The New York Rangers, Are They A Special Team?
The New York Rangers are the best team in the Eastern Conference. They lead the conference with 69 points and are two points behind the Detroit Red Wings for best overall in the NHL. The Rangers have a three point lead on the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers and Flyers will meet on Sunday afternoon. The question though is are the Rangers legit, can they make a deep run in the playoffs??
I think the answer to this question is yes. The Rangers have a top notch goalie in Henrik Lundqvist and a good defense. The defense is getting even better as they get healthier. The difference this year is that they also have guys that can score. Brad Richards, Marion Gaborik are just two examples. The Rangers are much more balanced then they have been in recent years.
The Rangers have also been good at bouncing back. They have a good chemistry going. The Rangers started the season in Europe which helped to foster the chemistry I would believe. They also played in the Winter Classic against the Flyers and had the HBO cameras following them around for a while which also helped foster it. The Rangers though have not let any of this and their success go to their head. This is a credit to head coach John Tortorella and his staff.
The Rangers seem to be able to focus on the task at hand. If they have one bad game they don’t let it multiply. If they have one good game they try and repeat that without getting too confident. The Rangers have been very focused this season and that has led to the success they are having. I do believe they are a legitimate stanley cup contender. I think they have staying power and will be a force in the postseason. I expect them to make a deep run at the very least. The Rangers haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1994 and that was the first one since 1940. This may be the best chance the Rangers have had since 1994.
To answer my own question of are they a special team?? I would say yes they are, they have a good combination of skill, determination and focus. I do think you can see some banners hanging from the rafters next season but they still have a lot of work to do. The Rangers will take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon. It is a big game as if they win they can be five points ahead of them but if they lose they will only be one point ahead.
I welcome all feedback on this article. If you agree or disagree that is fine, just keep it civil. I can be reached at gmarchesej@aol.com and if your on twitter follow me @gmarchesej. I look forward to hearing what you all have to think about this and any debates that may come out of it.
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i agree, but the rangers need work on both ends of the power play. these are aspects that are hurting them and they need to improve on to get to and win the stanley cup