New York Rangers playoff race heats up with things to watch for in February

The New York Rangers closed out the month of January with a dud, a 4-0 loss on home ice to the Carolina Hurricanes. That being said, the month as a whole was a major success. They rebounded from an awful December with an 8-3-3 record in January, and have reinserted themselves into the playoff picture heading into February.
The Rangers (24-22-4) are five points back of a wild card spot, and currently sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a total of 52 points, but the race among Metro teams is as tight as ever. The Philadelphia Flyers sit one place below the Rangers but are tied in points, and the New York Islanders have jumped ahead of the Rangers with 53 points.
Between the Rangers and a wild card spot sit the Montreal Canadiens and Islanders (53 points), Detroit Red Wings (55 points), and the Boston Bruins (56 points). The Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets hold the top two wild card spots with 57 and 59 points, respectively.
Now, the Rangers turn the calendar to February, looking to continue their climb into a playoff position. They’ll play five games before pausing for the 4 Nations Face-off, and will have another four games once returning. They’ll play four games at home, and five on the road.
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What to watch for in February for Rangers
As the Rangers push for the playoffs begins to heat up, here’s what to watch for in the month of February.
February 1 & 5 – Two games against Boston Bruins
The Rangers will open the month of February with two games against the Boston Bruins that can really swing the momentum of the season in a positive way for the Rangers, or really ruin it. The Bruins are also fighting for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and are just four points ahead of the Rangers.
If the Rangers can win both of these games, that’s two separate four-point swings on their Eastern Conference rival that will drastically help close the gap. The Rangers will play in Boston on Feb. 1 as the first half of a back-to-back, then return home to face the Vegas Golden Knights Feb. 2. They’ll have two days off before facing the Bruins again on Feb. 5. What a way to get the month started.
February 7-8 – Divisional back-to-back against Penguins, Blue Jackets
As if two of the first three games weren’t important enough, the Rangers will then move on to another back-to-back slate, this time against two Metropolitan Division counterparts. First, they’ll match up against the Penguins on Feb. 7 at home, which should be another important game as the Penguins are looking to close the gap on the Rangers and the rest of the division. They currently have 50 points on the season.
The next day, Feb. 8, the Rangers travel to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets. As things stand, the Blue Jackets are one of the teams the Rangers are trying to catch in the playoff race, making for one of the most important games of the month. They currently hold the top wild card spot in the East. It’s also the final game before the 4 Nations Face-off pause, so the Blueshirts will look to head into the break on a positive note.
February 9-21 – 4 Nations Face-off tournament
The NHL will take a brief pause for the 4-Nations Faceoff tournament, which could either help or hurt the Rangers depending on how the next five games go. Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, and Adam Fox will all suit up for the United States, as well as newly reacquired center J.T. Miller. Mika Zibanejad will play for team Sweden.
February 23-25 – More Metropolitan division matchups
Following the 4 Nations pause, the Rangers will play another back-to-back. After opening against the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 22, they’ll have two more crucial matchups against Metropolitan Division counterparts. In the second half of the back-to-back, they’ll play the Penguins on the road. Two days later they’ll play the New York Islanders to wrap up four straight road games dating back to before the 4-Nations pause.
They’ll wrap up the month of February at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 28 before starting a jam-packed month of March consisting of 15 games.
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