New York Rangers Starting to Settle in After Rough Start to Season

After the way in which the New York Rangers started the 2013-14 season, it is safe to say the Blueshirts' 1-3-0 start through their first four games this season raised very few eyebrows before the team got off to its current winning streak.

For those who don't remember—or simply chose to forget a start that is best summarized by a Tomas Hertl goal that led to Marty Biron's retirement—the Rangers started last season with a 3-7-0 record.

Although this year's start has been great by comparison, there was still some cause for concern in the eyes of the fans, as the Blueshirts tried to stay competitive without top center Derek Stepan, top-four defender Dan Boyle and the number of players who defected during free agency.

The Rangers currently sit in the standings with a 4-3-0 record for eight points, and the same team that drew negative criticism for dropping three bad games in a row has just won three straight games.

After a rough start that was full of defensive miscues, confusion and chaos, the Rangers are starting to settle in. The Rangers' newfound level of comfort was especially evident against the New Jersey Devils, and it was easily one of the team's best performances of the young season.

After a back-and-forth 40 minutes dominated by special teams, the Blueshirts entered the third period trailing 2-1. The newly polished ice was ready to go, and it took all of 36 seconds for Jon Merrill to push a shot through a screen on the power play to put the Rangers in a 3-1 hole.

For most fans, it is fair to say that there was a simultaneous reach for the remote to flip over to the World Series or Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., because at that point in time, things looked dire for the Rangers, who had given up three unanswered goals.

In addition to that, it looked like the team was unraveling and the Devils were following the same script that the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders used to decimate the Rangers a few games earlier.

That script—for those who blocked out the two losses in which 12 total goals were allowed—was to pressure and take shots from every angle and hope that a defender (preferably Kevin Klein) was near Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Although Klein was on the ice for an own goal, something was different with the Blueshirts this time, as they actually played better without the lead. Against New Jersey, the Rangers showed some fight, resolve and confidence, elements that were lacking a few games ago.

Clearly, Rick Nash wanted fans to see him score his eighth goal of the season and not catch reruns of Shark Tank, although there's nothing wrong with that on nights in which there are no NHL games.

Instead of going into a defensive shell, the Rangers got aggressive and pushed the play for a change. The Blueshirts showed why they were a team that was good enough to win the Eastern Conference last season, and a 3-1 lead became a 3-2 lead after newly recalled center Chris Mueller banged home a one-timer on the power play.

After the unexpected goal by Mueller, the Rangers kept pressing their luck without fear of whammies. It was something that didn't happen against the Leafs or Islanders—or the Columbus Blue Jackets for that matter.

With some effort, hard work and luck, the 3-2 lead became a 3-3 tie on Nash's eighth goal of the year, and before you knew it, it was #dryscrape time.

At that point, both teams were happy to get a point, and it looked like the Devils wanted to end the game quickly. I mean, who would blame them after last season's ineptitude in games that lasted longer than 65 minutes?

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Lundqvist, who looked a little bit off from the form he showed against the San Jose Sharks and Carolina Hurricanes, came up big when the Devils were able to move up the ice, and the game reached its climax after Damon Severson's attempt to be fancy backfired.

After failing to get a shot off, the Blueshirts moved the puck up the ice, and just like the ending of D3: The Mighty Ducks, the puck ended up on the stick of an unlikely defender.

Yes, just like Goldberg then, Klein ended up with the vulcanized rubber on his blade, and he outmaneuvered Devils netminder Cory Schneider to complete the three-goal swing and a Rangers comeback.

It was an unlikely outcome to a seemingly unpleasant scenario, and it all worked out in the end for the Rangers. This time, the Rangers' fight and perseverance paid off, and Lady Luck did her thing as well.

The victory puts the Rangers in a better position in the standings, but it will also put the team in a better mindset going forward.

Right now, unlikely players are stepping up, the marquee ones are producing and, most importantly, the team is winning.

The Rangers will be in for a test against the Montreal Canadiens—their foe from the 2014 Eastern Conference Final—at the Bell Centre on Saturday night, and that will truly show whether the Blueshirts are locked in and ready to push onward.