The Rangers Are ‘Pushing’ With Playoffs Hopes At Stake

With their win against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night, the New York Rangers have propelled themselves back into the second wild-card spot. 

The Rangers hold the highly coveted second-wild card spot with 75 points, while the Montreal Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, and Detroit Red Wings are behind by two or three points.

Granted all four of these teams have one or two games in hand over the Rangers. 

Only eight games are remaining and every point is critical, which has brought a certain sense of desperation.

“I think our guys are pushing,” Peter Laviolette said. “I know we are making it difficult, but I do think guys are pushing.”

While it hasn’t always been pretty, the Rangers have somehow managed a way to stay in the playoff race.

At this point, it doesn't matter what has transpired throughout the season. As long as the Rangers slide into the postseason, all of that can be forgotten. 

“We just gotta keep this momentum going into the next game, the last eight or nine games going off into the playoffs,” Brennan Othmann said. “Hopefully we can get in with the last wild card spot. We just gotta keep collecting wins, collecting points, and keep playing together as a team.”