The New York Rangers are in a good spot these days.
Looking back, they can take confidence in an 8-2-1 record over their last 11 games, a stretch that’s seen them move into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Looking forward, they’ve got an opportunity to keep climbing the standings, with eight of their 12 games before the Olympic break at Madison Square Garden and two of the four road games not really being road games at all, given they’ll be at Yankee Stadium.
Tonight, the resurgent Rangers host Tampa Bay. On Thursday, the Red Wings are in town.
“I think before the good stretch, we talked about playing tighter,” forward Derick Brassard said, per The Record. “I think we found chemistry between lines. We’ve been hot on the power play. When we’re not scoring, we’re looking for answers. Now we’re scoring so we don’t really talk about it. Right now, we’re just playing well. Everything is going well.”
And, of course, it helps greatly that goalie Henrik Lundqvist is starting to find the form that earned him that big contract extension. In five January starts, Lundqvist’s save percentage is .923, which certainly compares favorably to the .888 mark he registered in December.