The One Thing That Could Trip Up the Rangers

It's no secret that the New York Rangers are hardly a powerhouse when it comes to their even-strength play. Words like "pedestrian" and "ordinary" describe a team that is "23rd in expected goals percentage at 5-on-5 (48.6%) through 78 games and slightly underwater on percentage of shot attempts per 60 minutes (49.8%), ranking 19th overall." And it's certainly no secret that their power play and goaltending will be keys to whatever success they hope to have in the postseason.

But while the analytic community may be split as to whether the Rangers are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, there is another, far bigger threat that could trip up this team once the playoffs begin. Over their last 13 games, the Rangers have surrendered the first goal ten times. In half of those games, the deficit has been two or more goals.

Tuesday night at UBS Arena, the Rangers got off to yet another slow start and struggled to establish themselves in the first 20 minutes of play. The Islanders took full advantage, scoring the game's first 3 goals. It would've been more had Igor Shesterkin not made several brilliant saves. When the Rangers finally woke up, they dominated the Isles the rest of the way, scoring two power play goals in the second period and registering the first 10 shots on goal in the third. Unfortunately for the Blueshirts, their rally fell short and they lost 4-2.

Not every slow start has led to a loss. Against the Pittsburgh Penguins (3/16), the Boston Bruins (3/21), the Florida Panthers (3/23) the Philadelphia Flyers (3/26), the Colorado Avalanche (3/28), and the Montreal Canadiens (4/7) the Rangers were successfully able to overcome their sluggish start and win. Indeed, the Rangers lead the NHL with 27 come-from-behind victories; 13 of them came when they were trailing going into the third period.

And therein lies the problem. It’s one thing to play from behind and not get burned during the regular season; it’s quite another to do it in the playoffs. The Rangers are playing with fire if they think they can make a deep run in the postseason by adopting this strategy. Maybe they beat the Islanders or the Capitals in a seven-game series playing like that, but good luck beating the Carolina Hurricanes. This season, the Rangers were 2-1 against the Canes. Both times they won, they played with the lead; the one time they didn't, they trailed early.

The simple truth is that the teams which represent the biggest challenge to the Rangers on their road to the Stanley Cup will not be so easy to come from behind against once the postseason begins. Even the Bruins, a team the Rangers went 3-0 against, will eat them alive if they don't snap out of this funk.

Priority number one for Peter Laviolette and his coaching staff will be to convince this very talented team to show up on time and play a full 60 minutes. These inexplicable slow starts must stop, and stop now. He must light a fire under his players while there is still time. 

The good news is that the Rangers have, for the most part, responded positively to what their head coach has preached. From day one, the emphasis has been on structure and puck management. They've been the cornerstones of their success all season long. It's the principle reason why, with the exception of January, they've been among the best teams in the league, and are currently on the verge of winning their first Presidents' Trophy since 2015.

Two years ago, the Rangers trailed the Penguins 3-1 in the first round. They won the next three games; the last one coming in overtime at the Garden. In the next round, they trailed the Hurricanes 2-0 before winning 4 of the next 5 games. In both series, they beat the odds to prevail. 

If the Rangers know what's good for them, they will do everything in their power to avoid tempting the hand of fate again.

NHL Power Rankings: Separating the Contenders From the Pretenders

Before I get to the power rankings, I wanted to take a minute to personally thank Gary Bettman for shutting down the NHL over the Christmas holiday. It isn't everyday that a commissioner of a major professional sports league decides to remove his sport from all public exposure at a time when millions of fans are home with their families. Way to go, Gary.

And to think this league had the nerve to only raise the salary cap $1 million because the players still owed $70 million in back escrow. To quote Forrest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does."

Now onto the pièce de résistance.

Unlike traditional power rankings, which are typically league based, I've decided to break mine down by conference. Until the NHL goes to a 16 team playoff format, it doesn't make sense to do it any other way. I've also decided to break it down further by contender and pretender, and to omit the very worst teams in each conference. Why waste time on the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Chicago Blackhawks?

As always, don't take it too seriously. It's all done in fun.

Eastern Conference:

Contenders:

New York Rangers: They're off to their fastest start since the '94 Cup team. And they've managed to do it with only two scoring lines. Just imagine how much better they'll be once Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko return. With Igor Shesterkin regaining his Vezina-trophy form and Jonathan Quick in reserve, they will be very tough to beat in the postseason.

Boston Bruins: The retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí haven't stopped this team from once more ascending to the top of the standings in the Atlantic division. What they lack in offensive explosiveness, they more than make up for in grit. They have the defense and goaltending to go all the way.

Florida Panthers: Last year's Cup finalists are no fluke. With Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart, they are loaded up front; and with Sergei Bobrosky in net, they have a clear path back to the finals.

Toronto Maple Leafs: The fab four - Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares - might be the most talented quartet in the NHL. They are fast and lethal. The only question mark - and it's a big one - is their goaltending.

