NHL 2010-11: Home Victories Will Be a Key Part of the New York Rangers Season

Tonight is the New York Rangers 2010-11 season home opener. They have opened the season an even 1-1, with a win in their first game of the season (in Buffalo), and a shocking loss to their greatest rival, the New York Islanders (in Long Island). Tonight the Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they are off to an extremely hot start with a perfect 3-0 record. It will be an important game early in the season, and it may foreshadow how this season will play out for the Rangers.

Last season the New York Rangers missed the playoffs by one point, and a big part of that may have been their lack of home victories. The Rangers had a disappointing record of 18-17-6 at home last season, and if they could have won one more game (or made it to overtime one more time) they would have landed in eighth place in their conference. The season before (the 2008-09 season) the Rangers had a home record of 26-11-4, which was the seventh best home record in the NHL, and the Rangers made the playoffs by two points (one win).

Is it a coincidence that the Rangers edge other teams for a playoff birth when they play better at home?

The Rangers have to play well at home throughout the 2010-11 NHL season if they want to make the playoffs. Their home record has been the difference between playoffs and no playoffs in the previous three seasons. The Rangers play 41 home games, and if they can win at least 25 of them they have a good chance at grabbing a playoff spot.

Tonight will be a must win for the Rangers, in the sense that a win at home may spark them to a win streak. The home opener will also be huge because two of the bigger Rangers players (Marian Gaborik and Alexander Frolov) have started the season struggling to score goals. Both players played extremely well at home during the preseason and this game may make a difference for both players, possibly sparking them into a hot streak.

I have the Rangers winning tonight, but I am no fortune teller. The Rangers will have to play hard, and stay away from bad penalties. The defense will have to play better, and the offense must continue scoring for the Rangers to come out with a major win tonight. The only line-up changes that have been confirmed by John Tortorella at this point: Matt Gilroy is in the line-up, Michael Sauer and Todd White will be healthy scratches. Chris Drury will be in the line-up, most likely on the first line unless Erik Christensen’s leg heals before morning skate.