Expect a rough start for the Rangers through the first 15-20 games

Results in the preseason don’t really matter, and we don’t necessarily focus on it. What we do focus on is process, and how the Rangers look overall, which unfortunately seems to match their results thus far. They’ve looked good in spurts, but it’s going to be a rough start for the Rangers as they adjust to a new system. Unfortunately, that adjustment and learning curve will take some time.

Generally speaking, we like to use Thanksgiving as our “turning point” date. It’s usually 15-20 games into the season, and it’s when we get a good idea of what the Rangers will be. Last season, we thought they were trending up until Gerard Gallant shot himself in the foot by changing up lines that worked, but were having some bad luck. This year will have a similar barometer, but the evaluation will be different.

For those who were around 10 years ago, the Rangers were in a similar position when Alain Vigneault was first hired. The Blueshirts were going from a very conservative defensive approach (low zone collapse, minimal puck movement) with John Tortorella to a higher octane offense powered by riskier defensive zone play with Vigneault. It took until about Thanksgiving for the Rangers to get rolling.

That season was a rough start for the Rangers, going 3-7 to start the season, including back to back 9-2 and 6-0 losses out west. The 93-94 Rangers started 4-5. A rough start for the Rangers isn’t exactly uncharted waters.

A rough start for the Rangers is fine

It’s not how you start a season, it’s how you finish a season. We saw that in both 93-94 and 13-14. The Blueshirts didn’t exactly bank points, but they were getting enough points to stay in the conversation before making long, sustained runs with good process and results. We know how those seasons went.

The end result is still up in the air, but what we do know is it will be a rough start for the Rangers. The good news is that they have enough talent, specifically their powerplay and Adam Fox, to outscore most of their learning curve. They also have Igor Shesterkin in net. That was enough for a surprise run in 2021-2022 when the Blueshirts simply leaned on Igor and then outscored their depth issues.

The other good news is that a rough start for the Rangers likely won’t impact their playoff chances. In fact, The Athletic had them as a top-3 team with an expected 105 points on the season. It would take an unmitigated disaster for the Rangers to miss the playoffs, and there’s a strong case that this team is better than last year’s.

You only learn through mistakes. A rough start for the Rangers will have a bunch of mistakes. Thus, more opportunity to learn. Learning is good. Learning leads to improvement.

The only bad part about a rough start for the Rangers is how it will impact the discourse on social media and in comment sections. Let’s not miss the forest for the trees. It’s going to be a bumpy right for sure, but the end goal is within reach. Even with a sub-.500 start, the Rangers are well positioned to make a deep run this season.