“Mr. Brightside” appeared on the playlist as I was listening to the Killers at the gym. Yes, I am aware that the song contains a lot of irony, but the title did offer a sideways look at the New York Rangers and their chances of making the playoffs with 12 games left in the regular season.
What precisely is the Rangers’ bright side now that they are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, have lost three straight, and are unable to win at home?
The Rangers are just one of several mediocre clubs fighting for the final playoff slot — or two — in the East, as was mentioned in a previous post this week. Here, nobody is separating from anyone else. The Colorado Avalanche kicked the Ottawa Senators in the teeth on Thursday, causing them to lose two straight games. Being in the first wild card, three points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens, and at least five points ahead of everyone else, they are obviously in better shape than the others.
Even though the Rangers (33-31-6) aren’t particularly good, they aren’t bad enough to ruin this. The Rangers are in a strong position if they defeat the beatable Vancouver Canucks at home on Saturday then win two of three games on the trip to California, where they will face the struggling San Jose Sharks and the rising Anaheim Ducks.
With three straight victories, the Islanders are on the rise. Even if they are currently ahead of the Rangers by percentage points, is that truly the team that frightens you? The Canadians? Are the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets both losing ground in the final stretch?
Apart from their poor defense and lackluster performance against the Calgary Flames this week, the Rangers’ worst thing is that they have more games played than any of their rivals. Therefore, if one or more of these average clubs manage to put together a run of victories, they could quickly lose position.
Are you implying that there is a possibility?
Yes, there is still a possibility to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. That’s the silver lining. even when it seems like reality demands differently.
