The Rangers competed within the first of their 17 remaining Metropolitan Division matchups on Thursday evening, when the Capitals got here to Madison Sq. Backyard for the groups’ second of three conferences this season.
Having solely performed 9 division video games by means of their first 50 contests, the Rangers are in for a grind to the end within the hermetic standings. As necessary as it's to solidify the very best place heading into the postseason, merely securing their first respectable playoff berth because the 2016-17 season is all of the Rangers are permitting themselves to fret about.
“For me, talking personally, I simply need to get in,” defenseman Adam Fox stated. “You at all times hear that’s an important factor. When you’re in, it’s a whole lot of good groups on this league, and something can actually occur. You see groups beat groups that completed increased than them within the common season.
“Clearly, you need to have the ability to play playoff video games on residence ice and have that benefit. On the identical time, getting there's an important factor.”
The Metro is fingers down the NHL’s best division, and the way the Rangers fare down the stretch can result in both a first-round exit or an extended run within the playoffs. That is actually not misplaced on the Rangers, who're positive to expertise a studying curve come the postseason as a staff with little playoff expertise.
“Whenever you’re enjoying divisional opponents, it virtually looks as if you’re taking factors away from them additionally whenever you play,” Fox stated. “It makes it that rather more necessary. You don’t actually need to fear in regards to the opponent. However on the identical time, divisional video games, that’s the groups you’re competing with for playoff spots. They positively tackle just a little stronger that means.”
After going through Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson and the remainder of the Capitals, the Rangers then enterprise to Pittsburgh to sq. off towards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins for the primary time this season. The Rangers nonetheless have three video games towards the Metropolitan-leading Hurricanes on the calendar, in addition to three extra with the Islanders, who could at present be on the surface trying in on the playoffs however at all times current a problem.
On the prime of the Metro, 4 factors separate the first-place Hurricanes and second-place Penguins. Pittsburgh had an opportunity to drag inside two Thursday evening towards the Devils. Getting into Thursday’s sport, the Rangers trailed the Penguins by a single level and had been forward of the Capitals by 4.
“We’re 50 video games in, you haven’t seen Pittsburgh as soon as,” winger Chris Kreider stated after Wednesday’s follow. “We’ve seen Carolina as soon as, Washington as soon as, proper? So, we’ve obtained so many divisional video games, and clearly, it’s so tight on the prime of the standings there. Not simply from a measuring-stick perspective, however clearly, they’re going to be huge video games. Anticipate them to have extra of a playoff really feel, proper? Each sport is necessary; two factors are at all times necessary, however divisional video games are extra like 4 factors.
“It’s an excellent alternative for us to see the place we’re at and to proceed to get higher, proceed to enhance.”
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