New York Islanders: Their minus 4 goal differential is a concern, but their offense - long a sore spot - is starting to percolate. They're tough as nails to play against, and with their goaltending, they will give any opponent they meet in the first round fits.

Philadelphia Flyers: If you had the former Broadstreet Bullies as contenders prior to the season, you're a better man than me. I didn't even have them as a "close but no cigar." But John Tortorella has somehow managed to get this team to believe in itself. The return of Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson hasn't hurt either.

Pretenders:

Washington Capitals: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. The Caps are a painful reminder that no matter how good your defense is, you can't win in this league when you have the second worst offense.

Tampa Bay Lightning: One game they look like the team that won back-to-back Cups; the next they look like the San Jose Sharks. They are finally paying the price for manipulating the salary cap. Karma truly is a bitch.

Carolina Hurricanes: They've never had great goaltending or elite-level forwards, but now their defense is leaking like a sieve. Hard to believe this is a Rod Brind'Amour-coached team.

New Jersey Devils: Serves me right for picking them to win the Metro. Tom Fitzgerald was trying to create an east-coast version of the Edmonton Oilers. He seems to have succeeded, though not the way he intended.

Detroit Red Wings: Since Patrick Kane's arrival in Motown, the Wings are 2-6-1. Maybe Steve Yzerman should've gotten himself a legit goalie instead of a future hall of fame winger.

Pittsburgh Penguins: The oldest team in the NHL underachieving for the second straight season. Gee, who coulda seen that coming?

Buffalo Sabres: Don't beat yourself up. I, too, was taken in by their potential. They can score; it's stopping the other team from scoring that's the problem.

Montreal Canadiens: They're still a year or two away, but credit Marty St. Louis for turning around a locker room that had gotten used to losing.

Western Conference:

Contenders:

Vegas Golden Knights: They can role four lines and their defense is big and battle tested. Vegas's strength is their depth throughout the lineup. They won the Cup last season and are the odds-on favorites to repeat.

Vancouver Canucks: In just over a year Rick Tocchet has transformed this perennial underachiever into a bonafide contender. They have the best goal differential in the NHL, the number one offense and the sixth best defense.

Los Angeles Kings: Very quietly, Cam Talbot is making his bid to win the Vezina trophy this season, which would be quite a feat given he was supposedly washed up last season. They're deep down the middle and have the best defense in the league.

Dallas Stars: This is a team that can compete with the best in the league. The only concern is in goal where Jake Oettinger hasn't quite gotten back to the level of excellence he showed last season.

Colorado Avalanche: Their core is as elite as it gets; it's the rest of the roster that gives you pause. Still, they are quite capable of making a deep run in the playoffs.

Winnipeg Jets: They traded arguably their second best center and got better. Connor Hellebuyck might be the most under-appreciated goaltender in the league, and Mark Scheifele is finally emerging as a leader on this team.

Pretenders:

Nashville Predators: Like the Washington Capitals, they're using smoke and mirrors to conceal their deficiencies. It'll catch up to them eventually.

Edmonton Oilers: Don't be seduced by the wins in New York and New Jersey. This is not a team that is built to go four rounds. Would loved to have seen what they could've done in the '80s when defense was optional.

Minnesota Wild: As long as they have that dead cap weight on their books, GM Bill Guerin will struggle to fill out a roster that will be good enough to compete in the regular season, much less in the postseason.

St. Louis Blues: The only reason they might sneak into the postseason is because the Western Conference is so weak in the middle. Don't let that fool you. They're in rebuild mode.

Calgary Flames: Boy was I wrong about this team. I figured the problem last year was Darryl Sutter. Turns out it was the roster all along. Makes you wonder how the hell Brad Trelving got the gig in Toronto.

Seattle Kraken: After coming within a win of advancing to the conference finals last season, they are in contention for biggest disappointment of the 2023-24 season. Which is saying a lot given how many teams could qualify for that distinction.

Arizona Coyotes: How 'bout this for the storyline of the year? The Yotes are sellers at the trade deadline yet still manage to make the playoffs. Don't laugh, it could happen.

About That Slump

Turns out those storm clouds on the horizon were nothing but a sun shower. After dropping three out of four games in rather ugly fashion, the New York Rangers have rebounded, winning three in a row, two against playoff-caliber teams. 

But even more impressive, their Vezina trophy-winning goalie seems to have regained his form. Against the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, Igor Shesterkin stopped 52 of 55 shots. Three goals against in two games. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, doubters.

The puck management that had had alluded the Rangers over the last few games returned as if it had never been gone. The 2-1 OT win over the Bruins might be the best game this team has played in years; and after getting shellacked by the Maple Leafs 7-3 at the Garden last week, Tuesday's 5-2 win in Toronto was sweet revenge.

