The New York Rangers are not having the season they wanted, and it's hard to see them climbing out of the hole they're currently in. Sitting at 28-33-9 and last place in the Metropolitan Division, the Rangers will have to do a lot to get into the playoff race, and they'll have to get help from the other teams above them.
As of now, they need to focus on the things they can control, and some of those things are problems affecting their season. Mike Sullivan pointed out a reason they haven't played well this season.
“Sullivan said the [Rangers] penalty kill has been ‘a major issue' of late. He said the kill needs to be better on entries, keep in-zone pressure up more, and better protect the slot,” Peter Baugh of The Athletic wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
If the Rangers can clean up those parts of their game, they may see some improvements, but it'll have to lead to wins at this point.
During this time of the season and where the Rangers are sitting, they may need to consider if they should focus on the future instead of the present. That includes improving their lottery odds while also developing the young players on the team.
Some of the players know the reality of where they are in the standings, including Mika Zibanejad.
“I understand that we’re not winning to make the playoffs right now, unless we go on an unbelievable run. But winning helps a lot, especially with the mood,” Zibanejad said a few weeks ago via Vincent Mercogliano.
