Amazingly, just three regular-season games are left on the New York Rangers’ calendar. After 79 games and the ups and downs of the 2022-23 season, the team has 104 points and a chance to go on another run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Every team wants to make the playoffs, but getting there is sometimes not enough.
Teams want to go into the first round feeling good about themselves and their team. The Rangers are doing just that: they are 9-2-2 over their last 13 games. After a tumultuous start to the season, with an 11-10-5 record, since Dec. 3, head coach Gerard Gallant’s club has steadily been one of the best teams in the NHL, posting a 35-11-6 record.
As the season winds down, their last three games will be stepping stones to the postseason, a chance to fine-tune their chemistry and play. The Rangers want to ensure the team is as healthy as possible come the first game of round one, and to do so, Gallant must know his players and be smart with his game usage.
The keys over the final three games are avoiding injuries, perfecting the special teams, and keeping Igor Shesterkin streaking. If the Rangers can ensure those three things, they will be in good shape come Game 1.
Rangers Need to Avoid Injuries and Get Healthy
Coming away with three points after a back-to-back with the Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Louis Blues was no small feat, especially with trade deadline acquisition Patrick Kane on the sidelines with what the Rangers are calling a lower-body injury and maintenance.
Although Kane downplayed his hip injury while he was still with the Chicago Blackhawks, it was well-known that he had a banged-up hip. Sitting him for this back-to-back was likely precautionary to ensure his health come the postseason.
With players like Ryan Lindgren – who’s just getting back from injury – and Jacob Trouba – who left Wednesday night’s heated matchup with the Lightning with an upper-body injury but did play Thursday night in St. Louis – still banged up, managing their time over the final three games is crucial.
There is no need to risk injury when you have a seventh defenseman in Ben Harpur who can step in and give Trouba or Lindgren the night off. Getting healthy for the first round should be the team’s priority. The playoffs are a war of attrition, with the team that stays the healthiest winning it all. For the Rangers, that war starts now as they prepare for what will be a grueling playoff run.
Finding Chemistry on the Power Play
Since Kane’s absence, which resulted in Vladimir Tarasenko’s promotion to the top power-play unit, the Rangers have seemingly found their groove. They went 4-for-7 in the two games, featuring a five-man unit of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, and Tarasenko.
The power play had been struggling since the trade deadline, but a first unit may have organically come together because of Kane’s situation. When he returns, he should flip-flop with Tarasenko and become the passer on the second unit, which has Vincent Trocheck, Filip Chytil, Jacob Trouba, and Alexis Lafreniere.
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Finding chemistry with their two units over these final three games will give the Rangers a huge advantage in the postseason. We all know they are a lackluster five-on-five team, but a dynamic power play can make up for that, as we all witnessed last season.
Good special teams’ play can cover up a lot of mistakes at five-on-five, and if the Rangers can get hot now, they will have an edge in the first round. The remaining three games are the perfect time to perfect the power play, and entering the postseason at a 57% clip would be something.
Shesterkin Maintaining His Recent Rhythm
Over the last 12 games, Shesterkin has returned to his Vezina-winning form. He has won nine of 12, with a 2.16 goals-against average (GAA) and a .929 save percentage (SV%), to go along with one shutout. He is by far the most important player on the team, and the Rangers will likely go as far as he can take them.
The final games will be a balancing act of keeping Shesterkin in his groove while simultaneously preserving him for the postseason. He seems to get better with more usage and strives to be on the ice nightly, but players can sometimes be their own worst enemy, and it is important for Gallant and goalie coach Benoit Allaire to balance his usage so he stays fresh but not overworked.
There was a collective gasp when the Lightning’s Alex Killorn poked Shesterkin into his own goal during Wednesday’s game. Killorn, who was fined $5,000 for slashing due to the incident, was going for the puck sitting on Shesterkin’s pad when he jammed his stick into the goaltender (from ‘Killorn fined $5,000 for actions in Lightning game,’ by NHL.com – 4/6/23).
Luckily, he was fine, but moments like that make everyone realize the importance of keeping him healthy at this time of the year. The Rangers have completed their slate of back-to-back games and play their remaining three contests over six days.
Shesterkin will likely start two of the three, including the season’s final game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Jaroslav Halak, who was in goal during the 3-2 OT loss to the Blues, plays once more. Keeping both goalies game ready over the final week will serve the Rangers well, and giving Shesterkin one last test against a good Toronto team should get him primed for the playoffs.
The Rangers will look to enter the postseason on the right foot, and these three elements are the key.
