Rangers reaching new heights
Rangers' Brian Boyle celebrates after scoring a goal as Buffalo Sabres' Brad Boyes skates away. (March 23, 2012) Credit: AP
On numbers alone, this regular season has been one of the most successful in Rangers history. A win at home Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens -- or in any of the four games after that -- would be their 50th of the season, tying the 1991-92 team for their second-highest total in 86 years. And with seven points in the remaining five games, the Rangers would match the franchise-high 112 points by the 1994 Stanley Cup champions.
The Rangers need only five points in their remaining five games to clinch the Eastern Conference title, but the numbers tell only part of the tale.
Wednesday night's 4-2 win in Winnipeg, which came a night after a 3-2 victory over the Wild in Minnesota, illustrated the team-wide resiliency and resolve that forged a back-to-back sweep on the road when, with a playoff spot already clinched, a letdown certainly was possible. But after falling behind 2-0 in the second period, the Rangers generated a comeback at MTS Centre, where the Jets were 23-12-4, sparked by Michael Del Zotto's shorthanded goal.
"Any time you get a shorthanded goal, it gives you momentum," said captain Ryan Callahan, whose all-around play has made him a candidate for the Selke Trophy awarded to the league's top defensive forward. "After that, we started to take the game over . . . We've got to be focused on us right now. It doesn't matter who we're playing, whether it's a second-place team or a team out of the playoffs."
The Canadiens (29-34-14, 72 points), whom the Rangers have beaten only once in three tries, are among the latter. Montreal ownership, disenchanted on many fronts, fired general manager Pierre Gauthier Thursday.
Meanwhile, as the Rangers prepare for the postseason, one of their issues is on defense, where only Dan Girardi (32 games) and Marc Staal (22 games) have significant playoff experience.
Tim Erixon, who had two assists in five games after being recalled from the AHL Connecticut Whale, was returned Thursday. Erixon, 21, averaged about 11 minutes but was scratched for the Wild and Jets games. The rookie probably will be back for the playoffs, although he has never appeared in an NHL postseason game.
Three other defensemen (Del Zotto, Anton Stralman and Stu Bickel) also have never appeared in an NHL playoff game, and three others have played a handful. Ryan McDonagh played in five games last season; Steve Eminger, now skating lightly on a sprained right ankle, dressed in five postseason games (Washington, 2007-08), and Jeff Woywitka was in four (St. Louis, 2008-09).
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