The Rangers kept it light on Halloween, but a three-game skid and Sunday's date with the Oilers keep the pressure on.
The team's official account declared that Cools and Gabe had the most polarizing costumes at the Halloween party. Expect the replies to split the fan base down the middle.
It's a nice breather. It's also the first time in a week the Rangers have had anything to smile about.
New York sits at 7-6-1 with 15 points, 20th in the NHL and fifth in the Metropolitan Division. The last result was a 3-6 loss to the Kings on Monday, October 26, which stretched the losing streak to three.
The goal numbers don't look like a disaster on paper. The Rangers have scored 44 and allowed 42, a +2 differential that says this team has been closer to even than the standings suggest.
But the road split is ugly. They're 1-5-1 away from home and 6-1-0 at home, and Mike Sullivan has to find a way to close that gap before it defines the season.
Over the last 10 games, the Rangers are 4-5-1. That's a team treading water, not one falling apart, and that's the version Chris Drury can still live with for now.
Oilers arrive on a back-to-back against the Rangers
Edmonton is the opponent Sunday, November 1. The Oilers are also scheduled to play the Islanders tonight, so they'll be on the second half of a back-to-back by the time they reach New York.
Their Saturday opponent isn't a pushover. The Islanders are 7-4-2, have won two straight, and beat Minnesota 4-3 in overtime on Thursday.
The Oilers will have to get through that game first, and Sullivan will be watching how they come out of it. Fatigue is a real factor, but it only helps a team that actually shows up with legs of its own.
The Rangers' team account noted that Cools and Gabe owned the most polarizing costumes at the party.
-
The costume debate will be settled by Sunday morning. The skid won't be, and the Rangers get their shot at ending it against Edmonton on November 1.
Should the Rangers stop the losing streak against a tired Oilers team on Sunday?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Five teams will not be in on Nikita Kucherov trade, per report
