When the New York Rangers announced the beginning of this rebuild, most around the game thought it would take a bit of time before the idea of them being a playoff team would come into play.
But here we are. It is Dec. 17 and the Rangers are right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
The fact that the playoffs are even a consideration is quite frankly remarkable considering everything this team has had to battle through. Several key players have been injured, the scoring has not been there on a consistent basis, and they have struggled with their penalty kill throughout the first three months of the season.