The New York Rangers are officially back in the conversation for Stanley Cup contenders as they’ve climbed their way out of a potentially season-ruining slump and are now on a nine-game win streak. They’ll have the opportunity to make it 10 straight this afternoon against Philadelphia and have a somewhat easy schedule moving forward. With the way the Blueshirts have been playing, there’s a strong chance they could win out the entire month of February.
The Rangers have won nine straight games dating back to late January
This incredible win streak began right before the All-Star break with a dominating victory over the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers kept their momentum after the bye week, taking an overtime win over Colorado and continuing to extend the streak all the way up to nine straight victories.
It hasn’t been easy for the Blueshirts, as three games in this stretch have gone to overtime — including the 2024 Stadium Series. But there have been some dominant victories across this month as well, with the remaining six games in this stretch being multi-goal wins including four games in which the Rangers have scored five or more goals. At the end of the day, a win is a win — and the Rangers have been collecting them in every game so far this February.
Three games remaining in February can make the month perfect if the momentum continues
The Rangers have just three games left this month, including Saturday afternoon’s matchup against Philadelphia. The Flyers currently hold the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, but their 67 points are 12 behind the division-leading Rangers. It won’t be a so-called “easy game” for the Blueshirts, but there’s no reason why the win streak can’t be extended further with a solid game against Philadelphia.
The Blueshirts’ final two games this month are both against Columbus. The Blue Jackets have struggled this season, as their 18-28-10 record has them at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and fourth-worst in the NHL in points.
It seems like two easy wins on paper, but those are the types of matchups in which the Rangers play down to their opponents and find themselves losing what was supposed to be another victory. But if the Blueshirts continue their excellent play, this win streak could realistically reach 12 straight and make the month of February perfect.