Rangers' big playoff push? It's on!

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- It's down to a dozen.

The Rangers left California for New York Sunday with 12 games remaining to secure the seventh or eighth spot in the Eastern Conference and avoid missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

To reach the postseason, the Rangers likely will need seven or eight wins or 15 or 16 of the 24 available points. The path won't be easy: Six of the 12 games are against teams holding postseason slots and four of those six are on the road. In addition to facing the Bruins and Flyers, the Rangers visit Pittsburgh and Buffalo.

"Everybody talks about offense and scoring goals, but if we don't stay stingy defensively, we don't have an opportunity to compete," coach John Tortorella said before Saturday night's game against the Sharks, the second of a road trip that began with a 5-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

Seven of the final dozen games are at Madison Square Garden, beginning Tuesday with the fifth of six meetings this season against the Islanders. The Rangers have won three straight against their neighbors after a 6-4 loss on Oct. 11 but haven't faced them since Dec. 27. And home ice hasn't been an advantage for the Rangers, who are 15-16-3 in the midtown mecca under renovation.

Five of the dozen are on the road, including four in a row, starting with a Saturday matinee in Boston on March 26 and finishing with an April 3 afternoon game in always-tough Philadelphia. That's where the Rangers, despite a 46-save performance by Henrik Lundqvist, were left on the playoff doorstep after a shootout loss in the final game of last season.

Then the regular season wraps up at home with three straight against the Bruins, Thrashers and surging Devils, who may well be in the hunt -- and if they are not, will be overjoyed to play a spoiler role.

The Sabres and Hurricanes have games in hand, but one positive is that the banged-up Blueshirts (Marc Staal and Vinny Prospal have sore knees, Ryan Callahan has an aching shoulder, Brian Boyle's back is stiff, Brandon Prust's hand isn't 100 percent) should be rested for the stretch run. They have played only two games in the last six nights and have only two in the next six days. With veteran backup Martin Biron out with a broken collarbone, the schedule also is favorable for Lundqvist, who is expected to start all 12 games, depending on the standings.

One difference from last season is a tiebreaker rule change that could impact the Rangers. A win in 65 minutes is more valuable than a shootout victory. If two or more teams are tied in points, shootout wins are tossed out as the first tiebreaker. The Rangers have seven, the Sabres five, the Hurricanes and Leafs four, and the Devils three.

The second and third tiebreakers (head-to-head record and goal differential) are unchanged. So why wouldn't a team pull its goaltender for an extra attacker during a tie game to avoid the shootout?

Big risk.

Under Rule 84.2, if a team is scored upon and loses, it forfeits its guaranteed point. And points, as the Rangers know, are at a premium in March and April.