Things are going bad for the New York Rangers. They hang onto playoff contention by the thinnest of margin and it’s more relevant to follow the team’s place in the lottery sweepstakes. An optimist will tell you the season is only half over and the team that won nine of eleven games in November is still alive. A pessimist will promote the wholesale gutting of the roster to expedite the rebuild.
The Islanders are one of the surprise stories in the NHL this season. Expected to plummet in the standings with the loss of John Tavares, they are instead only one point out of a playoff berth.