Ten Game Temp Check: Rangers Break Even To Move Into Wildcard Spot 30 Games In
They survived the West Coast dip, stole points from contenders, whiffed on Tampa, and now face their softest stretch yet—time for a real surge.
In part three of this season’s Ten Game Temp Check series, the Rangers now hold a record of 5-4-1 in their last ten for a total of 15-12-3 . This leaves them fifth in the Metropolitan Division, seventh in the Eastern Conference and 12th in the overall league standings. Let’s take a look at the side-by-side for the expectations set in part two and the actual results across the ten game stretch.
@ Vegas—W 3-2 Loss @ Vegas
@ Colorado—L 6-3 Loss @ Colorado
@ Utah—W 3-2 Loss @ Utah
V. St. Louis—W 3-2 Win V. St. Louis
@ Carolina—W 4-2 Win @ Carolina
@ Boston—W 6-2 Win @ Boston
V. Tampa—L 4-1 Loss V. Tampa
V. Dallas—L 3-2 OT Win V. Dallas
@ Ottawa—W 4-2 Win @ Ottawa
V. Colorado—L 3-2 OT Loss V. Colorado
Once again, things went pretty close to what was set in the expectations from part two. While it was not looking good on that west coast road trip, the Rangers bounced back with three consecutive wins against quality opponents—namely, Carolina and Boston—to help break even down the stretch. They mixed in one of their most disappointing losses of the season to Tampa Bay just to follow it up with their most impressive in an OT win over Dallas as they closed out these ten games with 10 of 14 possible points in their last seven.
Now things were still far from perfect, especially with more injuries coming into the equation but all things considered, the Rangers were leaving fans a bit more optimistic.
What Went Well
One of my biggest qualms about this Rangers team since their last trip to the Conference Finals has been their inability to convert in the final minutes of play, specifically when their net is empty and the game is on the line. For the first time since the outdoor game against the New York Islanders in Feb. 2024, the Rangers were able to tie up their game versus Dallas in the final minute to force overtime and more notably—collect an extra point in the standings.
Not only were the Rangers able to do that against an incredibly skilled opponent, they went on to win the game in overtime. As long as it provides an extra point, finding ways to force overtime when trailing by a goal is an instrumental part of regular season success and as we learned last season, a difference maker when it comes to making the playoffs.
Perseverance as a whole is something I'd credit the Rangers with doing well during these ten games. They had a brutal showing at the end of that west coast road trip and, while it wasn't a night and day switch, they did have a much better overall showing in those last seven games. Not to mention the fact that losing Adam Fox very well could have derailed the season but up to this point, the team has been able to overcome that adversity and go about business as usual.
