By Christopher Decker (@HockeyGuy_Chris)
(Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images)
Less than a week ago, NHL skeptics, along with fans, felt that the Rangers’ winning record was purely a result of a supposedly “easy” schedule to start the season. First of all, that’s obviously not accurate, considering they opened their season on one of the longest, most daunting road trips in their history, starting overseas in Europe and traveling to Western Canada against the likes of Western Conference foes including the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks, gaining a victory against the latter.
Second of all, the Rangers later went on a tear, winning seven games in a row against some formidable opponents including a Western Conference powerhouse in the San Jose Sharks; an always dangerous Montreal Canadiens team; a speedy, revived Ottawa Senators team; and an always difficult New York Islanders team. And maybe to some, the Islanders aren’t considered a formidable opponent, but anyone who follows the Rangers knows that the games between these two teams are always up for grabs because of the intense rivalry that exists. Not to mention, winning seven games in a row in any league is not an easy task, regardless of the teams you play.
Disregarding all the nonsense about an easy schedule, during which the Rangers amassed a 10-4-3 record, they began a four-game stretch against what some referred to as more “difficult” opponents.
The first team the Rangers faced was the revamped Florida Panthers, who started out the season relatively slow but have since established some solid chemistry with their off-season acquisitions. After a loss to Montreal in the previous game, the Rangers came out flat against the Panthers and never recovered. This could very well have been a case of the Rangers taking the Panthers lightly simply because they’re the Panthers – a team that has historically been mediocre at best. After this victory against the Rangers, however, the Panthers were one point away from sitting atop the Eastern Conference. It’s safe to say that this game was a dud for the Rangers.
But if the Panthers game was night, then the upcoming games against the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins were day.
There is no denying that the Capitals have been one of the NHL’s most consistently dominant teams during the regular season in recent memory. And while they have struggled as of late, they still possess one of the greatest players in the world in Alexander Ovechkin. Complement him with the likes of Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom and there’s always a chance for a huge offensive output. The Rangers came out strong, generating a solid forecheck and converting on a power play that has been practically non-existent so far this season. With strong performances by Ryan McDonagh, Ryan Callahan, and Brian Boyle, who finally broke out of his goal-scoring slump, the Rangers cruised to a 6-3 victory.
With very little time to rest, the Rangers were back at it again the very next day to host their arch-rival and Winter Classic opponent, the Flyers. The Flyers are no strangers to being on top. Ever since 2010, when they got a taste of what it’s like to be in the Stanley Cup Finals, they’ve been hungry to get back to the Big Dance to finally end their 35-year Stanley Cup drought. The Flyers have easily been one of the elite NHL teams in the last couple of years and are expected to go deep in the playoffs. This year has been no different for them so far.
The Rangers gave up an early breakaway to Scott Hartnell and then laid the clamp down on Philadelphia. The Flyers were unable to penetrate the Rangers’ defense and when they were able to get any quality shots off, they couldn’t find their way past Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Add in another solid performance from Brad Richards and Rangers rookie Carl Hagelin, who notched his first career NHL goal, and the Rangers emerged victorious with a 2-0 shutout.
The Rangers were now 2-0 against “good” teams. And these weren’t nail biters, either. These were two convincing victories.
Finally, the Eastern Conference-leading Penguins stormed into Madison Square Garden. The Penguins have probably been the most consistent team for the past five years. Amazingly, they’ve been an elite team for the past year without their all-star Sidney Crosby. When this season started without Crosby due to two concussions he suffered last year, many in Penguins Land held their chins up high, knowing that their team could perform very well without him. They knew that when he returned, they’d be even better. So Sid the Kid returned with a vengeance. Before entering Tuesday’s match-up with the Rangers, Crosby racked up nine points in just four games – impressive.
The game started out with a bang. Less than three minutes in, Rangers agitator Sean Avery and Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy dropped the gloves. The tone was set. After the Rangers took three penalties, though, being a man down finally caught up with them. The Penguins struck first on the power play with just three minutes to go in a very spirited first period. The Rangers were not dejected, however.
After coming out slow to start the second period, the Rangers exploded for four goals against Marc Andre-Fleury, who hadn’t let in more than three goals yet this season. Brad Richards, once again, displayed why he was brought to New York, finishing the game with one goal and two assists. Another strong effort from Hagelin, which pretty much assured him a spot on the club, and a sign of life from the Rangers atrocious power play ultimately led the Rangers to a 4-3 victory over the Penguins, and a three-game winning streak against upper echelon NHL teams.
While there’s still plenty of work to do for the Rangers, including learning how to play a full 60-minute hockey game, connecting on the power play, and avoiding long stretches of time scrambling in their own zone, it is clear that they can play with the elite teams.
They now sit just three points away from the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Penguins at the quarter mark of the season – and they still have four games in hand.
Now the question is: When will the Rangers be considered an elite team?
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