NYR Should Not Roll Over In Final Meaningless Game

Getty Images

The New York Rangers have locked themselves into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Having done so in back-to-back seasons, they are in a great spot to try and do what they did last season by making the Eastern Conference Finals. But before they do that, one more game will still be played in the regular season.

Should they try and win this last meaningless game? Or should they rest up and roll over for their opposition to gain a needless victory?

No Quit In New York

Stick to the mantra. Don’t quit. Even with nothing left to play for right now, the Rangers should not let themselves fall into any kind of rut before the start of the most important games of the season.

Of course, it is a risk to try and play your stars in meaningless games, but it is also important not to let them get rusty. After this final game against Toronto, there will be a few days before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on April 17th. That is a long layoff between games, and that could be a hindrance for the Rangers going forward.

Plus, it gives the Rangers a final game to iron out all creases in the lineup. See what works and what doesn’t. This is the last chance to figure it all out before the real season begins.

Gain Momentum For Playoffs

If the Rangers were to sit a good amount of their starters and really pack it in for this final game against Toronto, it would surely surmount a loss. Why would you want that to be your last game of a truly great regular season?

There is a chance to generate a little bit of momentum going into the playoffs. The first-round opponent of the Rangers has yet to be completely determined. The possibilities are the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.

With all that uncertainty ahead, it is crucial for the Rangers to keep themselves in tip-top shape. Looking ahead to both of those matchups, the Rangers were 1-2-1 against the Devils and 3-1 against the Hurricanes.

Fortune Telling w/ Joe Fortunato Ranting Rangers: A New York Rangers Podcast

In this week's episode Joe Fortunato comes on to discuss NYR's offseason outlook now with Mike Sullivan hired, Drury's management of the team and more.How to support us and our sponsors:Columbia Sports ApparelESPN+ SubscriptionFanaticsDraft Kings – CODE ITRThanks for listening! Please rate and review our show on your favorite listening platform. Check out our partner's website at www.insidetherink.com for all your latest hockey news.
  1. Fortune Telling w/ Joe Fortunato
  2. Built for Compliance, Not Cups
  3. Masterclass Incompetence
  4. The Great Regression : 24-25 NYR
  5. 68 Down & We Needed This 1

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

AHL: Eric Dubois Heads Overseas to ERC Ingolstadt

The Manitoba Moose announced on Friday, May 30th, that Eric Dubois has joined the DEL club ERC Ingolstadt as an assistant coach. Dubois, 55, served as an assistant coach with the Manitoba Moose for nine seasons when he joined the club back in 2016. The Moose posted a 292-264-34-23 record in Dubois’ nine seasons as […]

Read More
Kashawn Aitcheson physicality

2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Kashawn Aitcheson

Kashawn Aitcheson is a 6-foot-1, 198-pound left-shot defenceman from Toronto, Ontario. Born on September 21st, 2006, Aitcheson narrowly missed the cutoff for the 2024 NHL Draft, and is one of the oldest prospects in the 2025 class. Aitcheson has spent the last three seasons with the Barrie Colts of the OHL. He was also selected […]

Read More
Stuart Skinner

Opinion: Oilers’ Stuart Skinner Showing Some Steadiness Between the Pipes

When it comes to Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, one never knows what they are going to get. On one hand, one might see a version of Skinner, 26, who stands tall, comes up with big saves, does not get out of position, and does not allow soft goals. When this version of Skinner is […]

Read More