A Rangers-Islanders playoff series? It could happen
John Tavares #91 of the Islanders controls the puck in the first period of a game against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Jan. 31, 2014. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Winter is for dreamers. Deep, uncharted waters lie ahead before spring, but will the Rangers and Islanders meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 1994?
Given a number of factors -- the NHL's current playoff format, which favors divisional matchups, the standings as we close in on December, and some puck luck down the road -- it's a good possibility.
If the Rangers, who should fare better with Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan and Dan Boyle back from long-term injuries, and the Islanders, who have already collected points in droves, finish 2-3 in the Metropolitan Division, that's a first-round matchup in April. An opening 1-4 series, between the Metro division leader and a wild card, also is possible.
And if not, the rivals -- if both reach the postseason -- could meet in the second round if they each advance past their opening series.
Should either the Blueshirts or Islanders finish first in the Metro, they would have to eliminate a wild-card team, which Pittsburgh and Boston did last season.
And the other team, in the 2-3 matchup, would have to survive. In any scenario, it's a heckuva way to bring the curtain down in the final year of the Nassau Coliseum.
There's already been speculation among hockey observers that only three Metropolitan Division clubs will make the playoffs, with the Atlantic Division sending the top three, plus both wild-card teams, based on total points.
To be sure, Tampa, Montreal, Boston and Detroit have been the class of the Atlantic, but is anyone really sold on Toronto as a wild card? It's certainly conceivable that the Washington Capitals or another Metro club could grab a fourth spot and a wild card.
It's been seven years since all three local teams -- the Islanders, Rangers and Devils -- made the NHL playoffs in the same season. That was back when the conference-style format was in place, with 1-8, 2-7, etc. pairings in the first round.
It's tougher now for the Metro trio, even with injury-ravaged Columbus and Carolina struggling mightily through November.
Back in 1994, the Rangers swept the Islanders in four games, as the top-seeded Blueshirts outscored the eighth-seeded Isles 22-3. Somehow, you don't envision the same scenario this spring -- if it happens. In fact, the Islanders dispatched the Rangers 6-3 on Oct. 14 at Madison Square Garden.
With 60 games left, an awful lot can happen, but the Rangers should be able to make up the necessary ground to qualify for the playoffs. And, based on an informal survey of NHL writers, it would be stunning if the Islanders miss.
At the very least, fans will be treated to a preview of a possible post-season matchup, with four regular-season games left between the Rangers and Islanders, at the Garden on Jan. 13, and three at Nassau Coliseum on Jan. 27, Feb. 16, and March 10.
End of the year rally
The Rangers play 12 games in December. In four of the last five years, the Rangers have played .500 or better in December:
December 2013: 6-6-2, 14 points
December 2012: 3-4-0*, 6 points
December 2011: 10-4-1, 21 points
December 2010: 8-3-1, 17 points
December 2009: 6-4-3, 15 points
*Lockout-shortened season
Team Canada Juniors slor for Duclair
Is a spot on Team Canada's World Junior team next for The Duke? Maybe. It's no secret that Team Canada wants to borrow Anthony Duclair, the Rangers' 19-year-old winger, for the tournament which starts Dec. 26 in Toronto and Montreal, his hometown, and ends Jan. 5. Duclair is 1-6-7 in 17 games. If the Rangers release the rookie to Team Canada, he could miss about a half-dozen games and return in January.
Heard around . . .
Tanner Glass missed Friday and yesterday's games with the mumps and that reminded me: With the Ducks' Corey Perry and Francois Beachchemin missing five games with the mumps earlier this month, Bailey, the L.A. Kings' lion mascot, crossed the line. He danced around wearing a surgical gown, gloves and mask. "I don't think they would be laughing if they would get a couple of players with it," said Beauchemin. "That's not something you should mess around with." . . . Tweet of the Week: Mats Zuccarello on Martin St. Louis reaching 1,000 points. "Congrats @mstlouis_26 on 1000 points in the nhl. Im right behind u bud only 897p to go" . . . Rangers face the Lightning for final time in the regular season, and third in 15 days, tomorrow at Garden. They've been outscored 9-4. Ryan Callahan has four of them. Someone might want to cover No. 24.
