Will the Real New York Rangers Please Stand Up

For most of the 2024-25 season, the New York Rangers have been a shell of the team that won the Presidents' Trophy and came within two wins of advancing to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 2014. After getting off to a 12-4-1 start, the Blueshirts went 6-16-1 over their last 23 games going into last night's game against the New Jersey Devils at the Garden. They were 5-10-1 against teams that made the playoffs last season, and two of those losses came against the Washington Capitals - the team they swept in the first round last year.

The numbers were growing alarming. The goal differential over this stretch was a league-worst minus 31. How bad is that? The Chicago Blackhawks were a minus 21 over the same stretch, and they're one of the worst teams in the NHL. The once vaunted power play converted on only 8 of 62 attempts for a putrid 12.9 percent. The penalty kill wasn't that much better. In 56 times shorthanded, the Rangers successfully killed off the opposing power play 77.8 percent of the time. And as if to add insult to injury, the team's save percentage - the one stat that they could always point to with pride - was a woeful .881 - 7th from the bottom.

Talk about slumming. The wheels were rapidly coming off on the season. Titanic? Try Lusitania. It was looking very much like Chris Drury was going to be a seller at the trade deadline.

And then the Rangers did something peculiar; something we haven't seen them do in a very long time; they played their best, most inspiring game of the season against a team that in the last two meetings outscored them a combined 10-1. Last night's 3-2 OT win over the Devils was as exciting as it was unexpected. The power play went 2 for 3; the penalty kill 4 for 4. And even though they didn't score at 5v5, they dominated most of the play - especially in the 3rd period - outshooting New Jersey overall 32-23, and out chancing them 29-25; 10-8 in high-danger chances.

I don't want to get too carried away here; after all, it's only one game. But I don't want to minimize it either. It's one thing to get outplayed and have to rely on Igor Shesterkin to save the day, which pretty much has been the formula the last three seasons; it's quite another when the 18 skaters in front of him collectively hold one of the most explosive teams in the NHL to two goals. To put this in perspective, the last time the Rangers played the Devils in December, they managed just one HD scoring chance to New Jersey's 11. To say they phoned it in would be putting it mildly.

Even before last night's game there were signs of life. Against the Dallas Stars, the Rangers were less than 3 minutes away from a 4-3 win before K'Andre Miller turned the puck over in the defensive zone and the Stars tied the score, eventually winning in OT. Apart from Miller's mistake, they played well enough to win that game. Indeed, the Broadway Blues have played only one bad game the entire month of January. After a horrific stretch, the Rangers are slowly beginning to resemble, if not that Presidents' Trophy team, at least one that can make the playoffs.

What is responsible for this turnaround? Put succinctly, the core is producing. Mika Zibanejad has awakened from his season-long coma. He has a five-game scoring streak, with two goals and three assists. Artemi Panarin has a goal and three assists in his last three games. Vincent Trocheck has three goals and two assists over that same stretch. Alexis Lafreniere finally broke his 13-game goal drought with a pair against the Stars. And Adam Fox scored his second goal of the season; his first was an empty netter against the Sabres in Buffalo on December 11.

Now for the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Is this turnaround for real, or are we simply in the eye of a perfect storm that was in the process of destroying the entire season? After all, even bad teams are capable of having good stretches, right?

I suppose we'll know soon enough. The Rangers hit the road to play the Vegas Golden Knights, the Colorado Avalanche and the Utah Hockey Club before returning to the Garden to face the Columbus Blue Jackets. Every one of those teams has a winning record; Vegas currently has a league-leading 59 points. They finish the month at home against the Avalanche and the Carolina Hurricanes. If the Rangers are going to make a push, they will have to do so against some of the toughest teams in the NHL. As Steve Valiquette said after last night's win, the easy part of the schedule is over.

The problem with digging a hole is that sometimes you can't climb out of it. You eventually run out of runway, to use another analogy. But for now, at least, this team has apparently decided to put up a fight. They look nothing like the team that slept walked through December and most of November. 

At the half-way mark of the season, the Rangers record stands at 19-20-2. They currently sit in 5th place in the Metropolitan Division, four points out of the second wild card spot, with four teams ahead of them. Their task is indeed daunting, but it's one they brought on themselves.

As a friend of mine is fond of saying: "How do you deal with a sink full of dirty dishes? One dish at a time."

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.

Will the Real New York Rangers Please Stand Up

It is an axiom that no team, regardless of how good they are, ever goes through an entire regular season without experiencing a slump. After their best start in 30 years - a start that saw them jump out to the top of the NHL standings - it was only a matter of time before the New York Rangers experienced one.

