Hartnett: Rangers' Resiliency Has Been Key To March Toward Top Of NHL

By Sean Hartnett
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The mark of a great team isn't based solely on skill. There's no doubt that the Rangers' 13-4 start has been due to their abundance of speed and skill across four lines, an all-world goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist and a stingy group of defensemen.

Having won eight of their last nine games, the Blueshirts' plus-34 goal differential ranks first in the NHL. They are also first in the league with 4.24 goals for per game and their goals against per game of 2.24 is fourth overall. No team has more takeaways than the Rangers' 168 and no team possesses a shooting percentage better than their 14.6 percent success rate.

And, oh yeah, they are just two points behind the juggernaut Montreal Canadiens atop the overall league standings.

A great team is also measured by how it responds to adversity and challenges. The Rangers headed into Tuesday's road meeting with the Vancouver Canucks without scoring forwards Chris Kreider (upper-body injury) and Pavel Buchnevich (back spasms). Their absences forced the call-up of Boo Nieves, a 22-year-old center who narrowly missed out on making the Blueshirts' opening night roster.

As the game wore on, Derek Stepan and Jesper Fast missed significant time after blocking shots. However, both would return and complete the game. Third line center Kevin Hayes came away unscathed after blocking a shot with his left ankle late in the second period. The lopsided 7-2 victory covered up the bruises and punishment the Rangers absorbed over 60 minutes. They were left black and blue after blocking 21 shots. Head coach Alain Vigneault described his team as "ice bags" following the victory.

Tuesday's win came a game after Vigneault was forced to play a forward short against the Edmonton Oilers due to the injury pileup. Yet, the Rangers still swept their Western Canada swing, which featured three games in four nights, by outscoring their opponents 14-4.

Through injuries and lineup adjustments, there seems to be no slowing down this team. Like a production line, the Rangers keep rolling. Seven different players scored at least two points in Tuesday's victory. Missing a point-per-game player in Kreider and another who has recorded six points in his last four games in Buchnevich could have stopped a lot of teams in their tracks, but the Rangers are proving to be the furthest thing from an ordinary team.

Now, the Rangers will have time to heal their wounds and ice their bruises. They will look to finish their four-game road trip on a high by earning a victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Friday night.

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey