Battle Of Hudson

Justin Williams converts one of two goals past a helpless Henrik Lundqvist in a Caps’ 7-3 humiliation of the Rangers back in December. AP Photo by Seth Wenig/Getty Images

Picture the anticipation of something great only to be let down. Maybe it’s a cool ride everyone’s told you about at a amusement park. Or a new movie that’s out. Or a rock concert or Broadway show. Whatever it is, it just doesn’t fulfill expectations. For this True Blue diehard who’s attended games up in the Blueseats for two decades, that’s the ’15-16 Rangers.

I’ll admit that I still had optimism. I believed in the roster despite key subtractions Carl Hagelin to Anaheim (now a Pen) and Martin St. Louis to retirement. I even went against logic taking this team to the Stanley Cup Final. Even crazier, I believed Ducks could fly together picking them to defeat our Blueshirts breaking New York hearts again.

Part of the rationale was that with young talented forwards Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller a year older, I felt they could more than make up for the loss of production from Hagelin and St. Louis. Like many Garden Faithful, I bought into the hype. I believed Hayes and Kreider would take their games to the next level. Instead, they’ve left our fanbase exasperated. I also felt Miller would be a key cog. At least that part has come to fruition with the third-year forward emerging into the team’s most consistent player. With two more goals in a gut wrenching 3-2 defeat to the Devils Tuesday night, he now has seven goals over his last seven games. His 15 markers are third on the club behind Derick Brassard (17) and team leader Mats Zuccarello (18). His 27 points are tied with Keith Yandle for fourth in team scoring. It is also Miller whose four game-winners lead the club. He’s also tied with Brassard in plus/minus (11) for tops among forwards.

Fifty games into the season, the Rangers are clinging to second place in the Metropolitan Division with 59 points. One clear of the third place Islanders and only two ahead of the Penguins and Devils. A tough position to be in considering they still haven’t put together a win streak of over two since reeling off a season high nine in a row between Oct. 25 thru Nov. 15. In fact, they went two months without winning two straight until posting consecutive wins over the Canucks on 1/19 and Hurricanes on 1/22. Prior to that, it came between 11/21-23 against the Panthers and Predators. Since that point, they’re 11-15-3. Considering that they started 16-3-2, the current record of 27-18-5 has them in a close battle with teams who have closed the gap.

The Rangers are no longer a playoff lock. Even as they sit with the East’s third most points trailing conference leader Washington and Atlantic Division leader Florida, two total points separate the top three seeds in each division from the two wildcards. In fact, Tampa Bay and Detroit will break a three-team tie for second with Boston in points. All have 58. The Bruins have the first wildcard due to playing one more game (50) and having less regulation/overtime wins. The Pens are the second wildcard over the Devils by virtue two fewer games played (49). They’re playing their best hockey with star captain Sidney Crosby recording a hat trick in a 6-5 win over the Senators on Tuesday. The addition of Hagelin has dramatically improved them, fitting in with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel.

Complicating matters is that the Blueshirts’ remaining schedule is mostly against division rivals and teams in the conference they’re battling. So far, they’re 7-5-4 against the Metropolitan. They fell to 0-1-1 against the Devils with two left including a MSG rematch 2/8. The final meeting is 2/23 in Newark. Interestingly, they have yet to face the Pens. The two rivals will play four times over the next month. The first meeting is 2/10 in Pittsburgh. The other three are in March with a road date 3/3 and two home dates on 3/13 and 3/27. They’ve also lost twice to the Islanders in Brooklyn going 0-1-1. The Islanders don’t visit The Garden until 3/6 with a potential big meeting on Apr. 7. The Rangers’ 81st game. They also play the Flyers twice more visiting Philly on 2/6 with the hated rivals invading Broadway on Valentine’s Day. The Flyers hold the upper hand with a 2-0-1 record. The defending champion Blackhawks visit on 2/17.

Then there are the Caps who have dominated. Since beating them 5-2 on Nov. 3, the Rangers have dropped the last three meetings including a tough 4-3 overtime loss on Jan. 9. A game they came back in before allowing a tying goal to Nicklas Backstrom with under six seconds left and a Alex Ovechkin overtime winner. The Caps dominated on special teams in a 5-2 home win on Jan. 17. The Rangers see Washington once more on Mar. 4 in D.C. The two combatants have a great rivalry going. But if they do get in and see the Caps once more, it probably won’t be until the second round again.