To be clear, the issue is not that the Blueshirts have lost three of their last four games - and four of their last eight - the issue is how they've lost those games. Every single one has been by a margin of four goals: 5-1 to the Buffalo Sabres; 6-2 to the Ottawa Senators; 4-0 to the Washington Capitals; and 7-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The common denominator in all four was how poorly they played in every facet of the game. The Washington loss was a virtual no show, and in the Toronto loss, both Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner were untouched as they skated into the Rangers zone. Not even Patrick Roy could've stopped those goals. Not since last year's playoff loss against the New Jersey Devils have the Rangers been this uninspiring.

The drop-off in play is disconcerting, to say the least. After they beat the Boston Bruins at the Garden on November 25, the Rangers were first in the league in goals against, second in save percentage and third in goal differential. Over their last eight games, they have dropped to 11th in goals against, 11th in save percentage and 9th in goal differential. 

Ironically, while the Rangers have been in the midst of this slump, they've also played two of their better games of the season: a 3-2 win over the up and coming Detroit Red Wings and a 4-1 thumping of the L.A. Kings; the latter considered by many to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

So how is this possible? How can a team play so well one game, then fall apart the next? Until the Leafs game, a pattern was emerging. Against teams with winning records, the Rangers were 11-2-0, with a goals against average of 2.38 and a save percentage of .922. Against teams with non-winning records, the Rangers were 8-4-1, with a goals against average of 3.08 and a save percentage of .896. The obvious conclusion was that the Rangers were playing down to the level of their opponent.

The loss against Toronto seems to have thrown that conclusion out the window. The Leafs may not be the Bruins or the Kings, but they are hardly the San Jose Sharks. In fact, as of this writing, they are only four points out of first place in the Atlantic division. If you can't get up for a team like that, especially after a convincing win against the Kings, then you have a problem.

Some have laid the blame at Igor Shesterkin's skates. While it's true that the former Vezina trophy winner has let in several questionable goals this season, the fact is that prior to his last start against the Leafs, his save percentage against winning teams was .917. By comparison, Jonathan Quick's save percentage against those same teams was .932. But here's the rub: if you subtract his shutout against the Pittsburgh Penguins, that save percentage drops down to .906. So, clearly, the problem isn't Igor.

Then just what is the problem? I think it boils down to attrition. Since the injury to Filip Chytil and the subsequent one to Kaapo Kakko, the Rangers have been primarily a two-line team. Nick Bonino, who was brought in for his checking abilities, is simply not a third-line center; not at this stage of his career. When Chytil went down with what is believed to have been the fourth or fifth concussion of his young career, he had six points - all assists - in 10 games. So far, Bonino has one goal and three assists for four points in 27 games. You don't need to be a statistician to know that four points in 27 games isn't going to cut it, not when other teams are getting production from their third lines. And while Kakko wasn't exactly lighting it up on the score sheet, his defense away from the puck made him an asset to his team.

The fact is not having these two forwards in the lineup has put a strain on the ability of the Rangers to generate a sustained forecheck. Peter Laviolette has been forced to rotate Blake Wheeler and Johnny Brodzinski on the first line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Neither are top six forwards. Sooner or later, this was going to catch up with them. That it took this long is a credit to the resiliency of the players and the coaching bonafides of Laviolette's staff. Make no mistake about it: this team wins not because of its talent, but because of its adherence to a system that brings structure and discipline; two words typically not associated with the Blueshirts. Were it not for Artemi Panarin and a power play that is currently ranked second in the league, the Rangers would likely be up a creek without a paddle. Clearly, something needs to be done. But what?

It's important to remember that even with the issues they've had of late, the Rangers are still in first place in the Metropolitan division and second overall in the Eastern conference. They are number one in face off percentage and are one of the top teams in the league in blocked shots. The fast start they got off to has given GM Chris Drury the leeway he needs to not make a panic move.

But everything hinges on how long Chytil remains out? If he is able to return by January, Drury may elect to ride out the storm. But if the long-term prognosis for Chytil is bleak, he will have to trade for a center. Because the Rangers were forced to place Chytil and Kakko on LTIR, they are not accruing cap space during this time. That means that any salary Drury adds will have to be offset once Chytil and Kakko are activated, unless they shut down one or both for the duration of the regular season.

If Drury wants to hedge his bet, a good option would be Sean Monahan of the Montreal Canadiens. The pending UFA has 9 goals, 17 points and a 56.9 win percentage on face offs. And he only makes $1.985 million, meaning even if Chytil and Kakko both return, the Rangers can accommodate his cap hit. Best of all, it would allow Laviolette to move Chytil to right wing where he might prosper more; Kakko would then return to the first line and Bonino to the forth line where both belong. 

So, the Rangers have their first slump of the season. The sky isn't falling; not yet, anyway. But there are storm clouds on the horizon.

