Rangers week ahead includes late-season 3-game California road trip
The New York Rangers take their quest for a playoff berth to the West Coast this week following a homestand when they lost three straight before stealing a 5-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
They headed for California on Sunday on the outside looking in at a playoff berth – but happy to have two days off after a brutal stretch of nine games in 15 days, when they posted a 3-5-1 record, including losses to the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs at the Garden before defeating the Canucks despite being outshot 39-12.
The Rangers (34-31-6) start the week one point behind the Montreal Canadiens (33-27-9) for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference – realistically their only shot of making the playoffs now that they trail the Ottawa Senators (37-27-5), holder of the first wild card, by five points. The New York Islanders (32-28-9) are one point behind the Rangers; the Columbus Blue Jackets (31-29-9) trail them by three.
But those numbers aren’t as good as they seem, because everyone else in the playoff scramble has two games in hand on the Rangers entering the new week.
The Islanders, who are 3-0-2 in their past five games, could pass their biggest rival on Monday by defeating the Blue Jackets at UBS Arena. The Canadiens visit the surging St. Louis Blues on Tuesday in a game that should be concluding just about the time the Rangers and Los Angeles Kings face off at Crypto.com Arena.
The schedule-maker gave the Rangers a mixed bag on this trip. The good news is that they have two days off after facing the Kings and that their next game is against the nearby Anaheim Ducks. The bad news is that they have a Friday-Saturday back-to-back that involves a late-night flight from Southern California to San Jose, where the League’s worst team will be waiting for them.
A sweep of the California trip might be asking a lot. But the Rangers absolutely need at least two wins in the three games before they head back East for a tough April schedule that begins with a visit from the playoff-bound Minnesota Wild next Wednesday.
Related: Rangers comeback against Canucks fueled by ‘little bit of yelling in locker room’
Who’s hot
Jonny Brodzinski was the First Star in the win against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday after scoring two third-period goals, including the game-winner with 4:13 remaining. Brodzinski’s nine goals in just 40 games are already an NHL career high, and his play is earning him ice time higher up in the lineup.
Igor Shesterkin is keeping the Rangers in the playoff race. He’s started seven straight games and his 36 saves against Vancouver keot New York afloat until Brodzinski’s heroics fueled a four-goal third period. According to Clear Sky Analytics, Shesterkin’s goalie save contribution of 17.40 is third in the NHL.
Who’s not
Mika Zibanejad’s offensive game had perked up after the Rangers acquired J.T. Miller from the Canucks. But he went ice cold on the four-game homestand, failing to record a single point. Coach Peter Laviolette cut his ice time against Vancouver to 16:56, nearly two minutes below his season average.
Related: Why Rangers’ need to play Brennan Othmann in top-6 is not just about the future
Rangers lookahead this week includes …
A very late swing through California. In fact, this week’s trip to the Golden State matches 2017 as the latest in team history.
Rangers at Los Angeles Kings (March 25, 10:30 p.m. ET; MSG)
The Rangers will be looking to avenge a 5-1 loss to the Kings at MSG on Dec. 14, but it won’t be easy.
Not only are the Kings one of the stingiest defensive teams in the NHL, they are best in the League in their own building. A 7-2 victory against the Boston Bruins upped their record to 25-3-4 at Crypto.com Arena; they have fewer regulation losses and total losses at home than any other team in the League. That success at home is a major reason LA is in in a three-way battle for first place in the Pacific Division with the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers.
Los Angeles is 5-1-0 against the Rangers in their past six visits, including a 2-1 win on Jan. 20, 2024, in Jonathan Quick’s return to the city where he helped the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014 (they haven’t won a playoff series since that second Cup). Two of Quick’s former teammates who figure to join him in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day, center Anze Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty, are still major contributors for the Kings; each scored Sunday in the win against the Bruins.
Los Angeles is 6-0-0 in its past six home games and 11-0-3 on home ice since a 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 20.
Rangers at Anaheim Ducks (March 28, 10 p.m.; MSG2)
It’s reunion time for the Rangers and Jacob Trouba, their former captain, who was traded to the Ducks on Dec. 6. Trouba has largely been the same player in Anaheim that he was in the Big Apple for the past couple of seasons – a physical defenseman who will hit and block shots but won’t contribute a lot of offense while eating 20-22 minutes per game.
