An in-depth look at the teams and matchups that will shape the second half of the New York Rangers season, and why it will be a dogfight for the once championship-caliber Blueshirts.
The New York Rangers have a backloaded second half of the season. The club has played 49 games this season, 22 games at Madison Square Garden, and 27 games on the road.
The Rangers are 15-7 at home and 15-9 on the road. Many of the matchups in the second half will be closer to home, meaning there will be a ramp-up in intensity for the last 33 games of the regular season.
Here's a look at the notable clubs they face in the second half of the season:
New York Islanders (20-17-2, 4th in Metro)
Matchup Dates: March 17, Apr. 9, Apr. 13
The Islanders are under the guise of a coach who may have his final shot behind an NHL bench and a team that is in the wildcard hunt. The team is 2-6-2 in their last 10 contests, but a new coach usually gets a raise out of their new troops.
The Islanders have a largely unchanged roster since their back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals runs, a Vezina-caliber netminder, and a spicy new connection between Mat Varzal Nad Bo Horvat who are looking to prove themselves as elite forwards down the stretch.
The Rangers are 2-2-1 against the suburbanites in their last five matchups and will start the second-half slate against their bitter rivals at Metlife Stadium before two matchups to end the year that will likely have major playoff stock.
New Jersey Devils (24-20-3, 6th in Metro)
Matchup Dates: Feb. 22, March 11, Apr. 3
Two things can be true at the same time. The Devils are struggling. The Devils play the Rangers like it's the Stanley Cup Final every game.
The Devils sit in the All-Star break four games out of the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Jersey is still in the hunt even with Timo Meier missing time and underperforming (18 points in 34 games), Palat regressing (16 points in 37 games), and Vanacek doing no favors (.886 SV%, 3.24 GAA), and Hughes and Hischier both sidelines for 26 games combined.
Based on the first matchup between arguably the Ranger's biggest rival in the last couple of seasons, a three-contest blood bath with critical playoff points for the Devils is on the horizon.
Philadelphia Flyers (25-19-6, 3rd in Metro)
Matchup Dates: Fe. 24, March 26, Apr. 11
The Flyers are clinging onto the third spot in the Metropolitan Division. As surprising and impressive as their first half has been, they will have to dig in to make the tournament cutoff.
Without Carter Hart (12-9-3, .906 SV%, 2.80 GAA), the team will be riding Samuel Ersson (12-9-3, .898 SV%, 2.60 GAA) and Cal Petersen (1-1-0, .889 SV%, 3.38 GAA). for the last 32 games of the season.
They will be led by recently inked Owen Tippett (18 goals, 12 assists, 30 points in 46 games) and a John Tortorella, whose aggressive system fits the club's tyrannical approach to hockey.
For the last number of years, the contests between Philadelphia and New York had more weight in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. These last three matchups just might resurrect Broad Street versus Broadway.
Florida Panthers (31-14-4, 2nd in Atlantic)
Matchup Dates: March 4, March 23
The second tier of intense contests has the Panthers high up on the list. They were a team that was counted out and for no good reason.
This is an organization that in back-to-back seasons brought home the President's Trophy and the next season, with radical changes and wildcard luck, advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.
For the Rangers, it will be a good litmus test of playing a tough out-of-division opponent.
Their combination of speed, skill, and sandpaper make them one of the toughest teams in the league to play. They can razzle-dazzle and punish opponents with their physicality.
In a recent survey, opponents ranked Nick Cousins and Matthew Tkachuk as the top players they want to punch in the face.
Tampa Bay Lightning (27-18-5, 3rd in Atlantic)
Matchup Dates: Feb. 7, March 14
For the Rangers, playing the Tampa Bay Lightning is a benchmark against a struggling but experienced team.
It could wind up like the last contest, where the Rangers took over and dominated Tampa in a 6-3 victory.
It's a team that's core appeared in three straight Stanley Cup Finals from 2020-2023, and can heat up at any time.
Any team can get hot in the modern NHL for that matter, but Tampa is a team that you can count on making a push. They still have notorious Rangers killer Nikita Kucherov, who is playing like the Hart Trophy front-runner.
Colorado Avalanche (32-14-3, 1st in Central)
Matchup Dates: Feb.5, March 28
It's a wild Western Conference showcase matchup that is arguably the Ranger's best chance to display what they are made of to the other half of the NHL.
With two contests on deck, the Blueshirts play the second-best team in the West, whose core won the Stanley Cup in 2022, and's championship window is still wide open.
Similar to the prospect of playing against Kucherov, Nathan Mackinnon is lighting the hockey world on fire this season with 84 points (31 goals, 53 assists) in 49 games.
It is also a lineup that features the depth and grit of a champion in Arturri Lehkonen, Ross Colton, Ryan Johansen, Zach Parise, Logan O'Connor, and Miles Wood.
Not to mention, Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and former Ranger Alexander Georgiev are driving play for the Avs.
Honorable Mentions:
Carolina Hurricanes (28-15-5, 2nd in Metro): The final matchup between the two top teams in the Metro takes place on March 12. To play the Hurricanes is to compete against a team with tremendous speed, these matchups are always a hallmark affair for both clubs.
Dallas Stars (30-13-6, 2nd in Central): Two high-octane offenses meet for the second time this season on Feb. 20. A more complete effort will be needed from the Rangers as they face a team with six 30+ point scorers.
Winnipeg Jets (30-12-5, 3rd in Central): On March 19 the Rangers play the Winnipeg Jets, who much like the Flyers have had a shockingly successful season. It is another opportunity to play a top-end goaltender in Connor Hellabuyck (23-9-3, 2.20 GAA, .924 SV%) who not only is a Vezina candidate but an MVP performer for Winnipeg this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins (22-17-7, 5th in Metro): The Penguins always find a way to heat up in the second half. Things have not looked good in the Steel City so far this year but in the same vain as the Ranger's other nemesis clubs, the Penguins find a way to play their best against New York. Sidney Crosby is also having an MVP-level season at 36, dragging the Pens with 50 points (27 goals, 23 assists) in 46 games.