There are also challenging parts of the schedule such as a two-game in three day road trip at St. Louis and Dallas between Feb. 25-27. There’s also a three-game Western California trip in four days at Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose spanning Mar. 16-19. They also still have to play the Red Wings twice including on the final day of the season on Apr. 9. The final three games are all at home but against quality opponents in the Lightning, Islanders and Detroit.

There just aren’t many cupcakes left. Even with all Montreal’s struggles, the Rangers have one more trip to Canada on Mar. 26. The Bell Centre has always been a house of horrors. It follows a crucial home date against the Bruins. No one can predict where the Canadiens will be or whether Carey Price will return. Games like at Toronto and two more against Columbus are must haves. Ditto for the Sabres and Jack Eichel, who they see twice more. Plus one more visit at Carolina who are improved but remain beatable.

Break it all down and they need to get hot. Parity is great for the league who encourage wild playoff races. The Rangers have 32 left starting with the low scoring Wild at MSG tomorrow. They already lost once to them. Then, it’s the Flyers, Devils, Pens, Kings, Flyers and Hawks. In other words, either they figure it out or they’ll be booking tee times a lot sooner than most expected.

If they are to turn it around, it starts in net with Henrik Lundqvist. Since a world class start, he’s been average letting in questionable goals that make you wonder if he’s mentally taxed from the subpar play of Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Dan Boyle. Alain Vigneault has leaned heavily on him. Lundqvist has started 41 of 50 and still has respectable numbers with a 2.43 goals-against-average and .921 save percentage. But he’s facing more shots and dangerous scoring chances which are starting to show. The tying goal he allowed to Joseph Blandisi was unacceptable. Even if the rookie blew past Girardi and fired from the circle quickly, it was a momentum killer. Shortly after, Oscar Lindberg’s penalty led to a complete breakdown allowing David Schlemko to beat Lundqvist for the winner. That wasn’t his fault. Just as the Lee Stempniak power play put back wasn’t. Defensively, the Rangers haven’t helped him as much as in past years.

It’s up to Lundqvist to answer the challenge. He’s the unquestioned emotional leader in the room. Now approaching 34, the affable Swede has shown some frustration. He’s questioned the coaching staff more including calling out Vigneault for not using a timeout to rest players following a icing in a game the Caps tied. He knows the window is closing. His elite play won’t last forever.

The aforementioned defense has been the biggest drop off. With wear and tear showing on Girardi and Staal, they are no longer the same lock down defenders. However, Vigneault and assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson continue to have blind faith sending them out against top competition. After splitting apart Ryan McDonagh from Girardi while giving the more dependable Kevin Klein a chance, Vigneault went back to his original top pair. Even though they performed better recently, goals like the one Blandisi scored off the rush are more common due to Girardi’s lack of foot speed. The same can be echoed of Staal, whose game has come and gone. Having him paired with Dan Boyle is a nightmare defensively. They’ll continue to be together with Klein out which also means Girardi stays with McDonagh. Dylan McIlrath at least gets back in and teams with Keith Yandle with who he’s comfortable with.

At what point does Vigneault finally give Yandle more time on the top power play unit? He continues to lean on McDonagh, who doubles as the top shutdown defenseman drawing tough assignments. Yandle is the Rangers’ best offensive defenseman leading them in assists (24) with 27 points which are three better than McDonagh. Yet he’s mostly on the second unit despite producing one less power play point (1-7-8) than McDonagh (2-7-9). At times, Yandle drives me crazy with his pass first, rarely shoot mentality. But when it works, it’s a thing of beauty like the set up for Miller’s second last night. A point of contention on social media is that the organization didn’t give up Anthony Duclair and a conditional first for Vigneault to under utilize Yandle, who can walk this summer. There are too many instances where he’s not seeing the ice enough while Girardi and Staal get more responsibility.

Then there’s the offense. Since a hot start, Zuccarello has been very inconsistent. There are some nights where you can’t even find him. Maybe the drop in play has to do with what he came back from. It’s easy to forget that he took a McDonagh shot to the head and suffered a brain contusion and partial skull fracture that forced him to see a speech therapist. Early in the season, he was brilliant. It was like he never had a career threatening injury. But over the past two months, he has lost that edge. Instead, he is mostly on the perimeter and never backchecks getting toasted by Blandisi in the neutral zone. His production has dropped off. He’s now second in scoring with 35 points (18-17-35) trailing Brassard by two.