In retrospect, that 7-4 win over the Bruins last month might've been the worst thing that could've happened to this team; it gave them a false sense of accomplishment. By all accounts, it was one of the sloppiest games of the season, with both sides committing multiple turnovers. I have long held that a team that wins these types of games is like a kid who gets away with eating a chocolate chip cookie before dinner. He never pays the price, hence he never learns anything.

Well, let's just say that, unlike that kid with the cookie, the Rangers did learn something. They learned that pretending to be the 1985 Edmonton Oilers can lead to one helluva tummy ache. It's not that they don't have elite-level talent; they do. It's just that relying on that talent isn't enough; not in today's NHL. If it were, if talent alone was all a team needed, Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews would each have at least two Stanley Cup rings by now. Think about it: the Vegas Golden Knights didn't have a single scorer in the top 70 last season; yet they still won the Cup. At the end of the day, hockey is a team sport. Fantasy teams may be fun and lucrative, but they seldom win championships.

So now that the Rangers have had their rude awakening, all appears to be well. Peter Laviolette no doubt had some choice words for his players after the Toronto loss, and since then the results have been self evident. No more track meets, no more run and gun, no more half-assed passes that lead to turnovers. Just structure, structure, structure, the way he and his staff drew it up on the black board during the preseason.

For their part, the Blueshirts have been attentive students. Over their first 30 games, they are 22-7-1 for 45 points. How good is that? Consider that the 1993-94 team that won the Cup went 21-6-3 for 45 points in their first 30 games. I realize some might think it sacrilegious to compare this team to such an illustrious group of athletes. Don't count me as one of them. The more I see this team play, the more convinced I become that we could be looking at something special come June.

Fundamentally, this is as sound a hockey team as you are likely to find. They are well coached and they are disciplined. They do whatever it takes to win. They go into the trenches, they take the body, they finish their checks, they block shots, they win face-offs, they convert on the power play. And on those rare occasions when they fail to do any of those things, their goaltending is good enough to bail them out. Games they lost last season they are finding a way to win this season. It isn't always pretty, but since when has hockey always been pretty?

They are in first place in the Eastern conference, only two points behind the league-leading Golden Knights. Can you say Presidents' Trophy? I knew you could.

They are no fluke; they have earned everything they have gotten so far.

Rangers Serve Notice on the NHL

Something special is happening with the New York Rangers; something we haven't seen in a very long time. Since losing to the Nashville Predators at the Garden on October 19, the Blueshirts have gone 13-1-1. At 15-3-1, they sit atop the Metropolitan Division, and by virtue of their 7-4 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday. and the subsequent loss by the Vegas Golden Knights to, of all teams, the Arizona Coyotes, they are in first place in the NHL.

A little over two weeks ago, I wrote a piece in which I asked "How good are these Rangers?" Well, the answer is in. These Rangers are damn good! Just check out the stats below:

Goals allowed: 45 (Fewest)

Goal differential: 21 (3rd)

Power play percentage: 30% (tied for 3rd)

Penalty kill percentage: 85.7% (tied for 7th)

Save percentage: .920 (2nd)

Face off win percentage: 55% (1st)

Record against winning teams: 9-1-0

And not to beat a dead horse, but they've played virtually the entire month without their best defenseman Adam Fox and their number two center Filip Chytil. They were also without the services of their Vezina trophy-winning goaltender Igor Shesterkin for over a week. Far from being a problem, the absence of these players appears to have made this team more resilient and tougher to play against. Can you imagine how much better they'll be once Fox and Chytil return?

Grit typically isn't a word you associate with the Rangers, but this season, it's become their mantra. Bad calls by the officials don't seem to rattle them; injuries to key players are opportunities for others like Tyler Pitlick, who scored his first goal of the season Saturday, to step up. If this team were a professional boxer, they'd say, "Is that all you got?" This might be the tightest locker room in the league.

If there's any cold water you can throw on them, it's that their Corsi for shot percentage at 5v5 has dropped considerably from 8th a month ago to 18th. But given that the Bruins and Golden Knights - currently the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the league - are 22nd and 17th respectively in that category, I wouldn't be too concerned. Head coach Peter Laviolette doesn't appear to be. And if there's one thing Laviolette is not known for, it's hiding his feelings. Trust me, if there was a problem, he and his coaching staff would be all over it.

That's not to say that everything is hunky dory. For all their grit and resiliency, the Rangers still haven't quite mastered Laviolette's system. And at various times this season, they've fallen back into an old and familiar habit of not putting forth a full sixty-minute effort. On their most recent road trip, they were badly outplayed by the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers in the 3rd period. That they found a way to win two out of three is a testament to the brilliance of both Jonathan Quick, who pitched a shutout in Pittsburgh, and Shesterkin, who appeared to find his game in Philly after a couple of rusty starts in Dallas and New Jersey.

