33-14-9
The New York Rangers almost swept another week of games. The 7th win in a row came against the Oilers in an amazing 3-0 and then 4-1 comeback rally to win the game in a 6 round shootout. Tremendous determination and teamwork were on display. They almost did it again last night against Calgary. The Rangers started off being embarrassed in the first minute of the game going down 2-0. They slowly pulled it together, forcing the game into overtime but a penalty gave Calgary the edge they needed to win the game. Still, they stole a point and are 8-0-2 in the last 10 games. They haven’t lost in regulation in almost 3 weeks.
We are still seeing slow starts and far too many turnovers. Those put you on the defensive way more than you want to be. The powerplay has improved this week (moved up to 10th in the league!) and the penalty kill is still good but could be better. Tarasenko scored his second goal last night, Mikkola is playing well, Trocheck is playing better, and Kakko and Lafreniere are continuing to put up points. Kakko and Laffy more or less won the Oilers game (amazing 3rd goal in regulation with Kakko doing some hard on the boards to dish it off to Laffy to bury the puck in the net AND they both scored in the shootout AND Laffy tied last night’s game). Chytil’s point streak has stopped but it’s not for lack of effort.
In the big news today, Julien Gauthier and a 2023 7th round draft pick were traded to Ottawa for Tyler Motte. We are now seeing efforts into improving the 4th line which currently is barely being used. Motte was part of the big trades last season that made a huge difference. The team didn’t keep him, which is a surprise, but now he’s back and it’s expected he’ll fit in well again. He should be fantastic on the PK. I liked Gauthier but he didn’t make enough of an impact on the team to raise his station. Given the right team and system, I think he can develop and thrive.
The Metro division is a bit of a warzone right now and that’s making the Eastern playoff battle interesting. The Rangers are just 2 points behind the Devils for 2nd place. Buffalo and Detroit are pushing to steal the wildcard spot and the Islanders, Penguins, and Capitals are leaving the door open for them. This week is another important one and the first challenge is Winnipeg at MSG tomorrow night. We’re very close to the final quarter of the season so playoff madness is beginning and the trade deadline is just 2 weeks away. Another Rangers trade is expected to bolster the bottom six further.