Rangers sell, it will be an opportunity for Filip Chytil, Vinni Lettieri and Neal Pionk show their stuff. 

We've talked a lot about the fact that the Rangers are always competitive, but not good enough to win it all.   Every Ranger fans worst nightmare is the Penguins missing the playoffs and getting the first overall pick in the draft lottery and selecting Rasmus Dahlin, one of the most heralded young defenseman to come along in years. 

Let's see how they play against the Islanders...a team that is in a tailspin.  If the Rangers don't come out of the box with a strong effort, it could be a long three months.