It’s going to take five wins in the final six games to make the playoffs for the Rangers. That’s the only math that matters now as a look at the schedules of all five clubs left in the Eastern Conference playoff race suggests that’s the task at the hand for the Blueshirts in the final two weeks of the season.
After a shaky start against the Islanders in Nassau saw them fall behind 2-0 in the first 15 minutes, the club rebounded for a vital 4-3 win. They’ll need to show more of that grit and desperation the rest of the way and the schedule appears to play in their favor.
A three-game road trip awaits them now as they head to Tampa, Miami and Buffalo and grabbing five out of those six points is a must. With the Lightning and Panthers both out of the playoff race that’s not a Herculean task, though both have played well at home all season.
“We’ve got to keep this sense of urgency,” explained Marian Gaborik after the win over the Isles. “It’s like the playoffs have started already for us.”
After the trip the Rangers will probably need to take five of the last six points they see on the table in home games against Toronto and Philly before heading to Philly for the season finale on April 11th.
Both of these teams are struggling as the Leafs have won just 11 times on the road all season and the Flyers have sputtered the last few weeks with goaltending issues and the loss of their top scorer Jeff Carter to a broken foot.
The ninth place Thrashers have the toughest schedule of the five and only have five games left – all of which are against playoff bound teams. With two games in Washington, two against the Penguins and one at home against the Devils, Atlanta clearly has the steepest hill to climb.
For the sixth seeded Flyers and seventh seeded Canadiens, the failure to pull away when they had the chance a few weeks ago has seen the two teams fall back in the east. The Flyers have the most control over their playoff destiny as they play the Rangers twice and the Canadiens once. Games against bottom feeding Toronto and the Islanders won’t hurt their chances either.
The Canadiens have games remaining against playoff outcasts Carolina (2), Toronto and the Isles that should boost their chances but games against Philly and Buffalo provide no lock for Les Habs.
For the Bruins it’s looking like four wins in the final six might be enough to hold off their closest challengers but it won’t come easy. Oddly, like Atlanta, they also play twice in DC against the Caps, have a tough one at home against Buffalo and three against non-playoff clubs – at Toronto and at home versus Florida and Carolina.
If the Rangers manage to take five the last six the Bruins, Canadiens and Flyers will need seven points from their schedules above to grab the last seed. The home and home at the end of the schedule against the Flyers (4/9-11) might very well be for the final playoff spot in the east.
Ranger coach John Tortorella wasn’t interested in the numbers as much as he was in getting the best out of his top players in these final two weeks of a difficult season.
“Our top guys have to continue to accept what they have to do to help us win and I hope it keeps up,” Tortorella explained after the win over the Islanders at the Coliseum. “We’ve got a handful of games left. The guys getting it done will get the opportunity, no matter if they’re call-ups, first-round picks or star players. We just need guys contributing.”
With Ryan Callahan and Sean Avery expected to miss at least one more game each with their knee injuries, P.A. Parenteau and Corey Locke will get one more chance to do exactly that but getting the former two back in the line-up will be vital to the Rangers playoff chances.
The incessant line shuffling continues as Tortorella endlessly tries to try to find a way to squeeze offense out of someone other than Gaborik. The hastily thrown together trio of Parenteau, Olli Jokinen and Vinny Prospal certainly clicked against the Islanders with the latter two producing their best effort in weeks.
For Jokinen, who has looked completely lost at times, the contributions on Long Island were long overdue.
“I am trying to work hard and be better without the puck. Last couple of games I took steps in the right direction but there’s still room to improve,” he said after the game on Tuesday. Odd comments from a 31 year-old veteran but you have to figure the Rangers will be moving on without the Finnish center next season.
For now though they’ll take six more games like the previous one from Jokinen along with the rest of the forwards as the final half-dozen represent their last chance to salvage the season.
ICE CHIPS
Of major concern for the Rangers is the fact Henrik Lundqvist did not look sharp against the Islanders and hasn’t been on his game in the last few weeks. It appears the pressure of playing 70+ games with a razor thin margin for error may be taking it’s toll on The King. Have to think Alex Auld will play one of the back-to-backs next week (4/6-7) at Buffalo or home against the Leafs.
The Isles and Rangers split the season series each winning three of the six. The Rangers nabbed the extra point in one of their losses in OT at the Garden so they actually finished 3-2-1 against the Isles. Amazingly, the Rangers are 22-8-3 against the Islanders in their last 33 games at the Coliseum.
News leaking out of the NHL offices claims the league might add a second Winter Classic outdoor game to schedule – this one in Canada. According to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman discussions indeed are underway.
“Yes, it’s something we’re going to look at for next season,” Bettman said at the recent NHL’s Board of Governors meeting. “We’ll see if we can make it happen.”
He added, “There’s been a lot of speculation. And again, not all of this has been resolved. But I’m just laying it out. Do you do two games on New Year’s Day, or do you do one on New Year’s Day and one on (CBC’s) ‘Hockey Day In Canada?’ ”
The other rumor swirling around regarding the Winter Classic is that the 2011 game will pit Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals against Sidney Crosby’s Penguins in Pitt – January 1, 2011.