Rangers Aren't Tanking (But Everyone Is Sitting Against Detroit)
The New York Rangers are sitting a lot of people.
So we've talked about this potentially awkward situation already but, uh, it might be better if the New York Rangers fell to the first wild card spot; removing them from the Metro playoff bracket that houses both Washington and Pittsburgh. The easiest way to do that would be to lose the final game of the regular season.
The Rangers have been adamant that they are not tanking. And maybe they're not intentionally. But, uh:
So Raanta in goal vs. Red Wings; Zucc/Stalberg/McDonagh/Girardi all out; Lindberg back in; call up F from @WolfPackAHL (likely HrIvik)
— Jim Cerny (@JimCerny) April 8, 2016
Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi are still out with injuries, this looks like a maintenance game for both Mats Zuccarello and Viktor Stalberg, and Henrik Lundqvist shouldn't have started the past two games so this is a long time coming. Oscar Lindberg got just six minutes in the Rangers win over the Lightning and Brady Skjei and Dylan McIlrath will be manning 33% of the blue line (that's actually sort of an improvement over what they have, but whatever).
The Detroit Red Wings -- the Rangers opponent -- will be fighting for their playoff lives, too. So it's not like they have nothing to play for and it's not like they're going up against New York's A-Squad.
Should be interesting. Thoughts?
