If you’re an eternal optimist, things are looking up for the Rangers. They have picked up points in eight consecutive games. After coming back to defeat the Utah Hockey Club on Jan. 16, they took three out of a possible four points against the Blue Jackets and Canadiens over the past weekend.

In a 1-0 shootout win over the Jackets, Igor Shesterkin provided stellar goaltending by stopping all three Columbus shooters to preserve the victory against a team they’re chasing for the wild card. Vincent Trocheck scored the only goal when he beat Daniil Tarasov five-hole in the second round on Jan. 18. After Mika Zibanejad was denied by Tarasov, Shesterkin made a clutch stop to turn away Blue Jackets leading goal scorer Kirill Marchenko to give the Rangers a big extra point.

On Sunday night, the Rangers fell in overtime 5-4 to the Canadiens at Bell Centre. They blew four one-goal leads in the frustrating loss. However, it was the second game of a back-to-back on the road. They managed to earn a point against an explosive opponent. Most encouraging is that struggling forwards Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle both scored their 12th goals in the first period. Neither has been playing well. If they can regain confidence, that would bode well over the remainder of the season. The Rangers need better production from each to make the playoffs.

Dating back to a 2-1 win over the Bruins on Jan. 2, the Rangers are 6-1-3 so far in the new calendar year. By getting points in almost every game this month, they’ve given themselves a chance to hang around in the wild card race. With 48 points, they trail the Senators by four for the first wild card and the Blue Jackets by three for the second wild card. The hard part is that they still must leapfrog other teams to qualify for the postseason. Entering play on Martin Luther King Day, both the Canadiens and Bruins each have 50 points. The Rangers are tied with the Flyers with 48. The Red Wings and Penguins each have 46. The Islanders are clinging onto hope with 43. With just 39 points, the Sabres probably can be counted out of the race.

Valuable Points Lost During Run

Despite playing better hockey, the Rangers have lost some valuable points during their run. In overtime losses to the Stars, Avalanche, and Canadiens, they were all games they blew leads in. On Jan. 7, they blew a 4-3 lead to the Stars late in regulation. After a Vincent Trocheck power-play goal put them ahead with 7:04 remaining, they allowed Thomas Harley to tie the game with 2:39 left. Jamie Benn won it in overtime on the power play.

Seven days later, they were in complete control with a one-goal lead on the Avalanche. Rookie Adam Edstrom had put them up 2-1 when he converted on a breakaway in the second period. For most of the third period, they limited the Avs’ chances to the outside. However, with the goalie pulled, Artturi Lehkonen took advantage of a bad rebound left by Shesterkin to force overtime with 1:13 left in regulation. After they blew several chances to win it, Devon Toews buried a one-timer in the final minute to give the Avalanche a 3-2 comeback win.

It was a similar script last night. In an eventful second period that featured a heavyweight tilt between Matt Rempe and Arber Xhekaj, the Rangers and Canadiens combined for four goals and 24 shots. After Zibanejad scored on the power play to put them ahead, Nick Suzuki tied the game with 4:55 remaining. Over a minute later, Chris Kreider buried an Adam Fox feed to put the Rangers back in front 4-3. They were unable to hang on in the third period. A breakdown in coverage allowed Juraj Slafkovsky to put in a rebound to tie the score with 7:08 left in regulation. Despite Jonathan Quick’s best efforts in another failed attempt to win number 400 in his illustrious career, it was Patrik Laine who got the winner at 3:20 of overtime.

While it’s easy to blame the schedule due to traveling up north for the second game of a back-to-back, the Canadiens also played for the second straight day. Even if they remained on home ice, they bounced back from blowing a 3-0 lead in a disappointing 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs. They showed character by rallying to defeat the Rangers, who really needed to come away with two points against a team they’re chasing in the standings. Had they played a better third, they could’ve gotten the win in regulation and passed the Canadiens.

Big Games Coming Up

As the schedule continues to pick up before the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off in mid-February, there are big games coming up this week. When they return to action on Tuesday, the Rangers will host the Senators at Madison Square Garden. The Senators are coming off back-to-back wins over the Bruins and Devils. Currently locked into the first wild card due to having more regulation wins and fewer games played than the Bruins (6-3 winners over the Sharks on Monday), the Senators are one of the teams the Rangers must beat out for the playoffs.

The recent trend has seen them require extras in three of their last five games. A three-point game against the Senators wouldn’t help as much as being able to get a victory in regulation. Every point matters. The league has encouraged parity with a flawed point system. In a season when there isn’t one clearcut Stanley Cup favorite, anything can happen. Even the East’s best teams like the Capitals, Maple Leafs, Panthers, Devils, and Hurricanes are all flawed. Out West, the Jets, Golden Knights, Oilers, Stars, and Avalanche are front and center. There isn’t a single great team.

For the Rangers, the job is simple. Take care of business at home, which is where they’ll be for most of the next two weeks. The Flyers visit 33rd and 7th on Thursday. The last game against them was a dismal 3-1 loss on Nov. 29, which made it five straight losses in regulation. It took them over a month to recover. If they plan on making the playoffs, the next two games are must wins. They conclude a four-game homestand with tougher tests against the Avalanche on Jan. 26 and the Hurricanes on Jan. 28.

