The New York Rangers are back in the playoff hunt, sitting just two points behind the New York Islanders for the final wild card spot. They’ve already overtaken the Carolina Hurricanes –although the Canes do have two games in hand– and trail the WC1 Columbus Blue Jackets by three points with one game in hand. It’s all wide open. As per usual, I have some thoughts.
1. First things first, I hope you all enjoyed yesterday’s post about Mika Zibanejad. Clearly I was being tongue-in-cheek, poking fun at several people who said he’d never be a 1C. It also proved to me that very few people actually read the full posts before commenting. I read an article that 85% of readers do a quick skim after reading the title. Guess that wasn’t too far off.
2. Back to the playoff hunt, Zibanejad single-handedly put the Rangers back in the hunt with his five goal performance the other night. I know the phrase “must win” is thrown around way too much, but that win over Washington was a must win, and it was Zibanejad who put the team on his back. Tonight’s game against New Jersey is one of the only games they have left against a non-playoff team. Suffice it to say, wins are needed.
3. This February run by the Rangers coincided very nicely with slides by the Canes, Isles, Florida Panthers, and Blue Jackets. All four have been sub-.500 lately, which also plays a significant role in why the Rangers are relevant in this hunt. It’s funny because all four teams bought at the deadline, meanwhile the Rangers “sold” Brady Skjei to one of the teams they passed in the standings. Funny how hockey happens sometimes.
4. Igor Shesterkin is probably back tonight, just two weeks following a car accident where he fractured a rib. That’s one quick turnaround, and hopefully means the injury wasn’t too serious to begin with. The only hope is that the Rangers aren’t rushing him. The caveat with yesterday’s announcement is that the team needs to clear him, which seems obvious. The Rangers aren’t going to put their prized prospect in a precarious spot for the hope of a playoff berth.
5. For the life of me, I can’t understand what Brett Howden is doing to stay in the top-nine. Without beating a dead horse, he’s just dragging everyone down. That’s not to say Kaapo Kakko, who has seen his ice time drop significantly lately, is outperforming him, it’s just an odd situation. He, like Libor Hajek, is struggling mightily and needs a little more seasoning.
6. At some point this season, I’d like to see Julien Gauthier, moved to the third line, play with Filip Chytil and Kakko on the line. That’s my own personal preference. Yes that has a little to do with Howden, but I think the Howden in the top-nine experiment has run its course. Can’t hurt to try something new.
7. Big game tonight against the Devils. Need those two points.
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