I know it's been said that nothing is a real must-win unless a loss ends the season. We all know that is technically true, but tomorrow night's game against the ninth-place Atlanta Thrashers is by all means a must-win for the New York Rangers.
Having dropped five games in a row, the Rangers need two points out of the matchup in Atlanta, and anything but is a failure. If this streak extends to six, the Thrashers will only find themselves two points behind the Blueshirts, thus melting the already thin-ice the Rangers call their playoff chances.
“We just need a win,” Lundqvist said after the Rangers practiced Thursday afternoon, before heading south for the game Friday night in Atlanta. “We haven’t played terribly but we need two points to help the guys relax. It’s a big game in a lot of ways. Atlanta is right behind us and we’re losing too many games in a row and just to show ourselves we’re doing good things.”
It is true that the Rangers haven't played terribly, but they clearly have not played well enough to win games. Their dreaded powerplay (three for 31 over the last nine games) is a large reason for the lack of success since the All-Star break. That has to change.
Head coach John Tortorella has changed up the units in practice, placing winger Wojtek Wolski on the point for the first unit. Rookie Derek Stepan will stay on the point, but on the second unit. Will this change things up at all? Anything is worth a try right now.
If the Rangers can manage to defeat the Thrashers, losers of four straight in their own right, that will give them a six-point cushion over ninth place, two points out of sixth, four points out of fifth. They are lucky in that the teams around them—namely the Capitals, Hurricanes and Thrashers—have not been playing stellar hockey as of late and haven't run away with anything.
The Buffalo Sabres, though, have been playing well and find themselves just two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Rangers cannot afford to blow two points. Get in, get out and get rolling.
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