Beyond the Playoffs: The Real Test for a Successful Rangers Season
In just nine days, the New York Rangers kick off their season against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Madison Square Garden. A big season for the Blueshirts as they look to redeem themselves after a season most fans would prefer to forget. With some new faces behind the bench to fix this Rangers team, how exactly do they come back from a season like last year? Some fans believe this team may still be a playoff contender, but many also think it's best to keep them out of the playoffs for now. Making the playoffs this season may please most fans, but it may not mean the season is a success, especially if they get embarrassed. Since making the playoffs may not be what defines this season as a success, what will?
The Young Confidence
If there's anything that can come out from preseason, it's a sign of what to expect in a team's future. While the last two preseason matches for the Blueshirts have reminded fans of last season, a few prospects have stood out. The brightest of the bunch seems to be Gabe Perreault, a young prospect with a wicked shot. With goals in the first two preseason games, Perreault has the shooting mentality, and fans can hope this spreads throughout the Blueshirts. Another prospect vying for a spot on the roster is Noah Laba. Although he may not score, he has already tallied four assists so far. After a pretty pass between the legs to Brett Berard in the 5-4 loss against the Islanders, he's got some positive confidence that this team could use. Though they're most likely to start down in Hartford, the confidence these youngsters will bring down will do nothing but help them develop, making their eventual call-up inevitable.
Familiar Faces Must Bounce Back
Though a handful of players who started the season last year have parted ways, plenty remain, and boy, do some need a bounce-back. This may not be the case for players like Artemi Panarin and Will Cuylle, but if anyone needs a bounce-back, it's Alexis Lafreniere. After going through the 2023-2024 season with a career-high 28 goals and 29 assists, as well as one of the top performers of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the first overall pick went into last season with such high hopes. After an incredible start, his numbers soon declined, resulting in a season with a total of 17 goals and 28 assists. With a potential season of redemption coming up, Lafreniere must put last year behind him and restore his confidence to remind himself of the player he really is.
Coming into his tenth season with the Blueshirts, Mika Zibanejad starts his first season without Chris Kreider. Zibanejad's numbers have been declining since the 2022-2023 season, with 26 goals in 2023-2024, sinking to 20 the season after. Known for his incredible one-timer, the shooting mentality seems to be lacking. Most likely starting the season paired with J.T. Miller and Will Cuylle, Mika needs that shooting mentality back if he's to get back on the good side of these New York fans. With the number of assists he still manages to pick up, the Mika Zibanejad fans know is definitely still in there; the 33-year-old just needs to shoot.
No More Third-Period Meltdowns
Even before last season, fans had gotten accustomed to the nail-biting experience that was the New York Rangers in the third period. When leading by one or two, the Blueshirts have been known to stop the offense and rely more on defense and goaltending. With the goaltending they've had over the last decade, it seems no matter the coach, this team will rarely ever play a full 60 minutes of hockey. Those previous two preseason games for the Rangers have also shown that even without a goaltender like Igor Shesterkin, the foot always comes off the gas pedal when it comes to leading in the third. A potential fix: having a captain like J.T. Miller. Though he didn't play the whole last season with New York, his hard-nosed mentality is something this Rangers team needs if they're ever to be a true contender. Meltdowns like the previous game are not acceptable, and if Sullivan and J.T. Miller can get that through their heads, they'll certainly be headed in the right direction.
