The Rangers Are Officially Back

After hitting rock bottom, the New York Rangers are officially back and on the cusp of a playoff spot.

Feb 5, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) celebrates his short handed goal against the Boston Bruins with teammates during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers are officially back. Following a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, the Rangers tallied their sixth win in 10 games and increased their record to 26-23-4. That brings them to 56 points, which is just four points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second WIld Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

This performance from the Rangers is a shock to themselves and the entire NHL. It was just over a month and a half ago when the league was looking to prey on the down and out Rangers. On December 31st, they were three games under .500, in second-last place in the Eastern Conference standings, had a -12 goal differential, and ready to blow up the entire roster after already dealing Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko.

Fast forward to now, and the Rangers are three games over .500, have improved their goal differential to -3, and brought in a superstar center in JT Miller. Their star goaltender Igor Shesterkin has posted some impressive starts recently as well, and suddenly this team that was a disappointment is now a team to watch and avoid as they keep rolling.

The entire Rangers lineup deserves credit for turning their season around, but the subtle improvement of Shesterkin is the biggest factor and question mark moving forward. It's easy to see he's playing at a much better level once again, but he's still struggling through uncharacteristic inconsistencies. It's no surprise that this team goes the way their former Vezina Trophy-winner goes, as he's not only the Rangers' best player, he's their most important.

The Rangers have plenty of work to do with 29 games remaining in their regular season schedule. They're playing well, but they are outside of a playoff spot despite the improvements. They'll need to find another level at some point to jump the teams in front of them, but it's time to officially declare that the New York Rangers are back.

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