The Rangers will march into their final two games before the Christmas break atop the NHL in myriad categories.
Not only has first place in the Metropolitan Division belonged to the Blueshirts for nearly two months — since the Oct. 24 win in Calgary — but the club leads the entire NHL with a .750 point percentage and a 22-7-1 record.
The only team with fewer losses so far this season is the Bruins.
Beyond the standings, when Thursday began the Rangers sat in first place in faceoff win percentage (55.3) and were tied with the Devils for the best power-play percentage (31.3).
Their penalty kill also ranked fifth, having fended off 85.3 percent of the power plays they’ve faced.
’Tis the season to count your blessings, and the Rangers have had plenty.
With back-to-back games at the Garden against the Oilers and the Sabres on deck this weekend, however, the Rangers remain focused on going into the three-day break on a high note.
“I think that’s the most important thing, not looking ahead,” Ryan Lindgren said. “Obviously, got the break coming up, but these are two critical games. It seems like we’re playing better now and we want to keep that going and feel good going into the break.
“You can’t look at [the standings] too much. It’s a very competitive division. A lot of good teams right behind us. The moment you get complacent or think it’s easy or whatever out there, that’s when teams are going to start catching us. We’ve done a good job of that so far. We look at every game like it’s a new challenge. We’re excited for each one. We got to make sure we keep that up.”
The Rangers have been comfortable in terms of playoff position all season long, a luxury few teams get to have.
Even their low points — three losses in four games and 18 goals allowed from Dec. 5-12 — have been rectified in no time.
Three players landing on long-term injured reserve at different points early on in the season has been the most adversity the Rangers have seen — and even that hasn’t slowed them down.
The only thing that could get in their way at this point is complacency.
Inside of games, as head coach Peter Laviolette likes to say, the Rangers have had their moments of sitting back and failing to push on a lead.
Well, inside of a season, that sort of trait can be detrimental.
The Rangers have also established a culture of unrelenting competitiveness and an insatiable desire to improve.
That is the sort of trait that will carry a team through the ups and downs of a season.
“I think it starts with how we practice and the guys in our room,” Braden Schneider said of how the Rangers stay unsatisfied. “I think Lavi has created such a competitive atmosphere in here and I think we’re always wanting more. If you win the last one, can we win the next one? Can we win the next one after that? I think that mindset of always staying hungry and wanting more.
“I mean, we’ve been at the top and really we could let off the gas, but at the same time, every guy in here wants to keep pushing and to see what we can do because we have a pretty amazing team in here and a great group of guys. Everyone wants to keep getting more, so I think that’s our mindset and I don’t think it’s going to change.”
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