Speaking of Brassard, he’s been streaky. At times, you don’t notice him except for laziness defensively. However, he’s the most talented center the team possesses. Capable of career nights like the five-point explosion he had in a home win over Buffalo. Or most notably, the hat trick and five points he had in Game 6 against the Lightning of the Eastern Conference Final. He can be that good. Brassard’s goal production is up with 17. He’s never scored 20 before with the 19 he got along with a career high 41 assists and 60 points his best season in ’14-15. He’s also improved dramatically on faceoffs winning 52.0 percent. No matter who he plays with, the Rangers need him to be more consistent. He has it in him.

While we’re on the case of consistency, look no further than Derek Stepan. Granted. The more responsible two-way pivot who plays in every situation including penalty kill hasn’t been 100 percent missing 10 games due to a broken rib. However, more is expected than nine goals and 21 points in 40 games with a disappointing plus-five rating. The lazy penalty he took in the offensive zone at the end of the first period Tuesday led directly to Stempniak’s power play goal. It’s the kind you don’t expect from a team leader. Afterwards, Stepan emphasized how the Devils competed several times. That’s been part of the issue with this team. He’s made strides on faceoffs closing in on 50.0 percent for the first time in his career. Now, it’s about production for a player who’s getting paid $6.5 million-per-season.

We’ve already documented the struggles of Hayes and Kreider. Both have underachieved in key restricted years that could cost them dollars with the cap possibly not going up due to the drop in the Canadian dollar. With Miller outperforming them, he could be the beneficiary. Simply put, Hayes gets a F for his season. Seven goals and 15 assists along with costly giveaways and blown coverage along with a dismal faceoff percentage make him the biggest disappointment. A puck possession beast, he’s capable of much better.

The same can be echoed of the physically gifted Kreider who has just nine goals and 14 assists in 47 games. After showing signs with points in four straight including three markers, he’s without a point and minus-three since missing a game with neck spasms. He shows flashes nightly using his game breaking speed to create dangerous chances like the one he got on Cory Schneider, who stoned him on a break in. However, Kreider needs to bury some of the opportunities. He’s been unlucky. It’s time for that to change.

Hayes’ inconsistency has really hurt the third line. Last year, he had an advantage playing with speed demon Hagelin, who doubled as a two-way threat. This year, he’s bounced around due to setbacks with the latest one to Rick Nash (bone bruise) forcing Vigneault to mix and match. While Miller has found a spot on the top line with Brassard and for now the more hard working Jesper Fast, Hayes is with Lindberg and Viktor Stalberg. Hayes makes that line go with his skating and puck possession. Stalberg has been terrific lately creating on the forecheck and even contributing seven goals.

Then there’s the current state of the fourth line. It’s not pretty with Daniel Paille and Tanner Glass struggling since being put together with Dominic Moore. There’s not enough speed nor skill for any type of consistency. Glass was good when he returned but has leveled off. Moore has been spotty even on the penalty kill. If things were normal, Stalberg would be on the fourth line with Fast. But they aren’t. So, it leaves them a little short on depth.

With Nash, who’s been a terrible disappointment with only 12 goals in 45 contests still out, the organization recalled Jayson Megna. That they felt he should be the guy again speaks volumes. After giving up on Emerson Etem for Nicklas Jensen, he doesn’t even get a look. Instead, it’s Megna who is a righty shot that had initial success with a great Broadway debut with a goal and helper in a win. But he went pointless the last four and feel down the depth chart.

What about giving a kid like Ryan Bourque a shot on the fourth line and penalty kill? He can kill penalties. His 24 points for the Wolf Pack are tied for second with Marek Hrivik. Another forgotten prospect. If Megna really is the only player they’re comfortable with, what does that say for the organization? Of course, it’s understandable why first-year pros Adam Tambellini and Ryan Graves would stay down. They’re not ready. But they already gave Brady Skjei a cameo. He’ll be a big part of the blue line in the future.

Then you add Klein’s re-injury to his thumb which could impact what the Rangers do at the Feb. 29 deadline. Right now, they’re carrying six defensemen. Not even Raphael Diaz is coming up. Instead, it’s Megna with Vigneault wanting to make a lineup change. I wonder who for. Paille or Glass. If it’s Lindberg for his penalty, there truly is no hope.

