52-24-6

Three weeks ago the Rangers clinched a playoff spot.

Last night, by beating Washington 3-2, the Rangers officially ended the season with 110 points and landed the Penguins as the first-round opponent. The Rangers finished second in the Metropolitan division, Carolina in first, Pittsburgh 3rd, Washington 4th.

In the regular season, the Rangers won the series 3-1. The momentum, series-wise and season wise are I think on the Rangers’ side. But that doesn’t mean the Penguins are a gimme. Tons of playoff experience (this will be the first round for many NY players) and the Crosby, Malkin, Letang wave will be in full effect. They have a lot to prove in these playoffs. They got bounced in the first round in the last three seasons. They had a rockier season than expected. And this could be their last go together, many think the team could be restructured over the coming off-season.

I’m obviously leaning toward a Rangers win here. I think they could do it in 5 games if the trend of the regular season continues. The Penguins have to address more issues than the Rangers do. But the Rangers have to play with as few mistakes as possible to keep the Penguins off their game. I wouldn’t be surprised if this went 7 games out of the sheer passion for the rivalry. These teams have played against each other in the playoffs 7 times with Pittsburgh winning 5 of them. Are these Rangers the true superior team? That’s what we will find out next week.

These playoffs are stacked. Odds are the teams that truly don’t belong will get bounced in the first round (I could see LA being the dark horse but St. Louis is probably the sleeper) and round two will be all killers that could have every series go the distance. The front runners are Florida and Carolina. I see Calgary going very far. Tampa Bay is going for Cup number 3 and while they didn’t dominate like this season, it’s hard to believe they won’t go far (which has happened a few times).

There are so many variables at play in every series that it’s hard to make accurate decisions, but from start to finish this should be the best playoffs in years.

47-20-6

The goal for this season has been achieved: make the playoffs. Not only did the Rangers make it, but they also accomplished clinching a playoff spot with 9 games remaining in the season. They didn’t have to rely on another team losing to squeak into a wildcard spot. They’ll likely finish in second place in the Metro Division, with a real possibility of coming first. No one thought this would happen.

The trades at the deadline have paid off. It’s actually nuts how well the team has gelled. Copp, Vatrano, Braun, Motte (who just got injured) have fit in well and made a big difference. Copp and Vatrano especially. Drury basically figured out how to win the lotto with pocket change. I don’t know if there has been a better trade deadline for the Rangers in the last decade. Usually, it’s paying a fortune for a rental that doesn’t work out.

There’s been panic about this team if they lose more than 2 games in a row. The impending doom that’s never actually happened. Used to bad skids, it’s not shocking to read this from the fan base. Sure they’ve lost to bad teams they shouldn’t have, but the bounce back has been quick. Maybe two 3 game losses in a row? Losing to the Islanders and Flyers was horrible but the way the team has been playing is nothing short of strong.

Igor was unbalanced for a few games, letting in way more goals than he normally does. But he’s back to form now. Georgiev has won 5 in a row and while they weren’t all pretty, he’s back in the black. There’s a level of confidence from every player on the ice that hasn’t been around since…2014? It’s tangible, you can feel it while you watch. Steamrolling Pittsburg is an absolute treat! When they’re down they don’t give up. They lead the league in comeback games. Kreider is 2 goals away from hitting 50 goals! Panarin is heating up, Mika is always a presence on every shift. Rooney and Kakko are back and with 9 games before the playoffs, they should have enough time to get back into the swing. Kakko hasn’t played in around 3 months so it is a concern about how fast he can get back up to speed.

But all the pieces are there to go on a long playoff run. If the first round is versus Pittsburg, I think the Rangers have a big advantage. The playoffs will be stacked this year so nothing is a given. The overall health and skill level of the Rangers make them dangerous. No team can underestimate them and that’s a major achievement.