Subj : Rangers Will Face Challenges in 2020-21 With Divisional Realignment
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Mon Dec 07 2020 04:40 am
With the rumors swirling around the NHL community about the possibility of a
56-game season starting Jan. 15, I immediately realized that this proposal had
the most potential. The timing needed to pull it off is still intact, and the
length provides enough substance for players and fans to avoid placing an
asterisk beside the winner';s name.
Development: Sources say #NHL shared draft schedules with #NHLPA on Thursday,
one including a 56-game regular season for 2021.
Drafts were based on Jan. 1 start date, but sides discussed pushing that back
(Jan. 15 or 16?).
Told talks were unrelated to recent economic requests.- Frank Seravalli
(@frank_seravalli) December 4, 2020
It';s almost certain that the NHL will be forced to geographically realign
their divisions, placing the New York Rangers in a division with their closest
counterparts. My money would be on the Rangers being placed with the New York
Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals,
Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres in 2021.
That division would be loaded with talent and competitive action, with each
team facing the other seven divisional opponents eight times each. Yes, that';s
right. The Rangers would face-off eight times against the Islanders, Devils,
and other rivals in this proposed format.
Facing the same team repeatedly allows familiarity to develop. Coaches can
craft game plans that directly attack their opponent';s weaknesses, something
that the Rangers will often face with veteran coaches Barry Trotz, Bruce
Cassidy, and now Peter Laviolette in their division. Still extremely young, the
Rangers and their fairly new bench boss in David Quinn will have to be equally
adept at making adjustments to have success this upcoming season.
With the Rangers having played every team in their geographically realigned
division plenty over the past two seasons, let';s take a look at how they fared
recently and are likely to fare in 2020-21.Opponent: Boston Bruins
2018-19: NYR (2-1-0), 4 Points
2019-20: NYR (0-2-1), 1 Point
The Bruins are an elite team with top-end talent who typically reside in the
Atlantic Division. Adding them into an already crowded division makes the
Rangers'; tough path to the postseason even more challenging. Despite the
contrast in where these two teams have fallen in the standings, the Rangers
have been very competitive against Boston.New York Rangers defenseman Tony
DeAngelo scores on Boston Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak (AP Photo/Mary
Altaffer)
I can see the Rangers keeping these games competitive, finishing their eight
games against the Bruins with a 3-4-1 record. That may not be great, but it
allows the Rangers to have a postseason chance if they beat the other teams in
the division. Opponent: Buffalo Sabres
2018-19: NYR (2-1-0), 4 Points
2019-20: NYR (1-1-0), 2 Points
The Rangers and Sabres always find themselves in a battle regardless of where
the two teams are in the standings. With that being said, the Rangers need to
take care of business against Buffalo if they have playoff aspirations next
season.
The Sabres have added even more scoring with Taylor Hall and Eric Staal joining
the roster, but they still lack the goaltending and defensive depth needed to
thrive. The Blueshirts have as much if not more offensive talent and should
manage to go 5-2-1 against Buffalo.Opponent: Carolina Hurricanes
2018-19: NYR (2-2-0), 4 Points
2019-20: NYR (4-0-0), 8 Points
Despite the Rangers'; regular-season dominance over the Hurricanes, Carolina
got the last laugh, sweeping the Rangers in the qualifying round. The matchup
was certainly an eye-opener for the Rangers and their fan base, but it doesn';t
change the fact that the they know how to beat the 'Canes in the regular
season.New York Rangers'; Marc Staal reaches past Carolina Hurricanes
goaltender Petr Mrazek (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
A major part of the Rangers'; domination of the Hurricanes stemmed from Henrik
Lundqvist';s play, but his heir-apparent, Igor Shesterkin, seems poise to
continue the trend. Shesterkin won his only meeting against Carolina last
season, and I expect the Rangers winning ways to continue in 2020-21. My
prediction is they will go 5-3-0 against the Hurricanes.Opponent: New Jersey
Devils
2018-19: NYR (3-1-0), 6 Points
2019-20: NYR (2-2-0), 4 Points
The Devils and Rangers rivalry has died down at a rapid rate since their
meeting in the 2012 Eastern Conference Final. The 2019 Draft reinvigorated it
some by adding the Jack Hughes vs. Kappo Kakko element, and now the rivalry
appears to be trending up once again.
The Rangers and Devils will play each other close this upcoming season,
although the Rangers are closer to the playoffs than New Jersey is. It';s a
tough matchup to predict, given how closely they played in their four meetings
this past season. In the end, I';ll give the Rangers a slight edge, going
4-3-1. Opponent: New York Islanders
2018-19: NYR (2-2-0), 4 Points
2019-20: NYR (3-1-0), 6 Points
The Islanders had a run of dominance in this rivalry that seemingly came to an
end in 2018-19. The Rangers, led by Alexandar Georgiev, were able to win the
battle this past campaign, but I fully expect every single matchup to be close
and intense next season.
Barry Trotz will be able to make adjustments over the course of eight meetings
that will surely test Quinn and the Rangers, but in the end, the team is good
enough to compete with the Islanders. Each game will be a dog fight, resulting
in a 3-3-2 record for the Rangers.Opponent: Philadelphia Flyers
2018-19: NYR (1-2-1), 3 Points
2019-20: NYR (0-3-0), 0 Points
If the Hurricanes'; regular-season kryptonite is the Rangers, New York';s is
the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers swept the Rangers last season after beating
them in three out of the four meetings the year prior. It has been utter
domination, and unless something drastic happens, it appears it will remain
that way.Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers and Travis Konecny, Philadelphia
Flyers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Herb Brooks famously said about the Soviet Team, "If we played them 10 times,
they might win nine," and that must be how the Rangers feel about playing
Philadelphia. Eight games against one team should allow the Rangers to get a
couple of wins, but those will have to be earned. The team will go 2-4-2
against Philly.Opponent: Washington Capitals
2018-19: NYR (0-1-3), 3 Points
2019-20: NYR (2-1-0), 4 Points
For the better portion of a decade, the Rangers and Capitals have engaged in
heated games both in the regular and postseason. The latest memorable moment
came in March when Mika Zibanejad scored five times in a Rangers'; 6-5 overtime
win.
Now with longtime netminder Lundqvist on the other side of this rivalry, these
eight matchups are sure to be intense and emotional, regardless of there being
fans in attendance. Ultimately, these games always have a grind-it-out style to
them, exemplified by 2018-19 when the Rangers lost all four meetings, three of
which in extra time. It';s a toss-up, but I';ll give the Capitals the edge and
say the Rangers go 3-4-1.
There are no numbers or fancy stats used in these predictions, just strictly
the eye test and how I see these games playing out. These estimates would put
the Rangers at 25-23-8, which is good for 58 points. Would that be good enough
for a 16-team playoff? Probably not. But we still are not sure if the playoffs
will be returning to their traditional form this season.
I believe the Rangers'; upside is there, and they have the skilled enough
players to outperform their expectations. Alexis Lafreniere and Kakko have the
ability to push the offense to new heights, while surprising performances from
Jack Johnson and Brendan Smith could propel the defense. In a strange season,
the Rangers will face an uphill battle in a geographically realigned division,
but hope remains.
The post Rangers Will Face Challenges in 2020-21 With Divisional Realignment
appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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