To start, let’s be transparent here. This article is coming to you thanks to the wonder of United in-flight Wi-Fi. I’m on my way to Aruba with Mrs. Breakdown and our family to enjoy some fun in the sun before the holidays. I’ve got some time on my hands so expect some poolside writing in between swims and drinks. Now we haven’t talked about my beloved New York Rangers much so far, so without further ado…

We’re at the quarter pole of the NHL season and while there is a lot of hockey to be played, the Rangers have given the fans reason to be excited. Every night we’ve seen this team show up and compete to win, reminiscent of teams gone by. The vibes are the best they’ve been in two seasons and frankly, it’s nice to not be so frustrated by this group. Why has this happened? Let’s get into the 12-8-1 Rangers!

For starters, credit has to be given to the goaltending, especially of late, as the unlikely tandem of Garand and Korpisalo has played well in the last 6 games. Garand battled well in the absence of Igor Shesterkin in the initial stretch after the injury, but he was overworked and needed someone to assist him. Korpisalo, surprisingly has performed well since getting into the lineup from the injured list, and has backed up well. I wasn’t a huge fan of bringing Korpisalo in but it’s wound being rather fortunate that Chris Drury added him…hopefully it just continues from here.

While the goaltending deserves its flowers for the recent 5-1 stretch, the offensive depth of the lineup has to be credited as well. Alexis Lafreniere has been their most consistent performer, playing at a point-per-game pace, but he and his line-mates needed some fire support. So Mike Sullivan moved Will Cuylle to the third line center spot and elevated Tye Kartye. Both changes have worked as Kartye has brought the best out of JT Miller who looks better and better, while Cuylle has the bottom of the order firing and playing an energetic game. Oliver Bjorkstrand has been a good find with 7 goals and Mika Zibanejad looks to be heating up as well while playing between Lafreniere and Perreault. The one to still keep an eye on is Pavel Dorofeyev, who looks more dangerous of late. If they can get number 16 firing on all cylinders, look out!

The most consistently good feature of this team this season has been their blue line. The engine of that unit is, as it has been for years, Adam Fox. Number 23 is logging over 20 minutes a game and playing at a Norris Trophy level here in 26-27. He’s a +5 on the year, with 23 points in 21 games, while killing penalties and running the power play. All that success, is due in part to the work of his partner Vlad Gavrikov, who continues to perform well here as a shutdown, physical guy. That pair is backed up by the steady offseason addition Marcus Pettersson, and Sean Durzi who should return soon. An unlikely boost has come in the person of Scott Morrow, who is playing his best hockey as a Ranger recently, which bodes well for team depth the rest of the way, especially when they get Smits back into the lineup.

I said last year that Mike Sullivan did a good job with this team despite so much working against him. He worked hard to turn over the culture from a very negative run of seasons, and while it was hard to see that in the moment, it feels like it’s paying off now. His message and his process-driven approach with the roster have them playing the right way, and he’s found ways to get the most out of his players. Whether it’s bringing Scott Morrow along or putting Tye Kartye in positions to succeed, that work has been impressive enough. But what really stood out was his consultation of John Tortorella in regard to Pavel Dorofeyev. Sullivan reached out to his mentor, Dorofeyev’s former coach last spring, about how to best coach the sniper. Whatever they discussed seems to have worked as number 16 is starting to find his way. It feels good to have Sully at the wheel, and hopefully he can keep this group rolling.

The Rangers have a hard road to securing a playoff spot in this crowded Eastern Conference. With the Hurricanes and Devils playing so well, there is likely only one playoff spot up for grabs through the division. Meanwhile, the Atlantic is going to be a heavyweight fight between about 6 teams the rest of the way, making the Wild Card tough to navigate. It’s going to take more consistent play and some wheeling and dealing from the front office to get it done, fingers crossed it happens.

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