This "bend but don't break" issue came to define the team during Gerard Gallant's tenure in New York, and I'm sure it's one that Laviolette would like to exorcize as soon as possible. Relying on your goaltender to consistently bail you out is not a long-term strategy for success, as last year's early exit against the Devils proved.

But all that aside, this team looks nothing like that Gallant team. For one thing, unlike last season, they aren't waiting for the playoffs to begin to flip a switch. From day one of training camp, Laviolette has sold these players one simple concept: postseason success doesn't start in April; it starts in September. The hard work and sacrifice that you put into the Fall and Winter months prepares you for the marathon that awaits you in the Spring. It's the reason why the Stanley Cup remains the hardest trophy in all of sports to win. Many a talented team has had their hopes of hoisting that precious chalice dashed because they weren't ready, either physically or mentally, for the challenge.

Laviolette has been down this road before. He was successful once. He knows how hard it is, and he has communicated as much to his players. So far, based on the standings, they seem to have gotten the memo.

Look, two weeks ago, I cautioned everybody not to jump to any conclusions. It wasn't even Thanksgiving yet, I wrote. Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and, lo and behold, this team is for real. Furthermore, they have served notice on the NHL. Sleep on us at your own peril.

The goal could not be more clear. Like that legendary Cup team of 30 years ago, the Rangers are focused on the ultimate prize and are prepared to pay any price to achieve it. 

November Will Test Rangers Mettle

To say that the New York Rangers had themselves a good October would be the understatement of the decade. For the first time in franchise history, they went 5-0 on a road trip. Headed into November, they sit atop the Metropolitan Division with a record of 7-2-0, two points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes; they are tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the third most points in the NHL with 14; and they have allowed the second fewest goals at 18.

Their 5v5 play has improved tremendously under new head coach Peter Laviolette; their special teams are clicking on all cylinders; and they are getting elite-level goaltending from both Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. Contrary to what some have said on a certain social-media platform, these are not the 2021-22 Rangers. That team won in spite of itself; this team is making its own breaks. I have not seen a Rangers team with this much discipline and focus in a good many years.

To be honest, I'm somewhat surprised they've gotten off to such a fast start. Based on what we saw in the preseason, the consensus was that that the Blueshirts would likely struggle out of the gate. Comparisons to the 2013-14 team that went 16-18-2 in its first 36 games seemed appropriate. That this team has done as well as it has this early in the season confirms two things: 1. Laviolette was the right choice for Chris Drury; and 2. Gerard Gallant wasn't.

I don't wish the man ill, but it's clear that Gallant's unwillingness or inability to make adjustments was the primary reason for the Rangers collapse against the Devils in the playoffs last year. There is no other plausible explanation for how a series in which they dominated so thoroughly through the first two games turned so suddenly. The power play, which had gone 4-10 in the first two games, went 1-21 over the last five. It was obvious what had happened. Lindy Ruff made an adjustment on his penalty kill unit that took away the tip-in goals Chris Kreider was getting. But rather than tweak his power play, Gallant stood pat, believing it was simply a matter of execution. He was wrong and it cost him his job.

There are other differences, too. While the Rangers haven't fully implemented Laviolette's 1-3-1 system yet, there has been a reduction in the number of odd-man rushes and shots on goal the team has given up. Indeed, through nine games this season, New York has allowed an average of 26.22 SoG. Last season, the average was 29.33; in 2021-22, it was 30.83. Translation, Ranger goalies are having to work less hard than they have in the past.

Witness the game in Calgary. Shesterkin had to make several tough saves to preserve a 3-1 win over the Flames. Two years ago in Toronto, he had to practically stand on his head against the Maple Leafs just to get the Rangers to overtime, where Artemi Panarin won it late. The point is while goalies are required to steal the odd game or two for their teams, these types of heists should be the exception, not the rule. During Gallant's tenure in New York, they were the the latter.

But that's all water under the bridge. There's a new sheriff in town now. And while the first nine games of the season were an unqualified success, the next 12 are going to test the mettle of this team, starting with tonight's game against the Canes at the Garden. After getting off to a slow start, Carolina has allowed two goals or fewer in their last three games, all of which have been wins. It is one thing to beat a struggling Flames team or an Edmonton Oilers team without Connor McDavid; it is quite another to beat one of the best defensive teams in the NHL over the last two years. This will be the toughest opponent the Rangers have faced, so far.

And the schedule doesn't get any easier after tonight. In addition to the Hurricanes, the Rangers will face the Detroit Red Wings twice, and the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and dreaded Devils once this month. The Red Wings are one of the surprise teams in the league this season, while the Bruins, Stars and Devils are all legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

The Rangers took care of business in October; and that was good. But all that earned them was the chance to do it again in November.

