Rangers Bounce Back Against CBJ and Igor Better Start Tonight

Holy shit what a bounce back game last night. After cowering and providing zero return fire earlier last week, the Rangers were able to take it to CBJ on the road and capture a 4-0 victory against the Blue Jackets. Don’t look now, but:

With 14 games remaining in the regular season, the Rangers find themselves holding the second wild card. I’ve been telling my buddies for a while that they won’t make it but are they about to prove me wrong? I’ll say this – if they end up making the tournament to capture a Stanley Cup, the Rangers wouldn’t be a team I’d be dying to play. There’s plenty of playoff experience and if the Power Play can get to back to what we’ve seen the last however many years, this team could surprise some people.

• Will Cuylle is playing Will Cuylle hockey. While playing his off wing, his size, physical tenacity and positioning is helping the Trocheck – Panarin line thrive.
• That might’ve been the best period Mika Zibanejad has played all season. He was physical and wasn’t waiting for the game to come to him. He NEEDS to continue to play like this for the Rangers to have a legitimate shot.
• Everyone in Blueshirts Nation is hoping this goal was the one Lafreniere needed to get him going again. There was a play where 13 and 8 busted their tails off to get back and prevent a grade A scoring chance. It won’t show up in the box score but it should. Thats QUALITY hockey.
• Fox looked fresh, didn’t he?
• I love the fourth line. They play such a simple brand of hockey. Get the puck, get it deep, have Rempe go murder someone, work the puck from low to high, and crash the net. This brand of hockey is simple but hard to get the right players to buy in. The younger guys play for a player like Brodzinki and it most certainly shows. Physical, fast, simple.
• Our defenseman are doing a way better job of getting the puck up quickly and out of the zone. Big game from Miller, Schneider and Borgen.
• Keep Zac Jones in the lineup please and thank you.
• What is the point in paying a goaltender 11.5 million dollars a year if he can’t play back to backs? Igor Shesterkin has started on consecutive days four times in his NHL career. In his second games, he has a 4-0/2.25/.933 slash line. Every game from here on out is considered a MUST WIN – he shouldn’t leave the cage, especially after a night he wasn’t particularly tested.

The remaining Rangers schedule:

Oilers @ Rangers (38-24-4)

Flames @ Rangers (30-24-11)

Maple Leafs @ Rangers (39-24-3)

Canucks @ Rangers (31-24-11)

Rangers @ Kings (36-20-9)

Rangers @ Ducks (29-30-7)

Rangers @ Sharks (18-41-9)

Wild @ Rangers (37-25-5)

Rangers @ Devils (36-26-6)

Lightning @ Rangers (38-23-5)

Flyers @ Rangers (28-32-8)

Rangers @ Islanders (29-28-8)

Rangers @ Hurricanes (41-22-4)

Rangers @ Panthers (41-23-3)

Lightning @ Rangers (38-23-5)

Out of the remaining 14 games, the Rangers will be facing off against a playoff eligible team at least 10 times. Want to know if the Rangers have it in them? We’re about to find out.