LOS ANGELES — The reality is the Rangers and their true state have been exposed through this downward spiral into the second half of a season that started on a sharp incline.
And ahead of a crucial three-game swing in the Golden State, the Blueshirts are in serious jeopardy of losing all the luxuries that their red-hot start afforded them.
Without that cushion, the concrete pavement is never too far behind.
The nosedive this Rangers team has taken to .500 level hockey has been startling.
So will it be the 18-4-1 Rangers that played with a killer instinct and found ways to win?
Or the 10-10-1 Rangers that have buckled after every mistake and are now finding ways to lose?
Will the real New York Rangers please stand up?
“We think the way that we want to play and what we’re working toward is a heavier, more consistent style of hockey,” said Chris Kreider, who needs to be doing a lot more than just scoring goals, which hasn’t happened in seven straight games. “Just eliminating those big chances where you leave your goalie out to dry. Continue to do the right things in the O-zone and then take the next step.”
The Flyers — yes, you read that correctly — are breathing down the Rangers’ neck in the Metropolitan Division standings after they pulled within two points following their noise-making 5-1 thrashing of the Stars Thursday night.
And for the remainder of the Rangers’ Western trip, Philadelphia will also be playing every night they will.
Losing that No. 1 spot in the division, which the Rangers have held firmly in their grasp since Oct. 24, only would invite more doubt to creep in as the team works to get back on track.
That’s when a spiral turns into a plummet.
A contender turns into a pretender.
A prince turns into a frog.
The Rangers may still have a game in hand on the Flyers, but the way ex-head coach John Tortorella has Philadelphia playing is not to be underestimated.
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Current Rangers coach Peter Laviolette could be faced with a much more difficult line of questioning if the club sheds its first-place shield.
From their team game to individual efforts, the Rangers need a whole lot more from up and down the lineup.
The abundance of scoring opportunities that the team has used as a crutch means nothing if it’s not translating to the scoreboard — especially when every mistake is translating to the scoreboard for their opponents.
That may just be how the pucks are bouncing for the Rangers right now, but good teams create their own luck.
“We talk about getting pucks and bodies to the net and making it hard on other team’s goaltenders,” Kreider said. “I think probably could do a better job of getting to that net-front area and causing a little traffic. Not necessarily just one, but maybe two guys buzzing around in front. Got to create a little havoc and make it a little harder on them.”
The first 44 games have been a tale of two Rangers teams.
The rest of the season will depend on which one takes the helm.