The New York Rangers took down the New Jersey Devils by a score of 5-1 Thursday night, earning them their ninth straight victory. The Blueshirts have been perfect in the month of February, winning every single contest that has come their way. It’s been an incredible turnaround for New York, finally breaking out of their slump and regaining their title as one of the best teams in the NHL.
The Rangers are third overall in the NHL, first in points percentage
After Thursday’s victory, the Blueshirts moved to third overall in points in the NHL. They trail behind the Boston Bruins by just one point for the league-lead, but have played in one less game. Their 38-16-3 record in 57 games played gives the Rangers a points percentage of .693, the highest in the entire NHL. If the Blueshirts pull off another victory Saturday afternoon for their tenth straight, they’ll have the chance to reclaim the top spot in the league.
The Blueshirts currently lead the Metropolitan Division by six points but have played in one more game than the second-place Hurricanes. Carolina began the year with a rough start, but has since picked up the pace and has had a solid back-half of their season. It’s imperative that the Rangers continue their excellent play moving forward in order to strengthen their grip on the division lead.
What’s next for the Blueshirts moving forward?
With the Rangers on a nine-game win streak, they are just one consecutive victory away from tying their franchise record. The opportunity to reach this tie comes Saturday afternoon against Philadephia, who is just 5-4-1 in their last 10 games played.
This streak has served as a revitalization to the Rangers’ season, pulling them out of a slump and reinserting them into the conversation for Stanley Cup contenders. With the trade deadline looming and the season finale just a few months away, Peter Laviolette and the Rangers must do everything in their power to maintain this momentum as an inevitable playoff run is just around the corner.