So, what does it all mean? That more and more fans are getting fed up with the coach and organization. There seems to be a double standard. Vets are treated differently than kids. I get that the core is beloved. Vigneault has made his decision. He’ll live and die with the mistakes of Girardi, Staal and Boyle. Particularly Girardi and Staal, who are blood and guts leaders who helped lead the team to its only Stanley Cup appearance since 1994. They played hurt last May and still somehow got within a period of a second straight Cup Final. If it works, then there’s hope. If not, then you can pretty much guarantee that Vigneault’s stubborn ways will cost him his job by next year.

Kevin Klein celebrates an overtime goal. Getty Images/nydailynews.com

The Rangers announced that defenseman Kevin Klein is out indefinitely with a fractured thumb. He sustained the injury after taking a uncalled slash from Reid Boucher landing awkwardly into the boards with 3:02 remaining in the third period. He immediately left the game and was in pain.

It comes as no surprise that Klein will miss time. It didn’t look good. So, once again the Blueshirts will be without one of their most dependable players on the back end. Since coming over in a trade for Michael Del Zotto, he’s been a steady influence that coach Alain Vigneault trusts. After putting up career marks in goals (9), points (26) and plus/minus (24) last season, the 31-year old vet has been unlucky with injuries. He missed 11 games with a oblique injury and injured the same thumb after blocking a shot last month.

Despite missing 12 games, Klein ranks first on the Rangers in plus/minus (14) and has three goals and seven assists with 13 penalty minutes, 64 hits and 81 blocked shots. Without him, rookie Dylan McIlrath will slot in and be reunited with Keith Yandle on the third pair. It speaks volumes that despite McIlrath proving he belongs in the lineup, he has to wait for an injury to get back in. With Vigneault showing way too much loyalty to the struggling Dan Girardi and even Dan Boyle and Marc Staal, it’s a shame that McIlrath has gotten into only three games since Dec. 22. At least now he’ll get the chance to play consistently until Klein returns.

What it means for the current roster is that the organization must recall someone from Hartford. They are down to six defensemen. It better not be Chris Summers again. Raphael Diaz makes sense because he can be carried as a serviceable extra. Hopefully, he doesn’t play at the expense of McIlrath. If that happens, that would be unfathomable. One thing about Vigneault. Don’t put anything past him.

David Schlemko celebrates his game-winner power play goal in the Devils’ 3-2 win over the Rangers at Newark. AP Photo/Julio Cortez/Getty Images

The second installment of the Battle of Hudson went to the Devils. They can thank Cory Schneider, who made 31 saves to give Jersey’s team a well earned 3-2 win over the Rangers before 16,514 at The Prudential Center. They did it in come from behind fashion on third period goals from Joseph Blandisi and David Schlemko stunning their close Big Apple rivals to close within two points in the standings.

With the Pens also winning, the Devils kept pace with 57 points. They still are on the outside of the wildcard due having played two more games than Pittsburgh. But they’re right there. With the Islanders prevailing over the Wild, they pulled within a point of the Rangers for second place with 58 points. The loss may have been costly for the Blueshirts, who saw defenseman Kevin Klein leave the game late with a injury on an unpenalized Reid Boucher hit into the boards.

Even though it was only the second meeting of the season and first since a Devil shootout win over the Rangers at MSG on Oct. 18 due to ridiculous scheduling, it was a good game. The Devils turned over pucks plenty in the first period. That forced Schneider to be at his best. He made some strong denials early keeping it scoreless.

A bad pinch from Eric Gelinas resulted in the game’s first goal scored by J.T. Miller. The confusing Devil defenseman got caught deep with Jesper Fast firing out of the zone to spring Derick Brassard and Miller on a 2-on-1 break. Brassard patiently waited before sliding the puck across for Miller who buried his 14th at 13:31. It was the only goal of the period allowing the Rangers to take a one-goal lead to the locker room.

There was one problem. A lazy penalty from Derek Stepan with under six seconds left in the first wound up hurting them. He took a bad hooking minor in the offensive zone. After the Devils didn’t score at the end of the period, they still had 1:54 to work with at the start of the second. For a while, it looked like the Rangers would kill it. But a coverage breakdown between Marc Staal and Klein allowed a wide open Lee Stempniak to steer home a rebound of a low Gelinas’ shot past Henrik Lundqvist at 1:34 to tie it. Adam Henrique set it up.

Lee Stempniak gets position on Kevin Klein and scores on the power play in the second. AP Photo/Julio Cortez/Getty Images

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault made a mistake challenging the goal for “goalie interference.” To his credit, Stempniak was parked right in front of Lundqvist, who was out at the edge of his crease. He never made contact impeding Lundqvist’s ability to stop the shot. Honestly, it was just a brutal challenge that would come back to haunt Vigneault’s team later because it cost him his timeout. The goal was properly ruled as called by refs Dean Morton and Tim Peel.

