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New York Rangers Profiting From All-Star Break

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The New York Rangers don’t want to lose their rhythm, as the team has won a staggering 16 out of 19 games, but New York is profiting from six days off for the All-Star Break. With Rick Nash as the only Ranger selected as an All-Star, the rest of the team is getting some much-needed time off.

While certain players like Henrik Lundqvist and Marc Staal seemed close to being All-Stars this season, the Rangers will benefit from the entire team minus Nash getting a break. Sure, if you’re a Rangers fan it’s nice to have a few of them in the game, but the Rangers know how long a season can be after reaching the Finals last season.

The fact that Nash is the only All-Star speaks to the overall depth and chemistry of the team. The Rangers might not have much depth at center on paper, but a strong team-first mentality focused on speed and team defense has made up for that. Everybody has been executing their roles and it’s what has abled the Rangers to continue their winning ways over the last month and a half. Obviously, the bulk of every team in the league is getting a break this week, but the Rangers still have 38 regular season games remaining.

The Rangers have played fewer games than any other team in the NHL, with the exception of the Florida Panthers, who have also played 44 games to this point.  New York has a heavy schedule down the stretch and the break this week is extremely important. For the rest of the season, New York has no more than three days off between games, and that’s only on a few occasions. New York also has three more times this season when they will have to play three games in four days.

The Rangers must be anxious to get back into the action, but the rest they have received this week could go a long way in helping them weather the storm for the next two and a half months. New York will be even more eager to return to the ice because the first game of the second half is against the first-place New York Islanders. The Isles dominated the Rangers earlier this month, and the Rangers have a chance to creep within three points with a win.

Lundqvist may have been an All-Star snub, but the Rangers would rather have him get some time off. When it comes to important games with playoff implications down the stretch, Lundqvist never wants to take a seat. The Rangers are hoping to hit the ground running following the break and continue their impressive run. The six days off the Rangers are getting should profit them in the future as New York tries to repeat as Eastern Conference champs.

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