As this is my final passion post, we have come to the conclusion of highlighting specific players. Today, we’ll take a look at expectations for the rest of the season and what the team has in store for them.
We are rapidly approaching the conclusion of the regular season and gears are being shifted into looking forward to the playoffs. Currently, the Rangers have about 10 games left (give or take a few, depending on when you read this). In fact, their last regular season game will be played on April 29th, so as we finish class, they will finish their season. The Rangers are currently in 2nd place in the Metropolitan Division, yet their standings have been fluctuating through the season. However, I have the utmost confidence that they will clinch a spot in the playoffs. It would be their first appearance in the playoffs since the 2016-2017 season.
So, let’s say they do make it to the playoffs, what happens then? The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs consist of 4 four rounds, each getting smaller as they progress. 16 teams qualify into the playoffs. They play best of seven game series to decide who is moving on. After the final two teams battle it out, one is presented with the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup is a trophy that is about 3 feet tall and weighs 35 pounds, resulting in its nickname as the “greatest trophy in sports.” Only time can tell if the Rangers will make the playoffs, so I’ll be crossing my fingers until that day comes.
To give a further glimpse into the future for the Rangers, let’s look at their top prospects. Brennan Othmann was named the Rangers top prospect in January of this year, who is currently playing in the OHL. He was the Rangers first round draft picked, being selected 16th overall, and currently sits in 6th place in OHL scoring. Will Cuylle was drafted in the second round, 60th overall, and is currently in the OHL. He has shown promising and improving statistics in the league, as he is coming off of season that was lower than predicted. However, his improvement shows great signs of talent and perseverance that will useful during his time as a Ranger. Finally, the last prospect we’ll be covering is Brett Berard, selected 134th overall. His low selection has been criticized by many, as he is currently second in point on the Providence NCAA team. He was selected to play for Team USA before the tournament was cancelled. With their current stars and talented prospects, the Rangers seem like they are in good shape for the upcoming years!
Before concluding, I wanted to say thank you for following me on my journey through players, young and old, and I hope you enjoyed reading about them. This blog has helped me feel connected with my family, as we are huge hockey fans and I’m quite far from home. While this blog may be over, the Rangers and all of their past, present, and future successes will continue. With that, I will leave you with a final – Let’s Go Rangers!
I am genuinely sad that I won’t get to read these every other week. I think that all of the players and the stories you share about them are so interesting. I am not a hockey fan, but your blogs are some of my favorite to read. I love this blog, and I am really interested to see how the Rangers progress and how the players do for the rest of the season. I think I am going to keep up with Rangers news at least for this season, just because I feel like I know so much now! I’m excited to see which players win awards and see if some of your predictions come true 🙂
I will definitely miss your posts about all the different Ranger’s players. They were so interesting and really made me feel connected to the team. I have never been a huge hockey fan or known much about it, but your posts are always so easy to follow and engaging. I will be crossing my fingers with you that they make the play offs! A 35 pound trophy does sound pretty nice and a bragging point for sure. From your brief talk about some of the draft picks, it seems like the Ranger’s will remain in good hands. I will have to follow along as their season comes to a close and root for them as they hopefully make it to the play offs!
From someone who also wrote their passion blog posts about their favorite sports team, I applaud you for sticking with it and always finding something new and interesting to post about. You can feel the passion and the care for the Rangers through every word you write, even though I very much dislike the team and all other New York teams the same.