Greg Wyshynski, ESPNDec 15, 2023, 07:30 AM ET
CloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
The New York Rangers hated how last season ended.
“That one stung for a while,” captain Jacob Trouba said of their seven-game first-round loss to the rival New Jersey Devils in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. “They always sting, but that one was a pit in our stomach for a long time.”
It was easy, then, to predict that the Rangers would be a motivated group right out of the gate for the 2023-24 season. The majority of the roster returned. They had a new head coach in Peter Laviolette, as Gerard Gallant paid for the playoff loss with his job. Star winger Artemi Panarin symbolically acknowledged the team’s renewed focus by shearing off his hair as a follicle “reset.”
But few predicted the Rangers’ start would be this good: 19-7-1 through the first 27 games for a .722 points percentage, third best in the NHL. The Rangers have never had a team finish with a points percentage over .700, tracking all the way back to their inaugural season in 1926.
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They were near the top 10 in both goals scored and goals against per game. Their special teams are outstanding, including a power play that’s been among the NHL’s best. The freshly shorn Panarin had 39 points in 27 games to spark MVP talk. Chris Kreider posted 14 goals in his first 27 games.
They kept winning through injuries to star defenseman Adam Fox, who missed 10 games, center Filip Chytil, who is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, and most recently Kaapo Kakko, who is expected to miss significant time with an injury.
They kept winning despite goalie Igor Shesterkin being off his game (.902 save percentage), thanks in no small part to veteran offseason signee Jonathan Quick getting back on his game (8-0-1, .922 save percentage).
It’s all added up to the Rangers being a favorite to win the Metro Division and the Eastern Conference, with a realistic chance at honoring the 30th anniversary of their 1994…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39114670/nhl-new-york-rangers-playoffs-standings-stats-cup-contender
Author : Greg Wyshynski
Publish date : 2023-12-15 12:45:29
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