At the start of the 2013 season, the New York Rangers looked like a lost cause. After coming off a season that saw them in the conference finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they struggled to retain the momentum. However, a mid-season return to former has the Rangers back in playoff contention as they continued to tighten their grip on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. As they cement themselves into the post season once again, the New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers saw their playoff hopes dashed as both teams were eliminated from contention.
Ryan Callahan's two goals paired with 26 saves from Henrik Lundqvist were enough to give the Rangers their third straight win. Callahan scored in the first 34 seconds of the team's 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils to keep the Rangers inching closer to the playoffs. At this point, the only team that has a hope of catching the Rangers is the Winnipeg Jets, who sit in seventh place. The Jets are three points behind the Rangers in the conference standings. With three games remaining, they have a small chance at overtaking New York for the eighth spot. The Rangers are 8-2-1 in their past 11 games. Two of their three remaining games are against teams sitting at the bottom of the conference.
With the Rangers' win comes the elimination of the Devils. New Jersey no longer has a chance to defend their conference title. The elimination is a bit ironic considering the Devils eliminated the Rangers last season from getting to the Stanley Cup finals. Now, the Rangers decided to turn the tables on the team.
"We pride ourselves on being there every year. Unfortunately, we're not. It definitely hurts. The organization prides itself on winnings and being in the playoffs every year," said forward Stephen Gionta.
The NHL weekend also saw the Boston Bruins move back into the No. 2 spot on the Eastern Conference over the Montreal Canadiens. The team shut out the Florida Panthers to put themselves in the top spot in the Northeast Division. The Canadiens still have a chance at jumping the Bruins once again before the regular season comes to a close. The Jets are the biggest bubble team at the moment. They have the possibility of eliminating either the Rangers or Capitals from the playoffs if they can make one final push in their remaining games.