Offense Still Inconsistent

In the 5-4 overtime loss to the Canadiens, it marked the second time over the last three games that the Rangers scored at least four times. However, the offense remains inconsistent.

With even Artemi Panarin having a down year, it’s hard to predict the Rangers from game to game. Sometimes, even their best players disappear for stretches. Zibanejad scored for just the ninth time in 46 games this season. He’s on pace for the fewest goals since getting 14 in 56 games during 2016-17, which ironically was his first season as a Blueshirt. Injuries have limited Kreider to 15 goals and only two assists in 38 games.

Since recording his eighth goal on Nov. 21, Lafreniere only has four goals over the last 28 games. Unless he can heat up, it’s highly unlikely that the Rangers can survive without Lafreniere turning his season around. He still plays with Panarin and Trocheck on the top line. After picking up his game with six points during a four-game point streak, Trocheck is without a point over the last four. Peter Laviolette relies on that line for more consistency. There’s been too many instances when they haven’t buried their chances.

At least for the time being, Laviolette’s sticking with Cuylle on the second line. He’s replaced Kreider with Zibanejad and Reilly Smith. Kreider has continued to play on the third line with Filip Chytil and Arthur Kaliyev, who continues to get an extended look in the top nine. Due to the returns of Chytil and Kreider last week, Brett Berard was sent down to the Wolf Pack. He’ll continue to develop in Hartford where he can play top minutes.

Carrick’s Strong Work Gets Rewarded

Meanwhile, Sam Carrick continues to provide the fourth line with a combination of grit and energy. Laviolette has continued to find more minutes for Carrick, whose strong work ethic and character have made him an effective player. Brought in by Chris Drury to replace Barclay Goodrow, he’s done a good job doing what the coaching staff wants. Since Rempe rejoined the line with Carrick and Edstrom, they’ve established themselves on the forecheck.

Carrick’s best moment of the season came when he scored the overtime winner against the Devils on Jan. 9. His takeaway on Jack Hughes led directly to him burying a Smith pass for the winner. In an overtime loss at Colorado, he scored a shorthanded goal and assisted on an Edstrom goal. Carrick picked up two assists in a 5-3 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Jan. 16.

With four goals and nine helpers and a plus-1 rating in 46 games, Carrick’s been a pleasant surprise. Drury deserves some kudos for that signing.

Lack of Offense from Blue Line

If there’s been a sore spot for the Rangers, it’s been the lack of offense from the blue line. Aside from Fox, who leads all Rangers’ defensemen with 36 points (2-34-36), offense has been hard to come by.

Since Laviolette decided to make Zac Jones a healthy scratch, it’s limited the offense from the back end. After Fox, Braden Schneider is second in scoring among Rangers’ defensemen with 11 points (2-9-11). A third pair defenseman who gets no power play time, Schneider isn’t going to contribute regularly. His main job is to play well defensively while paired with Urho Vaakanainen, who came over from the Ducks for Jacob Trouba. Vaakanainen has two assists in 16 games since joining the Rangers.

With a secondary assist on Sunday, Ryan Lindgren tied Schneider in points with his 11th of the season. Lindgren remains a defensive defenseman who provides the nuts and bolts. His physical style has started to show some signs of decline. An unrestricted free agent after the season, Lindgren’s future remains uncertain.

If there’s been a colossal disappointment this season, it’s been the play of K’Andre Miller. Once considered an untouchable in the organization, that might no longer be the case. After struggling mightily in the first half, his play has been a bit steadier since being partnered with Will Borgen, who was acquired for Kaapo Kakko. However, Miller’s offense has plummeted under Laviolette.

It was only two years ago that he posted career highs in goals (9), assists (34), and points (43). That came while playing for Gerard Gallant. Following an eight-goal, 22-assist, 30-point season, Miller has only two goals and six assists in 40 contests. With Laviolette even giving Miller some time on the second power play unit, it’s hard to fathom what’s happened to him. He still averages 21:41-per-game being used mostly in a shutdown role with Borgen. However, his inconsistency has been puzzling. When he isn’t making defensive mistakes that cost the team, his lack of offense hasn’t helped, either.

It’s hard to find many teams with a worse blue line from an offensive standpoint. If Fox isn’t getting involved, they have nobody else who can contribute consistently. It’s all but made the Rangers’ offense one-dimensional.

Jones continues to sit out until he’s dealt. In 26 games, he has a goal and seven assists for eight points, which is the same amount as Miller. Jones last played on Dec. 23 against the Devils.

Igor Back in Form

The biggest reason for the recent turnaround has been the play of Shesterkin. After a forgettable December that saw him post a 3.43 goals-against-average (GAA) with an .892 save percentage, Igor’s back in form. In five starts in January, he’s 4-0-1 with a 1.73 GAA and .934 save percentage.

That was highlighted by stopping all 27 shots and three shootout attempts in a 1-0 shutout over the Blue Jackets on Jan. 18. Aside from a slipup against the Avalanche, Shesterkin’s been on top of his game. He bounced back from a tough first period to make 28 saves against Utah HC in a 5-3 win on Jan. 16. He was at his best when he stopped 29 of 30 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Golden Knights on Jan. 11.

When he’s right, it gives the Rangers a chance of winning.