The regular season is returning tonight, and the Rangers next 2 games are possibly the most important of the season. As discussed on Live From the Blue Seats, the Rangers playoff hopes likely depend on how they do in these two games. Buffalo and Pittsburgh are not good teams, and while the Rangers are better, they haven’t shown it. The Rangers next 2 games aren’t just about winning, it’s about sending a message to the front office.
On the surface, the Rangers next 2 games are all about points and winning. The Rangers are 3 points out of the final wild card spot, but also with 3 teams to jump ahead of. None of Boston, Columbus, or Detroit are better than the Rangers, but that hasn’t stopped the Rangers from either losing or barely winning. In theory, Boston is easily catchable because the Rangers are only two points back with two games in hand, but again, it’s about the on-ice play.
If the Rangers lost just one of these weekend games, even if one is in overtime, then the Rangers clearly are not true playoff contenders, let alone Stanley Cup contenders. The Rangers need to start proving to themselves that they not only belong in the conversation, but that their early season struggles and locker room issues are long gone.
We simply have not seen enough from them–including their January run that started strong but ended poorly–throughout the season that they are mature enough to flip the proverbial switch and start performing the way we all expected them to. Winning these two games, at the very least, shows to themselves that they can actually put together a run.
The Rangers next 2 games are more than just wins
The thing is, even if the Rangers next 2 games result in four points and, perhaps, jumping over Boston, that is not enough. The Rangers next 2 games need to be statement games. Final scores aside, since there is a lot of random chance and goaltending involved in hockey, the Blueshirts need to absolutely dominate two bad teams. Simply scraping by on goaltending and the powerplay isn’t enough. The Rangers need to take their game and shove it down Buffalo’s and Pittsburgh’s throats.
Taking a step back, how comfortable do you feel the front office would be if the Rangers not only get four points, but are dominant from puck drop to final whistle? It may not result in full confidence, but it may give Chris Drury some pause about his trade deadline plans.
Now to play Devil’s Advocate, what if the Rangers win both games, but allow 35-40 shots on goal with at least 10 high danger chances against? They will have won, which is great, but does that kind of play really spark confidence in a group that simply hasn’t earned it this season?
Probably not, right?
This hole is of their own making
It may not be fair to say that the Rangers next 2 games need to be dominating wins, but this is the hole the Rangers have dug themselves with the way they carried themselves this season.
It is inexcusable that Barclay Goodrow was the only player who held the locker room together. It is inexcusable that Jacob Trouba’s drama carried on well after his trade. And quite frankly, it’s pathetic that the so-called leaders in the room allowed both of these issues to permeate their on-ice play.
In all fairness, a pair of dominating wins may not even be enough. The Rangers no longer control their own destiny. This is their own doing. If they want this group to even have a remote chance of staying together, then they need to get their acts in order. And they need to do it this weekend.
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