Rangers Have the Opportunity of a Lifetime

The 2023 NHL postseason has certainly seen more than its fair share of surprises. As of last night, 43 playoff games have been played and the road team has won 27 of them. That comes out to a road winning percentage of 62.8. How unusual is that? Through the first round of last year's playoffs, the road team had won only 22 of a possible 51 games for a winning percentage of 43.1. Home cookin' it seems ain't all it's cracked up to be this postseason.

And that bodes well for a Rangers team that in a best of seven series against the New Jersey Devils, won its first two games on the road, then dropped the next two at home. In any other year, facing a game seven on the road, the Rangers would likely be polishing up their golf clubs, especially given that in ten road games last year, the Blueshirts won only twice. Though to be fair, one of those wins did come in Raleigh against the Hurricanes, so I guess anything is possible.

The Bottom line is that this will not be your typical road game for the men in blue. Not only do they have a chance against the Devils, but based on what happened last night, they should be the favorites to win. That's because last night, both the Presidents' trophy winner Boston Bruins and the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche lost their respective game sevens in their buildings.

Presidents' trophy winners shitting the bed in the first round are not that rare an occurrence. It's happened six times in the cap era. The Bruins are just the latest example of why it's so hard to be a dominant team over an 82-game regular season AND still have enough left in the tank for a grueling playoff run. Boston looked gassed last night against a Florida Panthers team that on paper had no business being on the same ice with them. Oh, well.

But getting back to the Rangers. While the hockey gods may be favoring the road teams this postseason, by no means are they a lock to advance. That's because the Devils are one of the best teams in the NHL. Like I said before the start of the playoffs, this was the worst possible opponent the Rangers could've drawn in the first round. Since game two, New Jersey has been the better and quicker team in the series. And even though the Rangers finally managed to solve Akira Schmid in game six, it was only due to the sheer brilliance of their own goalie Igor Shesterkin that they managed to get to a seventh game. With a GAA of 1.79 and a SV% of .939, he has been, by far, the best player on either team.

But while beating this Devils team will not be an easy task, the Rangers must find a way to do so. Here's why. Both the Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning are gone. The Carolina Hurricanes look more like a MASH unit than a hockey team. The Toronto Maple Leafs are literally the only thing standing between the winner of this series and a trip to the Cup finals. An opportunity like this might not come around again for a very long time.

But if the Rangers need another incentive to win, it's this: The Devils are on the verge of becoming the team to beat in the Eastern Conference for the foreseeable future. Think about it. Both the Bruins and the Lightning are past their primes; the Canes, even when they're healthy, are not a legit contender; the Leafs have more skeletons in their closet than a haunted mansion on Halloween; the Islanders will never amount to anything so long as Lou Lamoriello is running the show; and the Rangers window to win is maybe two to three more years at best. To quote Elvis Presley, "It's now or never."

Chris Drury has assembled a team that is ready to win this year, not next year or the year after that. He has put all his chips on the table. A failure in the first round against the Devils will be a bitter pill to swallow for the entire organization. That is why, come hook or crook, the Rangers must find a way to not let that happen.

So how do they avoid playoff Armageddon? For starters, they must stop trying to skate with New Jersey. The Rangers may be the deeper team, but they are not the more athletic one. Trying to match speed with them is tantamount to a suicide mission. What the Rangers need to do is control the neutral zone like they did in games one and two.

That won't be easy. The Devils are not the same team they were in the first two games. To use a Star Trek vernacular, they've gone from sub-light to warp eight. Letting them off the ropes in game three might be the single-worst playoff mistake the Rangers have ever made.

Another thing they have to is dump the puck into the offensive zone and get in on the forecheck. Both the Zibanejad and Tarasenko goals in the second period of game six came as a result of the Rangers pinning the Devils in their own zone. As skilled as New Jersey is, they are not very physical. The one advantage the Rangers have is their size; they must use it or lose it.

Shesterkin will give them every chance to win tonight, but he cannot single-handedly drag them across the finish line. The stars have to come through. There is no tomorrow if they don't.

I predicted the Rangers in seven and I'm sticking with it. So far, I've been wrong twice: the Bruins and the Avalanche. Let's hope it stays that way. 

NHL Playoff Preview (Round One)

Another regular season is in the books. Now it's on to the real season. Sixteen teams - eight in each conference - begin their pursuit of Lord Stanley's Cup. But unlike last season, when the field was pretty much wide open, this time around there's a front runner. The Boston Bruins - 65-12-5 - not only won the President's Trophy going away, they broke both the single-season points record held by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens (132) and the single-season wins record held by the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning and the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings (62 each).

But while the Bruins may be the odds-on favorites going into the playoffs, there are a couple of potential roadblocks that could upend their dreams of hoisting the Cup. For starters, the President's Trophy curse. Turns out it's a real thing. 

Since the award was first introduced in the 1985-86 season, only eight teams have won both the Trophy and the Cup. And since the lockout of 2004-05, there have been only two: the 2007-08 Red Wings and the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks. And the Blackhawks, it should be noted, only had to play 48 regular-season games that season thanks to another league-imposed lockout. The point is it's hard to go at full throttle for an entire 82-game regular season and still have enough left in the tank for another potential 27 grueling postseason games.

