Rangers face tougher task in November with 15 games

November's cold chain

Made of wet boots and rain

And shiny black ravens

On chimney smoke lanes

November seems odd

You're my firing squad

November

-Tom Waits

MONTREAL -- Call it poetic license. A firing squad may not be the perfect metaphor for what the Rangers will be facing in November, but with 15 games on tap next month, the Blueshirts certainly will be tested.

For the Rangers, tomorrow night's game against the Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden is their last in October, a relatively placid month which consisted of nine games, with just two trips out of the New York metro area.

November, with basically a game every other day, promises to be stormier.

Sure, the team's No. 1 center, Derek Stepan, who has been sidelined with a fractured fibula since training camp, will be back. He began skating on his own a few days ago, and is eligible to return from long-term injured reserve on Nov. 3.

And yes, 10 of the 15 games in November are at home. There are five trips: to Toronto, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Tampa and Philadelphia.

Defenseman Dan Boyle (broken right hand) likely will miss half of the month, and like Stepan, will need time to adjust to game conditions. And 11 of the 15 games are against playoff teams from last season, including three with the Flyers, who are banged up on defense, but rarely a gentle matchup.

Boyle, who was brought in from San Jose specifically to quarterback the power play, hasn't gotten a chance, except in the preseason. As a result, the Rangers were ranked 25th in the NHL (2-for-20) entering last night's game.

So the task in November is formidable. The 10 home games, added to the five in October, leave 26 for the remaining four-and-a-half months of the regular season, and 32 on the road.

As road warriors last season, the Rangers were 25-14-4, but there's no guarantee of similar success. It would seem beneficial in the long run to capture as many points as possible at home (where they are currently 2-2) in November.

By the way, in last November's 15 games, the Rangers were 9-6, with no overtimes or shootouts. They have a different look this season, but the Rangers still should be a contender for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division.

Remember: Without an Olympic break or a lockout, this will be the first full "regular" NHL season since 2011-12. That's when the Rangers won 51 games, including 27 at home, won the Atlantic Division, compiled 109 points and went to the conference finals before losing to the Devils.

Long way to go. But collecting points in November could provide a little cushion for the winter, when it promises to be rougher sledding.

The Duke's tenure

The first year of rookie Anthony Duclair's entry-level deal is burning off whether the 19-year-old stays in New York or is sent back to his junior team, the Quebec Remparts.

Coach Alain Vigneault provided a memorable moment for Duclair last night by inserting him into the lineup to play in front of family and friends at the Bell Centre. For Duclair, who grew up in Quebec and as a kid idolized many players on the Canadiens, it was his first NHL game in Montreal.

The Rangers still have to decide if Duclair will stay with the team after nine NHL games. For the record, Vigneault won't say that a decision has been made. Indeed, he could be moved to junior when Derek Stepan comes back. But there's another number that could affect Duclair down the road that the Rangers are probably considering: 39.

Being on a club's active roster for 40 or more games, according to the collective bargaining agreement, is an accrued season. If Duclair is here for more than 39 games, he would be eligible for free agency at 26. Fewer than 39 games? Age 27.

Cheaper up north

Rangers fans -- and journalists -- visiting Montreal this weekend were pleasantly surprised. The U.S. dollar is strong. The Canadian dollar, which has been slipping in value, is worth 89 U.S. cents. Some economists, noting a continued drop in oil prices, are forecasting a slide into the low 80s in 2015. Since 2011, the Canadian dollar has mostly been close to or above $1.

The thinking is that NHL clubs, especially the seven teams in Canada, might feel a squeeze. The seven generate about one-third of the league's hockey-related revenues, so as the Canadian dollar weakens, league revenues go down. And NHL salaries are paid in dollars. It may all be offset by the dough being brought in by future Canadian TV rights. But for the Rangers, Islanders and Devils fans wanting to come north for future road trips, it's a little less expensive.