Following Stempniak’s 15th goal, the Devils played a stronger second. They were more noticeable on the forecheck. Especially the pesky fourth line featuring Bobby Farnham and birthday boy Jordin Tootoo. Farnham was a pest during a couple of shifts. On one, he bobbed his head up and down trying to draw a penalty. It’s not the most commendable thing to do which drew laughter from Tanner Glass. A small player, Farnham was effective on the cycle and even had a great chance point blank which Lundqvist denied with Tootoo just missing wide.

The Rangers also had their chances firing 12 shots on Schneider. But he was razor sharp. A couple of notables included stopping Chris Kreider from in tight off a rush pushing his backhand deke attempt to the corner. Kreider was thwarted at least three times. He also had to contend with a blind giveaway from Gelinas right to attacking Blueshirt but was able to make the clutch save. The Devils were guilty several times of sloppy play. But Schneider was more than willing to cover for them. They ought to by him a steak dinner.

A big difference in the game was special teams. A sore spot for the Rangers all winter, they failed miserably. That included two bad misses in the second with the game tied. Vigneault was unwilling to try Keith Yandle on a new top unit that featured four forwards and Ryan McDonagh. They were unable to generate much even giving up a couple of dangerous shorthanded chances. While they went 0-for-4, the Devils were a perfect 2-for-2 including Schlemko’s game-decider with 8:46 left in regulation.

Entering the third, the game was anybody’s. The teams were still tied. On a dominant shift following a Devil icing, Dan Boyle and Yandle combined to set up Miller, who was able to beat Schneider from a tough angle for his second of the game at 2:06 giving the Rangers their second lead. It was one Schneider should’ve had. He just got caught a little off angle and missed Miller’s shot with his glove. Miller has been the one consistent Blueshirt during a confusing time where they can’t put anything together. He now has 15 goals and is building a case for a nice contract as a restricted free agent this summer.

One thing about these Devils. They never quit. Under the general as I refer to him coach John Hynes, they are relentless. Much like their team mantra on Twitter, it doesn’t matter if they’re badly outplayed for stretches. They find a way. Before the Rangers could even relax, Joseph Blandisi flew past three Rangers including Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh before whipping a nice wrist shot from the left circle past Lundqvist which allowed the Devils to respond 1:07 later. New Jersey captain Andy Greene made a smart play banking a pass off boards at center which allowed the faster Blandisi to utilize his speed and score his second NHL goal tying it at 3:13. Damon Severson drew the secondary helper.

What followed was the Rangers searching for a way to beat Schneider. He wasn’t willing. As if to prove a point, Blandisi’s show was the Devs’ first of the third. It was mostly Blueshirts who led in shots 5-1 and wound up outshooting the Newark hosts 11-5. Throw the stats out the window. It didn’t matter.

Instead, a Oscar Lindberg interference minor led directly to Schlemko’s winner. It almost didn’t happen. At the start of the power play, it was Schlemko who made a horrible giveaway at the point right to McDonagh, who had a clean shorthanded breakaway. But his shot missed its target going over the net. Inexplicable. Usually, when you fail on such chances, the opponent comes back and scores. That’s what happened. On another blown coverage, Schlemko was the recipient of a Stempniak feed at the doorstep sending a perfect one-timer past Lundqvist inside the goalpost. Tyler Kennedy started it with some good work in the corner. Dominic Moore got caught.

Almost immediately, Boyle outskated Adam Larsson forcing him to take a holding minor. Considering that even when a weak call a period earlier on Kyle Palmieri for a phantom rough resulted in nothing, it wasn’t too startling that the Rangers didn’t get the game tied. Finally, Vigneault started Yandle. Fittingly, he turned the puck over at the start resulting in a clear. The rest of the power play got looks. But none got past Schneider, who wasn’t having it. The All-Star netminder made his case for the Vezina with a strong denial on Viktor Stalberg and giving Boyle nothing to shoot at.