But the biggest concern for Boston may have nothing to do with whether or not they have what it takes to survive a nine-month long marathon. The fact is going into the playoffs, the Bruins are the third oldest team in the NHL with an average age of 29.9. Only the Washington Capitals (30) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (31.5) are older. And neither of those two teams qualified for the postseason. If the Bruins were to win the Cup, they'd be the second oldest team in the last 25 years to do so. The 2001-02 Red Wings currently hold the record at 30.5.

So, you see, there's hope for the other fifteen teams after all.

Just as I did last year, I'll start with my team, the New York Rangers, and work my way down. As always, take what is said here with a very large grain of salt.

Eastern Conference:

New York vs. New Jersey: Anybody who saw the Devils as a legit Cup contender prior to the start of the season needs to produce the receipts right now. Yours truly had them as a "close but no cigar" team back in October. Led by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, the Devils are the fastest team in the East and the third fastest in the league. Only the Edmonton Oilers Oilers and the Colorado Avalanche are faster. They were tied with the Buffalo Sabres for the third most goals scored this season with 291, and their goal differential of 65 was surpassed only by the Dallas Stars (67) and the Bruins (128).

I won't mince words here. This is the toughest opponent the Rangers could've drawn in the first round. Unlike last season, when they faced a flawed Pittsburgh team, the Devils have no discernible flaws to exploit. Meaning they're not likely to implode the way the Pens did. Vitek Vanecek may not be Vezina trophy material, but he's hardly Louis Domingue.

To beat the Devils, the Rangers are going to have to be incredibly disciplined with the puck. No reckless cross-ice passes at the blue line that can be intercepted and turned into scoring chances the other way. No selfless play in the offensive zone. If they have the shot, they must take it and not pass it up. They also can't afford to fall behind in these games. Unlike most teams that score early and then go into defend mode, the Devils are always looking to score the next goal. They have one gear in their transmission box: fifth. In their last meeting, the Rangers trailed 2-0 after the first period, and even though they outplayed the Devils over the final forty minutes, they were unable to get the tying goal passed Vanecek. Getting off to a good start must be priority one.

Priority two will be special teams. During the regular season, the Rangers power play was seventh best in the league at 24.1 percent. And while their penalty kill was only middle of the pack for most of the regular season, over the last 16 games, they've given up only three goals while shorthanded 35 times. Prorated, that would be good enough for second best in the league at 85.7 percent. Only the Bruins at 87.3 percent had a higher percentage.

On paper, this Rangers team is better than the one that went to the conference finals last year and was six wins away from their first Cup championship since 1994. They have, arguably, the deepest roster of any team in the postseason, with 20 plus goal scorers scattered throughout their top nine. They also have the better goaltender in the series. Over his last two months, Igor Shesterkin has posted save percentages of .932 and .941 respectively.

But here's the thing: paper doesn't win playoff series; players do. And to win this series, the Rangers best players - Zibanaejad, Panarin, Fox, Kreider, Shesterkin, Trouba and the Kids - are all going to have to be better than the Devils best players - Hughes, Hischier, Meier, Hamilton, Bratt and Mercer. It's that simple.

One caveat to consider. During the regular season, the Rangers had 13 overtime or shootout loses. Among playoff teams, only the Dallas Stars (14) had more. If just six of those OT / SO losses had been wins, the Rangers would have the home ice advantage in this series. That may or may not come back to haunt them.

That aside, though, I expect this series to go the distance, and it's not being overly cliché to predict that the team that makes the fewest mistakes will likely advance to the next round. Rangers in seven.

Boston vs. Florida: The Puddy Tats had a chance to avoid catching the Bruins in the first round. All they had to do was beat the Carolina Hurricanes at home and they'd be on their way to Raleigh next week. But in typical fashion, they flubbed it. Last season's President's Trophy winner now goes up against the real McCoy. The Bruins had the season of a lifetime. They are loaded at every position, and even if they don't go all the way, they have more than enough to throttle the Panthers. I would be shocked if this went more than five games. Bruins in five.

Toronto vs. Tampa Bay: A month ago I would've bet the ranch on the Bolts. But Kyle Dubas did a great job at the trade deadline transforming the Maple Leafs from a one trick pony into a deeper and tougher team. Ilya Samsonov gives Toronto something they haven't had in years: solid goaltending. And let's be honest, this is not the same Lightning team that went to three consecutive finals and won two Cups in a row. Leafs in six.

Carolina vs. Islanders: Am I being too sarcastic to suggest that watching paint dry would be more entertaining than watching these two offensively-challenged overachievers knocked the shit out of each other for a week and a half? The Isles do have the better goaltending, so that should give them a fighting chance. Not having Andrei Svechnikov and Max Pacioretty will eventually catch up with the Canes, but not in this round. Hurricanes in six.

