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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 22: Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers (r) celebrates his second goal of the game at 5:47 of the third period on the powerplay against Dustin Tokarski #31 of the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden on March 22, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

It’s amazing how quickly the shift, as Ranger fans, from “patience, this is a rebuild” to “what do they need to make a run?” came. With the Rangers setting the expectation to make the playoffs before the season started, the conversation was going to shift in that direction. But once they banked so many points early on, the conversation became very one sided, very quickly. Perhaps a step back should be taken, and the bigger picture should be appreciated, as the Rangers have far exceeded expectations.

If I told you in September that at the new year, the Rangers would be in the top five teams in the standings in the entire NHL, you would have thrown bricks at me. Straight up Kevin McAllister in Home Alone 2. At best, they were a borderline playoff team, getting in during the last week or during the last game. That’s where most of us had them pegged. Now thanks to the heroics of Igor Shesterkin in October, the Rangers banked enough points to play .500 hockey and still make the playoffs.

It hasn’t been smooth. The second line has been downright bad at even strength, and at some point the finger needs to be pointed at Ryan Strome and Artemiy Panarin to simply play better. The third line, once it lost Sammy Blais, hasn’t been able to score despite driving play. The fourth line has seen way too much Greg McKegg. The third pair has see way too much Libor Hajek and Jarred Tinordi. Yet despite all this, the Rangers are in the running for a division title, even if that seems unlikely.

One of the bigger takeaways from this season so far is that the Rangers don’t quit. Last year, if they get down late in the third, like they did against the Flyers the other night, they fold and give up a few more. This year, they answered right back with two of their own. Countless games are like this too. They are fun to watch, and never out of it. There’s a different aura around the Rangers this year, and it gives reason to believe that with the right moves, and some luck, they can make some noise.

The Rangers are likely three pieces from being a legitimate Cup contender this year, and that’s fine. We can enjoy the ride, and hope that someone stops Drury from doing something stupid at the deadline. Real big emphasis on that last one.

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