Breaking News
Kevin Shattenkirk has a tear in his meniscus (knee cartilage) which he has been playing with all season. He is out indefinitely and undergoing surgery. It's arthroscopic surgery and recovery can be as long as 6-8 weeks. The Rangers recalled Tony DeAngelo from Hartford. DeAngelo has reportedly been improving lately, with two goals and 11 assists and a -12 rating. The injuries keep mounting.
Looking Ahead
Two wins in a row. Have the Rangers righted the ship? Will we stop hearing the calls to abandon ship and become sellers at the deadline? It's amazing what a Rick Nash hot streak will do. This western road trip is a crucial segment of a season filled with must win games. The Rangers will be challenged especially with Shattenkirk, Staal and Kreider out and Hayes a question mark. Here is what's ahead.
Saturday afternoon the team faces the Colorado Avalanche, the hottest team in the NHL and winners of eight straight games. The Blueshirts lost to the Avs in their home opener, 4-2. The loss was unexpected with Colorado the worst team in the league last season. They were truly awful with a league low 48 points. Now they're battling for a playoff spot, only three points out of the wild card. Will the law of averages come out in favor of the Blueshirts? With back to back games coming up, no word as to who will be in goal.
From Colorado, the Rangers play the Sunday night in Los Angeles. This will be the fifth set of back to back games this season. So far, they are 2-2. The Kings play in Anaheim on Friday having lost five in a row and only three games in their last ten. Los Angeles was once the class of the Pacific Division, but woke up this morning out of a playoff spot. It's a good time to be playing them. Also, they've lost five in a row at the Staples Center so home ice hasn't been helping.
Tuesday night, they are in Anaheim. The Ducks are in a situation much like the Rangers with 51 points, are out of the playoffs and every game is a must win. Anaheim has been playing well, winning six out of their last ten. They are coming off two tough games against Pacific Division rivals (L.A. and San Jose) so they could be ripe to be taken.
The Rangers' last game before the All-Star break will be in San Jose. The Sharks are currently in the playoffs, but by the time they play the Rangers on Thursday, they also could be on the outside. They will be coming off tough games against the Penguins, Ducks and Jets so they have a tough schedule (just like every team in the NHL). They've gone 5-3-2 in their last ten so they are barely above .500. However, they are a powerhouse at home. They haven't lost in regulation over their last nine home games.
We've noted previously how well the Rangers do against the Pacific Division, but their record on the road versus the three California teams has been average. The last two seasons they notched three out of six points. In 2014-15 they had their most successful results as they swept the three games. In 2013-14 they lost two of three. This season, they need to get four points at the very least.
Unwarranted Hysteria?
The 7-2 loss was the first time that the Rangers had been beaten by more than three goals in a game. They also lost three games in a row for the second time this season. That compares pretty well to the rest of the division.
Washington Capitals - Their longest losing streak has been a single three-game streak. They have lost 8-2 to Philadelphia and had two 6-2 losses, to Colorado and Vancouver.
New Jersey Devils - They've had losing streaks of four and six games. They've only lost by more than three goals once this season, a 5-0 spanking at the hands of the Coyotes.
Columbus Blue Jackets - They've had losing streaks of three and four games. They lost 5-1 to Chicago, 5-0 to Tampa and twice by 7-2 scores against Boston and Edmonton.
Pittsburgh Penguins - They've lost three games in a row twice this season. They were crushed 10-1 by the Blackhawks, 7-1 both by Tampa and Winnipeg and were shutout twice 4-0 by Carolina and Anaheim. Yikes.
New York Islanders - They've had losing streaks of three and five games. Big losses included 5-0 to Dallas and Columbus, 4-0 to Pittsburgh, 6-1 to Colorado, 6-2 to Tampa and 5-1 to Boston. That's a lot of blowouts.
Philadelphia Flyers - They lead all teams with a ten game losing streak to go with another three game losing streak. They've lost 6-2 to Anaheim and 5-1 to both the Rangers and Penguins.
Carolina Hurricanes - They've lost four games in a row twice. They've been beaten badly a number of times. 8-1 to Toronto, 7-1 to Boston, 6-1 to the Rangers and 5-1 to the Rangers and Tampa.
The two best teams in the league are Tampa and Vegas. Tampa hasn't lost more than two games in a row so far this season, but did lose to Calgary 5-1. Vegas has had two three game losing streaks and got blown out by Edmonton 8-2.
Hmmm. These results really confirm the "any given team" concept embraced by professional sports. As good as these teams have been, they have all been beaten soundly a number of times and they've had their bad spells. Again, the two three game Ranger losing streaks are the fewest of any team in the Division except the Capitals. Their one loss by more than three goals is the fewest in the Division.
The good news is that the Rangers are remarkably competitive. Stellar goaltending and timely scoring has kept the Blueshirts in the playoff picture and there is no reason to believe that they won't continue to be there. The bad news is with the recent spate of injuries, it is essential for everyone to be on the top of their game. If not, they are mediocre.
The website, "The Athletic" (paywall) updates the playoff odds for every team in the NHL on a daily basis. As of today,they project that the Rangers will finish with 91 points and have a 45% shot of making the playoffs. They project a 2% chance of winning the division, a 3% chance of making the Finals and a 1% chance of winning the Stanley Cup.
We shall see.
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