Western Conference:

Vegas vs. Winnipeg: The Golden Knights have proven a lot of skeptics wrong this season - myself included. Without one of their top forwards in Mark Stone and with a revolving door for goaltending, they are the number one seed in the West. Congrats to Bruce Cassidy, who did a helluva job behind the bench. They probably don't have the horses to get past Colorado and Edmonton but they have more than enough to dispose of the Jets. Golden Knights in five.

Colorado vs. Seattle: Not having the services of Gabriel Landeskog for the playoffs will severely test the depth of a team that already lost its number two center Nazem Kadri to the Calgary Flames during the off season. If I were the Avs, I'd be a little concerned about facing a Kraken team that can put the puck in the next and, in only its second year of existence, is playing with house money. Avalanche in seven.

Edmonton vs. Los Angeles: Want to hear something crazy? Over the last seven games, the Oilers have given up a paltry six goals. No that wasn't a misprint. The team with the best offense on Planet Earth has goal's against average of under a goal per game in their last seven. Are we witnessing the beginning of the NHL's next dynasty? Oilers in five.

Dallas vs. Minnesota: Last season, the Stars took the Calgary Flames to a game seven in the first round before finally losing to them in OT. This season, they're one of the best teams in the NHL with a potent offense and a solid defense. The Wild will be without Joel Eriksson Ek for at least the first four games of the series. That maybe four too many. Stars in five.

Once the first round is over, I'll make my predictions for round two.

NHL Playoff Predictions - Play-in Round

After a four and half month sabbatical due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs will finally get under way August 1. The two hub cities - Toronto and Edmonton - will host the playoffs; Toronto the Eastern conference, Edmonton the Western conference.

The Play-in round - or as we used to call it back in the day the preliminary round - will consist of four best of five series per conference between the lower eight teams: five through twelve. The winners will play the top four teams in each conference. Because the top four teams play three games each in a round robin the final seeding is yet to be determined. That and the fact that the league has decided to reseed after each round, makes it impossible to predict what the matchups will be in the second round.

However, we do know, and have known for some time, what the matchups are for this round. Before I get into my picks, some observations. First, there's no way of knowing what effect such a long layoff will have on each team. Consider that in the 1991-92 season, the Rangers were the clear favorites to win the Cup. Then the players went out on strike just before the playoffs began, and even though the stoppage lasted only last ten days, it was enough to disrupt the Blueshirts momentum heading into the tournament. They struggled to beat the Devils in seven in the first round, then got ousted by the Penguins in the second. Just imagine what the Bruins must be thinking.

That being said, since everyone's in the same boat, my gut tells me that the best talented teams will prevail, assuming, that is, that no one tests positive for the virus. If a Sidney Crosby, an Artemi Panarin, or an Alex Ovechkin were to test positive, that would be a game changer. The fact that the playoffs are taking place north of the border in two Canadian cities where the virus for the most part is under control gives me hope that the NHL, of all the sports leagues in North America, may come out unscathed.

So, without further ado, let's get started.

Eastern Conference:

Penguins (5) vs. Canadiens (12). Forget all the hype about Carey Price possibly stealing this series for the Habs. They're just not that good a team. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has the scoring to turn this into a laugher pretty quickly. Pens in three.

Hurricanes (6) vs. Rangers (11). Now you know why Carolina voted no to this playoff format. The Blueshirts, in addition to sweeping the season series against the Hurricanes, had one of the best second-half records in the NHL. When you consider they have two of the best forwards in the league playing on two separate lines, top scoring on the backline and superior goaltending, if Dougie Hamilton can't go, this could get ugly fast. Rangers in four.

Islanders (7) vs. Panthers (10). The Putty Tats do have balanced scoring up front, I'll give them that, but the Islanders style of play and defensive-minded system will take its toll. Both coaches are Cup winners, but only one has the players that can win in the trenches. Isles in four.

Maple Leafs (8) vs. Blue Jackets (9). If the Leafs can't win a series with all the games played in their own host city they should be ashamed of themselves. Fortunately for them they catch a break here. John Tortorella is a great coach but, unlike last season when his team swept the Lightning, he doesn't have the horses this time around. Leafs in five.

Western Conference:

Oilers (5) vs. Blackhawks (12). How pissed are the Oilers? By all rights, they should be the four seed playing round-robin games. Instead they get stuck playing the Hawks, who, let's be honest, are at least three seasons removed from being a serious playoff contender. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are going to have a field day. Edmonton is putting together a team that looks strangely like the one that captured five Cups in seven years three decades ago. Oilers in three.

Predators (6) vs. Coyotes (11). With Nashville, you never know what you're going to get. Since going to the finals three seasons ago, they've been perennial underachievers. Against a Phoenix team that's somewhat undermanned, they should prevail, but I wouldn't bet any money on them. Preds in five.