The Devils also prevailed because they were determined. A great shift with over a minute left pinned the Rangers deep. They even scrambled before pulling Lundqvist for an extra attacker. When McDonagh had the puck, he didn’t have much room to shoot and fired off a Devil out of play leaving one more face off. That typified the effort from the Devils, who did what they do. Find a way to win thanks to Schneider and timely scoring. A Travis Zajac faceoff win over Derick Brassard and a clear allowed them to congratulate their winning goalie. The game’s best player.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-J.T. Miller, NYR (2 goals-14 & 15, 3 SOG, +2 in 23 shifts-18:13-the lone bright spot)

2nd Star-Lee Stempniak, NJD (goal-15th, assist in 26 shifts-17:11-continues to make Vigneault look bad)

1st Star-Cory Schneider, NJD (31 saves incl. 12/12 in 2nd and 10/11 in 3rd-Vezina caliber)

Hockey restarts tomorrow. Following the All-Star break that featured rags to riches feel good story John Scott taking home MVP honors after helping lead the Pacific to a 1-0 championship win over Jaromir Jagr’s Atlantic, the second part of the season returns.

For the Rangers and Devils, they’ll face off in Newark for a crucial Battle of Hudson. Four total points separates second place from the second wildcard. The Rangers find themselves in second with 59 points. One ahead of the Islanders, who’ll host the Wild Tuesday night. The Devils and Penguins are tied in points with 55. But Pittsburgh holds the second wildcard by virtue of two fewer games played. The Pens will also be in action hosting the Senators. The Hurricanes have 54 and resume Wednesday at Calgary. The Flyers have 50 and host the stumbling Canadiens, who have 52.

Aside from runaway Eastern Conference leader Washington who lead the NHL with 73 points, everything is in play. That includes the Atlantic Division-leading Panthers, who are five points up on the surging Lightning and the Red Wings. Wild card leader Boston has 57 which means only six total points divide first from fourth. Montreal and Ottawa each have 52 and need strong finishes.

While the chaos ensues over the next four weeks with teams positioning themselves for the special trade deadline in a Leap Year on Feb. 29, plenty will be decided by the games. As with any deadline, there are buyers and sellers. Right now, with so much parity, there aren’t many teams out of it in either conference. Outside of the Sabres, Oilers, Flames, Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs and Jets, everyone else is still alive.

That includes the Coyotes and Devils who are two of the biggest surprises. Arizona is in third in the Pacific due to the play of rookies Max Domi, Anthony Duclair and January Rookie of the Month Louis Domingue. Coach Dave Tippett has also gotten big contributions from Norris darkhorse Oliver Ekman-Larsson, grizzled vet Shane Doan, Mikkel Boedker and Tobias Rieder. He’s always been one of the league’s best coaches. If he gets them in, he’ll win the Jack Adams easily.

Under first-year coach John Hynes, it was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Devils. Instead, the brilliant play of All-Star goalie Cory Schneider has carried them into playoff contention. Leading scorer Mike Cammalleri has been the offensive leader along with key pickup Kyle Palmieri, who GM Ray Shero stole from Anaheim. Together along with Adam Henrique and bargain basement vet Lee Stempniak, they have scored and setup big goals. Hynes has also gotten more out of Travis Zajac. There’s even hope for the kids with Reid Boucher and Joseph Blandisi showing promise. Adam Larsson and Andy Greene do most of the heavy lifting on the blue line.

Meanwhile, across the Hudson the Rangers have been unpredictable. Since Henrik Lundqvist carried them to a strong start over the first 20, they’ve yet to put together a real winning streak. Two in a row doesn’t count. Even with coach Alain Vigneault insisting they were playing better having won three of four at the break, there’s been little consistency. Will Derick Brassard’s breakout game spark them? Is Chris Kreider finally hitting his stride? Has Derek Stepan finally discovered how to win faceoffs consistently and now that he has, is he in for a big finish? What about Ryan McDonagh, who seems to have found his form? Mats Zuccarello had a good first half but probably needed the time off to recover. J.T. Miller is the one Blueshirt who has improved evolving into a top six forward Vigneault can lean on. He still doesn’t trust Oscar Lindberg and Kevin Hayes doesn’t play as much as thought due to inconsistency.

There are a couple of big questions surrounding the Rangers. How long will Vigneault stick with Dan Girardi and Marc Staal while keeping Dylan McIlrath in the press box? How serious is Rick Nash’s injury? It was thought the time off would allow him to be ready from the bone bruise he suffered. Instead, even with no structural damage, he still isn’t skating making him out for tomorrow. When will he return? Without him, it hurts a offense that has under performed. It also means Vigneault will continue to juggle his top lines with the exception of the slow and plodding fourth line.

Whatever happens remains to be seen. This month is sure to be a emotional roller coaster ride for most hockey fans. February should separate the pretenders from the contenders.