What a difference one week makes in this Rangers preview. Seven short days ago, the Rangers’ season was teetering on the edge. Embroiled in the ugly end of the Tony DeAngelo saga, with injuries piling up, the Blueshirts seemed in danger of falling out the playoff race. It’s early, but such is the nature of a 56-game (or less) regular season.
A few days later, Igor Shesterkin and Artemi Panarin were playfully re-enacting the DeAngelo-Alex Georgiev tussle. The Rangers had soundly beaten the Washington Capitals, establishing their first winning streak of the year.