After missing the playoffs for the first 3 seasons of the CCHL, the Rangers just clinched a spot in the post season dance for a 3rd season in a row in a OT loss agaist one of the top teams in the POWERFUL Western Conference, the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Rangers had a terrible first half of season 6 and were bottom feeders (a place they know far to well) in the Eastern Conference for a good period of time but somehow, they had an amazing second half and made it in the playoffs.
G.M John Bates also mentioned the flurry of trades one day after he had enough of the poor production as a turning point in the season. Durings those trades, the organization got rid of John Moore, Tanner Pearson, Zach Parise, Teuvo Teravainen and Dan Girardi to welcome Evgeni Dadonov, Matt Grzelcyk, TJ Oshie, Kevin Labanc and Matthew Benning. The Rangers later traded Labanc and Boston 1st pick for Phil Kessel who did pretty good since joining the team.
The Rangers will now face either The Pens or The Isles, two extremely good and talented teams so the 1st round will be anything but easy. At this point, the best players will have to give everything they have if they want to make it to the 2nd round.
Tommorow is the last day of the regulation season and still so much can happen. Between the 3 teams (St-Louis, Colorado and Nashville) in the POWERFUL Western Conference fightning for the last playoffs spot and the fate of the Columbus BJ and the Washington Capitals, it's not going to be boring ! It's playoffs time!
Bohn Jates RDS