For a team that is known for its lack of goal scoring, the Rangers have had quite a few blowout wins. 7-0 vs Washington on December 12th, 7-2 vs the Islanders on December 27th, 7-0 vs Toronto on January 19th, 6-0 at Washington on February 25th, and 7-0 over the Flyers at the garden this past Sunday. While these games have been incredible to watch, they are often followed by scoring droughts and the creative passing plays seem to quickly fade away.

The Rangers have a goal differential of +29 this season, which trails only four teams in the NHL (Canucks +61, Bruins +47, Flyers +34, Blackhawks +30).

The inconsistency of this Rangers team is quite mysterious, but there are some relatively simple reasons for why this is happening.

Youth: 

The Rangers have 4 players over the age of 29 (not going to count Drury) that play in the majority of games. There have also been a handful of call-ups throughout the season that have filled in for injuries. The youth of this team has caused some streaky play, as these young players have thrived on the confidence of an early lead.

Henrik Lundqvist:

This has without a doubt been the most inconsistent season of Hank's career. The fact that he made the All-Star Game despite constant complaints by Ranger fans of his poor play proves that. Lundqvist is 12th in the NHL in wins, 7th in goals against average, and 9th in save percentage, but he has a league leading 9 shutouts. When he is on his game, he has really been on fire and it is obviously much easier to score goals when you aren't picking pucks out of your own net.

John Tortorella:

The Rangers relentless style that Torts has implemented is another reason for blowout wins. Although the team lacks the talent and experience to consistently score at a high level, they play a style that punishes opponents for coasting at the end of games, and they never appear to let up when they are up in games. The Rangers are undefeated when heading into the 3rd period with a lead this season, and they tend to pour on the goals when the game is out of reach.

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