New York Rangers: 5 Reasons to Forget October Woes

The New York Rangers are simply not where they would like to be right now.

With no Marc Staal in the lineup and Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik struggling to find consistency with a left-winger, head coach John Tortorella will be addressing these issues with some needed changes no doubt.

Sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-3-3 record, the Blueshirts have not played up to expectations. Not just those of the media, but those of themselves.

A wild, undisciplined October will quickly be forgotten, as the Rangers are looking to move on to bigger and better things on Broadway, starting in November.

Line Chemistry

A month into the season, the New York Rangers are still struggling to find a top left-winger to play alongside Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. 

Just five days ago at practice, head coach John Tortorella tried out a top line that saw Eric Christensen centering Wojtek Wolski and Marian Gaborik.

Once they get some consistent chemistry going, the Rangers will get a great boost up front. It will be welcomed with open arms, too; the Rangers are 12th in the East in scoring, with only 25 goals for.

John Tortorella

John Tortorella won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, coaching Brad Richards. The New York Rangers are hoping this connection can help spark a similar outcome this season. 

Tortorella is all business when it comes to coaching. He'll certainly be reminding his squad of the fact they need to improve drastically. Look for the Rangers to have a much more successful November.

Marc Staal's Return

As of Monday, there is still no progress on his condition it seems. However, once defender Marc Staal returns to the New York Rangers' lineup, the effects should be instant.

Staal, at only 24, is developing into one of the league's premier shutdown defensemen. With that being said, the Rangers are doing a very good job of keeping the goals allowed to a minimum. With Staal back, they'll get a huge boost defensively, as well as on the power-play and penalty kill, where he sees valuable minutes. 

Power Play Rejuvenated

Coming in at a whopping 15 percent is the New York Rangers' power-play. With the potential for two very dynamic units, it's hard to believe that this team is a mere six for 40 through 10 games.

That's one statistic that is surely bound to change. With Brad Richards on the point combined with the likes of Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Wojtek Wolski, Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi, look for this bedazzled power-play to reverse its fortunes.   

Serious Penalty Reduction

Through the first three games of the season, the New York Rangers already dug themselves in serious penalty trouble, registering an average 20.7 minutes per game. 

If you're spending more than a third of the game in the penalty box, don't expect to get much done.

They have toned that down too much since, either. The Rangers are still leading the league in PIMs, averaging just under 18 each game.

The Rangers, especially bench boss John Tortorella, will not stand for a ridiculous number like that. This team will be a much more disciplined one starting in November.