Metropolitan – 1st Place – 114 points – President’s Trophy Winner
First Round Matchup – Washington Capitals
How they got here:
On May 6th, 2023, coming off back-to-back 2-0 blown leads in the playoffs, one in the Eastern Conference Finals and the second in the First Round against the New Jersey Devils, Gerard Gallant and The Rangers decided to part ways. One month and one week later, Peter Laviolette was hired as the new coach. From then on, the Rangers came out firing and haven’t looked back since. In my preseason breakdown, I wrote, “If there is any coach that could get the Rangers over the hump, it’s Peter Laviolette. The problem is, he’s a year too late. Even if the Rangers found that leadership they’re missing, it won’t be enough to beat either team if they’re healthy in back-to-back series. They will be an excellent team this season, and their playoff matchups will be good, but they will fall short.” The Rangers won 18 of their first 23 games and hit winning streaks of five, six, and ten, propelling them to the top of the Metro Division and staying there since. The Rangers lost three games in a row once this season (four games total). The season ended with a shutout win against the Ottawa Senators to clinch the President’s Trophy and the top seed in the East.
Roster Breakdown:
Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad continue to produce on the top line but have been the start of the Rangers’ problems in the playoffs over the past two seasons. The Rangers’ offense lived and breathed through these two over the past two playoffs, and if they went cold, that was it for them offensively. The load should be taken off Mika and Kreider with the emergence of the Rangers’ second line.
Artemi Panarin had a career year, scoring 49 goals and posting 120 points. Not only did Panarin have a career year in goals and points, but his linemates also did. Vincent Trochek had a career year in points and assists, and Alexis Lafrenière took the most notable step forward, nearing thirty goals for the first time in his young career. Lafrenière was the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, a very weak draft class, and had underwhelmed in his first three seasons. Although he put up 19 goals in his sophomore year, Lafrenière had two goals in twenty playoff games two seasons ago and went pointless in their only series last season against the Devils.
The Rangers’ fourth line will be watched closely, with Matt Rempe being the talk of the town. Rempe immediately impacted the team by dropping the gloves with Matt Martin on his first career shift in their Stadium Series matchup. Rempe hasn’t been without controversy, however, receiving match penalties and being the reason for a line brawl with the New Jersey Devils. Rempe has proven to be a liability for the Rangers at times, so his usage in the playoffs should be watched.
The Rangers defense is led by Jacob Trouba, who knows how to raise controversy himself with his physical presence. Trouba is not afraid to go after the opposition’s top players or drop the gloves in what can be argued as dirty hits. Adam Fox is the best defenseman the Rangers have and is a Norris Trophy winner. The Rangers’ defense is deep, and paired with Igor Shesterkin, they finished fourth in goals against per game. I want to add that K’Andre Miller is scum, and I hope someone kicks his ass.
Jonathan Quick was a terrific compliment to Igor Shesterkin in the playoffs and has the experience in the playoffs to back up Shesterkin; god forbid Igor goes down for the Rangers. Quick may have had a revitalized season in net but will not be able to carry the Rangers if Igor goes down. Igor Shesterkin is an elite goaltender and may be the best goaltender in the Eastern Confernce.
Concerns:
The Rangers have relied heavily on their power play, scoring X goals over their past 21 games, which accounts for X% of their total goals. The playoffs will be a different world for the Rangers, especially going through the Metro Division. The Rangers will have to beat a combination of Carolina, Tampa Bay, New York, and X. While the Islanders have the worst penalty kill in the league, they take the fewest penalties per game. Carolina is the top PK in the league, with Tampa Bay coming in fifth. If the Rangers’ power play goes cold or they lack opportunities, they will struggle.
Leadership has been the problem for the Rangers over these past two seasons. No one has stepped up to take the reins when things go wrong. After scoring ten goals in the first two games against the Devils last year, a goalie change was made. The Rangers have shown they cannot escape it if they struggle offensively and begin suffocating. Two seasons ago, after scoring nine goals in the first two games, they scored a combined five goals over the next four games- all losses. The same happened against the Devils, scoring two total goals in four of the final five games.
Igor Shesterkin has choked in the playoffs, and I don’t buy into his being an elite contender yet. A first-round matchup with Washington should boost his confidence for the coming rounds, but the Rangers will be in for some long games if teams can get to him early on. If the scoring goes cold, Igor has not mentally taken that next step to put the Rangers on his back.
Path to the Cup:
The Rangers should have the easiest first-round matchup against the Capitals. Charlie Lindgren has played well against them in the regular season, but the playoffs are a new animal. The Rangers offense should get the job done in the first round and see Toronto in the second.
The offense will be pivotal in matchups against Florida and Toronto. The Rangers will need to keep pace offensively and outscore them. To get past Florida and Toronto, the Rangers will need to score four or more goals in three of their four wins. Florida should give the Rangers more power-play opportunities than Toronto. Taking advantage of special teams will be critical.
Igor will be pivotal in matchups against Carolina, Boston, and Tampa Bay. These series will need to be grinds in which the Rangers get leads and hold onto them or score late in the game or overtime. The Rangers have the roster to do all of this.
The biggest threat to take the Rangers off the path they’re capable of achieving would be the New York Islanders.
