New York Rangers showing signs of Eastern Conference Domination -NHL Special
The New York Rangers showed a spectacular performance going against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2012 Bridgestone National Hockey League (NHL) Winter Classic, which not only proved their supremacy over their rival team, but also signs of domination in the Eastern Conference.
The Eastern Conference situation is totally different from what it was last season as Washington Capitals were the team to beat, but now, the stakes have changed and so have the New York Rangers.
Washington at the moment stands at the seventh spot in the East with 44points, that is 8 points below the leading New York Rangers, who are leading the league with 52.
Chicago Blackhawks also have 52 in the Western Conference, making the race for supremacy even more exciting as both teams have tough competition in the upcoming days.
There is quite a good chance of seeing these two teams leading their respective divisions, which could be showing us a preview of the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, and even possibly the finals, because both New York and Chicago certainly do have the potential.
Defense
New York does not lack in any department when talking about game play and strategic players in different positions. The Rangers are a well rounded team, especially their defensive line-up, which consists of Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Michael Del Zotto, who have definitely become more noticeable in the past few weeks.
The reason New York's defense is ranking high this 2011-2012 NHL regular season is that they have allowed only 79 goals so far, making them the second highest team in terms of least goals conceded.
Henrik Lundqvist is also playing much better than he has in the past and everyone knows that having a top class goalie in the net is always one part of taking your team to the Stanley Cup.
Marc Staal
Marc Staal made a comeback on the Rangers’ line-up, that too at a surprising time during the Winter Classic, which made the game even more exciting.
Staal might not be a huge addition on the team but is certainly one of those dynamic players that can seem to make all the difference when needed.
He might not be playing big numbers right away but will eventually get back in form as the season progresses into the second half.
Offense
As good as the New York defense is, their offence is even better.
Players like Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards, Derek Stepan and Artem Anisimov have really stepped up their game to take the Rangers to a whole new level.
New York has one of the best offensive players in the league, especially when it comes to high pressure situations, something we all witnessed in the Winter Classic as 40,000 plus fans booed them constantly, but the players did not let it get through them.
There is no doubt that the New York Rangers have some tough competition this season, especially from teams like Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins and even the rejuvenated Florida Panthers, but seeing them going down the path they currently are, it would not be surprising to see them end atop the East when the season comes to a close.
In the end, nothing can be said for sure since the NHL is one of the most rapidly changing sports in the nation, but for us fans, that is always a good thing.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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