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. 

Why I'm Bullish on the Rangers

Let's face it. The way last season ended left a bad taste in Rangers fans mouths. After jumping out to a 2-0 series lead against the Devils, the Blueshirts dropped four of the next five games. Three of those losses, including the series clincher, weren't even competitive. Once more, the franchise that has won exactly one Stanley Cup since World War II went home early.

Chris Drury did not take it well. The President and G.M. fired his head coach Gerard Gallant and replaced him with Peter Laviolette, whose resume includes three trips to the finals and one Cup. With the limited cap space he had, Drury then went out and signed three forwards to shore up the bottom six, a defenseman to play on the third pairing and a backup to Igor Shesterkin. No Vladimir Tarasenko, no Patrick Kane, no big splash.

It's easy to understand how some could look at the Rangers offseason and be skeptical about their prospects going into the 2023-24 campaign. As someone who's followed this team since 1971, I've learned the hard way not to get my hopes up. When Jon Matlack asked Jerry Grote what he could expect pitching for the Mets, Grote replied, "If you don't allow a run, I guarantee you at least a tie." Some fan bases are conditioned to be happy with what they can get.

But after giving the matter considerable thought, I think it would be a huge mistake to sleep on this team. To be honest, I'm rather bullish on their chances. And not because I'm an incurable optimist. If anything, I'm more jaded now than I was 30-40 years ago. I just have a hunch that this team, which has broken more hearts than Taylor Swift at a Jets game, might catch lightning in a bottle.

There are three reasons for my optimism:

The core: After getting off to a sluggish 11-10-5 start last season, the Rangers went 36-12-8 the rest of the way. That's a .642 winning percentage. Only the Boston Bruins - at .793 - were better. They accomplished this mostly without the assistance of Tarasenko or Kane, who despite their impressive bonafides, wound up disrupting the chemistry on this team. That no doubt was a contributing factor in their early exit.

With Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren and Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers have one of the more impressive cores in the NHL. If the kids take the next step and fulfill their promise, this will be a very tough team to play against this season.

Blake Wheeler, Nick Bonino, Tyler Pitlick and Erik Gustafsson are the sort of complimentary players Tarasnko and Kane never were. While other G.M.s overpaid for their free agents, Drury didn't panic and got good value. Given what he had to work with, he had himself a helluva good summer.

The coach: Four times over the last 30 years, the Rangers have brought in a more experienced coach to turn around a roster that had underperformed the previous year: Mike Keenan in 1993; John Tortorella in 2009; Alain Vigneault in 2013; and Gallant in 2021. With the exception of Tortorella, every hire paid immediate dividends. The '94 Rangers won their first Stanley Cup since 1940; the '14 Rangers went to the Cup finals; and the '22 Rangers went to the Eastern Conference finals.

While it's no slam dunk that Laviolette will replicate his predecessors success, it's worth noting that in his first full season behind the bench in Carolina, the Hurricanes won the Cup; four years later in his first year as head coach in Philadelphia, he took the Flyers to the finals. Everywhere he goes, his teams win. If that isn't a good omen, I don't know what is.

Laviolette's two greatest challengers will be 1) to convince a team that is used to playing an east-west style of hockey to play a more north-south style; and 2) to get Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko to play like the top six forwards scouts predicted they'd be when they were drafted number one and two respectively. David Quinn and Gallant each failed at both. The hope is that Laviolette will be the proverbial third time charm.

The Eastern Conference: The hockey gods have a strange sense of humor. Last season, the Atlantic division was stacked with the Boston Bruins winning the President's Trophy going away and the Tampa Bay Lightning vying for their fourth consecutive trip to the finals. In the Metro division, both the Devils and Hurricanes had outstanding seasons.

This season, the Metro will still be tough, but in the Atlantic, both the Bruins and Lightning have had roster turnovers that will weaken them considerably. Tampa will be without goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy until mid December. Nobody knows what to make of the Florida Panthers. Are they the team that came within three wins of capturing the Cup? Or are they the team that got swept in the second round in '22. And let's face it, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the Cleveland Browns of Canada. Any team that gets out of the Metro should be the odds-on favorite to advance to the finals.

I'm not saying the Rangers will have an easy path; far from it. But they have had success against the Canes. And if they can find a way to contain the Devils speed, there might be another banner hanging in Madison Square Garden.

Prognosis: Like that 2013-14 team, which went 16-18-2 in their first 36 games, I fully expect the Rangers to struggle out of the gate. They were 1 for 18 on the power play during the preseason. Not a good sign. Going all the way back to game three of the Devils series last season, they're 2 for their last 39. That has got to change. For this team to be a contender, they must have a productive power play.

