Halfway Mark: Who Are These Rangers?

The New York Rangers (26-13-2) are a team that established themselves as one of the best clubs in the NHL in the early goings of the season. Despite mediocre play as of late – with four straight losses – there’s a belief that even the Rangers play from earlier in the year wasn’t their ceiling.

The Rangers have currently converted at the highest rate in the NHL on the powerplay (30.08%) and have the seventh-best penalty kill (83.19%).

Speed at even-strength play was emphasized when Peter Laviolette was hired this past summer. Skating at 5-on-5, the Rangers have scored 81 goals (22nd in the NHL) relying on their power play far too much for a contender.

The Ranger's cornerstone players have shifted a bit compared to the last two seasons. Artemi Panarin is a goal scorer, tied for fifth in the league with 26 goals, and sits tied for third in the league in points (58, 32 assists).

Igor Shesterkin is not a deity, posting lows in every stat category in his fifth NHL season (16-10-0, 2.90 GAA, .901 SV%). The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner is still trying to find his game.

The Blueshirt's first game of the season was arguably their most complete effort in a new system. They scored in every situation, Shesterkin allowed just one goal, and the goat of the preseason, Alexis Lafreniere, scored to begin his torrid 2024 campaign.

In their first four games, they went 2-2-0. It was a masterful exposition, like a perfect script. All the seeds for what was to lie ahead were displayed in early October.

The Rangers would then make history on the long western road trip that spanned the first month of the season, winning a club-record five wins in a possible five games, never done before in the team's 98-year history.

They would begin their campaign boasting a 7-2-0 record as they returned to Madison Square Garden for just their third home game of the season.

That’s where the first page of the test began for the league’s best.

In a benchmark game, the Rangers dug in and defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, losing Filip Chytil and Adam Fox to long-term injuries.

At the end of the month, a Kaapo Kakko injury forced the Rangers to recall more help from the Hartford Wolf Pack, which included a brief stint from the highly anticipated prospect Brennan Othmann.

The Rangers opened the season playing too good to be true and had small samples of how the team played when they lost. Those were ugly.

In the team's 14 losses this season, they have surrendered four or more goals. In the 2023 portion of this season, the team was 25-7-1.

To start 2024, they are 1-3-1.

The Rangers are a team that, when they are on their game, are as much of a Stanley Cup contender as any other elite team in the NHL.

When they are off their game, they can't stop the bleeding.

So, who are these Rangers? 

They're a major question mark as we sit here on Jan. 13. Yes, they've dealt with injuries but so does every team. 

While they have been able to tread water, in large part due to Hartford call-ups, it will be interesting to see that when healthy, they can refind their game from earlier in the season as their Metro leads continue to get slimmer by the day. 

The Blue Shirts are focused on righting their wrongs against the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon after falling to their Metropolitan Division foes Saturday 3-2.