The Rangers needed a break.
This has been an arduous first 48 games for the Blueshirts. It’s not unexpected they’re at a middling 21-20-7 as their bye week begins and segues right into All-Star weekend, culminating in nine days off before they return for a Jan. 29 Garden match against the Flyers.
But it has been trying in the fact that there have been large stretches of good that got some a bit starry-eyed for the postseason, and large stretches of bad that got some thinking about intentionally losing to better their chance at projected top draft pick Jack Hughes.