Assuming they hit their stride by early December, the Rangers should once again finish third in the Metro; the Kids will blossom under Laviolette; and Shesterkin will lead them to their first Stanley Cup in 30 years.

NHL Power Rankings (Pre-Postseason)

I'm not much of a fan of power rankings during the season. Seriously, unless you're a fan, who cares how a team is doing in December or January? After all, it's not how you start but how you finish, right? So with the playoffs a week away, I thought I'd entertain you with my first, and probably last, NHL power rankings (Pre-Postseason). If you take a gander at how my pre-season predictions went - that is after you get done chuckling - you'll know why I don't particularly like doing these.

One difference between my power rankings and others is that I break mine down by conference. Until the NHL goes to a 1-16 playoff format, it doesn't make sense to do a league-wide power ranking. Yes, I know the Eastern conference is better than the Western conference. So what? You play the hand you're dealt.

While each conference has eight teams that make the playoffs, realistically only six have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Therefore, I'll confine my analysis to those teams starting with the East.

Eastern Conference:

1. Boston Bruins: The no brainer of the decade, the Bruins are on track to have the best regular season since the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. They could also be the first President's trophy winner since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks to win the Cup. Apart from some age at center - Pierre Bergeron and David Krejci are 37 and 36 respectively - there are no weaknesses. They have depth at forward and on defense, and they have the best goaltending tandem in the league. If they don't get extended in an early round, they could be unstoppable.

2. New York Rangers: They seem to be hitting their stride at just the right moment. They have arguably the top three lines in the NHL thanks to the wheeling and dealing of Chris Drury. Since the beginning of March, Igor Shesterkin has a save percentage of over .930, and with the return of Ryan Lindgren, they're solid on the backline. The only question is whether this incredibly talented group is prepared to play a full 60 minutes of hockey over four rounds. If the answer is yes, they could go all the way.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning: They're not as deep as the team that won back to back Cups, but any core that has Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos is not to be trifled with. Despite getting lit up by the Rangers at the Garden, Andrei Vasilevskiy is still one of the best money goaltenders in the NHL. They do have a losing road record, which given that they likely won't have home ice in any of their matchups, could dampen their prospects.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ryan O'Reilly should be back in time for the start of the postseason, and that is welcomed news for an organization that hasn't won a playoff round since 2004, or a Stanley Cup since 1967. Fortunately for the Leafs, Ilya Samsonov has taken over the goaltending duties from Matt Murray, which gives them at least a fighting chance against the Lightning.

5. New Jersey Devils: Apart from the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche, no team in the NHL is faster on the puck than the Devils. Tom Fitzgerald has done a masterful job building a team that is young and explosive. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are the best one-two punch at center in the conference. The only potential hiccup is between the pipes. Vitek Vanecek is no one's idea of an elite goalie.

6. Carolina Hurricanes: Rod Brind'Amour may be one of the best coaches in the NHL, but even he can't overcome the loss of Max Pacioretty and Andrei Svechnikov. And even at full strength, their goaltending is above average at best. They should survive one round, but they don't match up well against either the Rangers or Devils. Don Waddell needed to do more at the trade deadline. He didn't. 

Western Conference:

1. Colorado Avalanche: Losing Nazem Kadri to free agency hurts them at center. However, they are still a threat to repeat as champs, but only if Gabriel Landeskog returns by the playoffs. Alexandar Georgiev is an upgrade from Darcy Kemper in goal.

2. Edmonton Oilers: Stuart Skinner gives the Oilers something they haven't had in a long time: reliable goaltending. And deadline acquisition Mattias Ekholm gives them a physical presence on the backline. Their top six is all world and speaks for itself.

3. Minnesota Wild: It's a mystery how Bill Guerin hasn't won GM of the year. For the second straight season his team is among the best in the conference, despite carrying $12 million in dead cap, courtesy of his predecessor, Chuck Fletcher. Apparently the Flyers aren't the only organization Fletcher screwed over. The man should be permanently barred from the league.

4. Dallas Stars: If Jake Oettinger plays like he did last postseason against the Calgary Flames when he stood on his head, the Stars will be a threat to go to the finals. This is a solid team with a vastly improved offense and a still very stingy defense.

5. Vegas Golden Knights: Yours truly didn't have them as a playoff team this season. So much for my prowess as a talent evaluator. Given that they lost Mark Stone for the season and have had to use four goalies, it's nothing short of amazing they're doing this well. Bruce Cassidy has done a helluva job behind the bench.

6. Los Angeles Kings: Adding Kevin Fiala makes them a more explosive offense. Unfortunately, their defense has regressed from last season's. Among playoff teams in the West, only the Oilers have given up more goals.

Next week, I'll make my playoff predictions, once we know what the matchups are.