Canucks (7) vs. Wild (10). When J.T. Miller is your leading scorer that's not saying much. Still against a Minnesota team that did its best to put the rest of the league to sleep this season that might be enough. Interesting tidbit: Miller will be facing another ex-Rangers teammate in Mats Zuccarello, which will only mean something in New York. Canucks in five.

Flames (8) vs. Jets (9). Call this a tossup. Two seasons ago, the Jets made it all the way to the conference finals before being upset by the Vegas Golden Knights. So that's probably enough to tilt the series in their favor. Plus they have the likely Vezina trophy winner. Jets in five.

As in my past predictions, don't put much stock in these. I do them primarily for fun.

Enjoy the games. We've certainly waited long enough for them.

The NHL Says "Game On!"

The announcement that the NHL and the NHLPA have agreed on a plan to resume the 2019-20 season is good news to the millions of hockey fans throughout the U.S. and Canada. While the league still hasn't set a hard start date for play to resume, nor decided on which two locations will serve as host cities, this much we do know:

The balance of the regular season will be canceled. Any and all awards, including the Hart and Vezina trophies, will be determined based on the stats at the time play was suspended.

Each team will be limited to a total of 50 personnel, including 28 skaters and 3 goalies. The league is considering banning all fighting and requiring players to wear full face shields to reduce spread of droplets.

Training camps should begin sometime in early July, with the playoffs commencing by the end of the month or early August. The Stanley Cup final will likely be played in late September or early October, depending on conditions and length of series.

The playoff format will consist of 12 teams per conference for a total of 24. The top four teams in each conference will play a round robin to determine seeding and all will receive a bye. The final eight teams in each conference will face off against each other in a best of five as follows: 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10 and 8 vs. 9. The winners of those series will go on to play the top seeds in the second round. It has yet to be determined whether those series will be a best of five or best of seven. Both the conference and league finals will be a best of seven.

The eight losers in the opening round will join the seven teams that did not qualify for the postseason in the draft lottery, which the league still plans on holding in June, even though we won't know who the losers of the opening round will be until August. They will be designated teams A through H.

Some observations on the playoff format.

There will be a total of five rounds, so even if the first two rounds are best of five, it is conceivable that the team that wins the Cup could wind up playing as many as 31 games, three more than a typical playoff season. And that means the toughest championship in professional sports to win is about to become even tougher.

Both Montreal and Chicago will qualify for the tournament under this plan, even though neither team had a winning record. While this is not the first time the NHL has had teams with sub-500 records in the playoffs, there is, understandably, some concern that either or both could pull off an upset over a better team. Last year, the Tampa Bay Lightning - the President's Trophy winner - got swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets. In a best of five, all it would take is a couple of lucky bounces here and there for lightning to strike twice, no pun intended. Still, the likelihood of that happening is fairly remote. As good a goalie as Carey Price is, the Canadiens were still a mediocre team at best; and as far as the Blackhawks are concerned, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane's best days are way behind them. Shame on the NHL if either makes it to the third round, much less the Cup finals.

The three round robin games that the top four teams in each conference will have to play to determine seeding is extremely unfair to the Boston Bruins. When the season was suspended back in March, the Bruins had an eight-point lead over the second place Lightning. Thanks to this format, they could drop all the way down to fourth, meaning if each favorite team in the opening (play-in) round prevails, they would be stuck playing a tougher opponent in the next round. Beantown should be pissed.

The Rangers caught a huge break. They were on the outside looking in when play was halted. Now, thanks to Providence, they're first-round opponent is the Carolina Hurricanes, a team they went 4 - 0 against during the regular season, and a team they stack up very well against. In fact, of all the first-round series, the Blueshirts have the best shot at pulling off an upset. In fact, here's another tidbit to nibble on. If the current seeding among the top four does not change and the league doesn't reseed after the opening round, the Rangers next opponent would be the Washington Capitals and not the Boston Bruins. While Caps are hardly chopped liver, I'd much rather play them than the Bruins. In other words, for a team that's still considered in the early stages of a rebuild, they could make it all the way to the third round. How 'bout them apples?

All things considered, this was the best possible way for the NHL to resume play. It rewards the top teams with a bye; it gives teams that were only a few points out of a playoff spot with ten games to go  a new lease on life; and by expanding the tournament to include cities like Chicago and Montreal with a postseason berth, it will generate ad revenue from those cities, which will help the bottom line of the league going into next season. Kudos to Gary Bettman for not blowing this.

Given that the NBA still doesn't know whether it will play the balance of its regular season before starting the playoffs and that Major League Baseball is currently locked in a dispute between ownership and the union over how much revenue the players will give up in a shortened season, hockey might be the only game in town this summer. The last time that happened was never.

I don't know about you but I can't wait for the puck to drop.