With training camp about a month away and the Traverse City tournament starting a few days before that, I figured now was as good a time as any to post the schedule analysis. With the team basically set, I will get back to the top-20+ questions and camp preparation after this blog. But for now, let's look at the upcoming season's slate of games.
Rangers Schedule Analysis
In an odd twist, the Rangers do not have a homestand or road trip longer than three games all season. As the Rangers press release pointed out when the schedule was released, this is the first season which the Rangers will neither have a homestand nor a road trip longer than three games in length since the NHL adopted an 82-game schedule in 1995-96 and the first season overall since 1941-42. Last year, New York had four, four-game home stands and one, five-game road trip. In 2013-14, they had a nine-game homestand after opening the season with a similar road trip due to the completion of the renovations at MSG.
Like last year, the Rangers will play a total of 30 games against Metropolitan Division opponents this season. The Blueshirts will face Philadelphia and Washington five times apiece, and will play four games apiece against Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, the NY Islanders, and Pittsburgh. Last season, New York played five games against the NYI and Car and four against everyone else, so this season, the extra game is played against the Flyers and Capitals. Next year, the Rangers will play against two coming from the Blue Jackets, Devils and Penguins. In addition, like last year, New York will play three games against each of the eight Atlantic Division opponents, and will also face off against each of the 14 Western Conference team twice in 2015-16. The Rangers will have 17 back-to-back sets during the 2015-16 season. After playing its first two games of the season on the road, New York will play 11 of the following 16 games, including eight of the following 10 games, at Madison Square Garden. This is somewhat similar to last year, when after opening on the road for the two games of the year, NY played 14 of their next 19 at MSG.
The Rangers will play more home games on a Sunday (10 games) than on any other day of the week during the season. New York will also play eight home games on a Monday, eight home games on a Tuesday, three home games on a Wednesday, five home games on a Thursday, two home games on a Friday, and five home games on a Saturday throughout the course of the season. Exhibition games: The Rangers open training camp on September 17 and will play the following six games: 9/21 vs. NJD at MSG, 9/22 at Philly, 9/24 at Boston, 9/26 at NJ, 9/28 vs. Flyers at MSG and 9/30 vs. Boston. Longest home stand - three games, five times (October 18-22 (NJ, SJ, AZ)), followed by a game on the road against Philadelphia, which leads to the next three at home, October 25 to November 3 (CGY, TOR, WAS). The next three-game homestand is January 5-11 (DAL, WAS, BOS), which is followed by three on the road, and Feb. 12-14 (LA, PHI, CHI). Last is April 5-9 (TB, NYI, DET) to close the regular season.
Longest road trip - three games, five times. The first is Dec. 9-12, which is the team’s first West Coast swing when the face VAN, EDM and CGY. Prior to that, the furthest west New York traveled was for games Nov. 6-7 against COL and AZ. The next three-game roadie is to close out 2015, from Dec. 28-Jan. 2, when NY is at NAS, TB and FLA. Two weeks later is the next three-game road trip when NY travels to the NYI, PHI and WAS from Jan. 14-17. Next is Feb. 23-27 (NJ, STL, DAL) with the final three-game roadie the last West Coast swing of the season, Mar. 16-19 (ANA, LA, SJ)
Heaviest month - November, February and March - 14 games in each. In November, eight of the Blueshirts’ 14 contests are at home. In March, nine of the 14 are on the road, with contests in Anaheim (16th), LA (17th) and San Jose (19th)
West Coast Trips - December 9-12 (VAN, EDM, CGY) and March 16-19 (ANA, LA, SJ). In addition, November 6-7 they play Colorado and Arizona.
Back-to-backs - 17 times. The past two seasons, NY has played 13 back-to-back contests, so their conditioning, which has yet to be an issue under AV, will be tested.
Personal - road game in Vancouver on my wife’s birthday, road game in Philly’s on oldest daughter’s birthday and road game in San Jose on parent’s anniversary.
Overall not an easy schedule, with lots of short homestands and road trips unlike in years past. The 11 games in 16 contests stretch at MSG should allow the team to settle in but they will pay for it down the road, especially from Dec. 9-Jan 2 when eight of 11 games are on the road. After the first two games of the season and until December 9, the Rangers play just two games outside the Eastern Time zone (Nov. 6-7, COL and AZ).
The first rematch with Tampa Bay is on November 19 in Tampa. The Rangers will first face Cam Talbot and Oilers in Edmonton Dec 11 with Glen Sather finally getting honored that day, then back at MSG Dec 15. Carl Hagelin and the Ducks come to MSG Dec 22. New York is off on New Year’s Day with the Winter Classic between Boston and Montreal at Gillette Stadium. In addition, they are off from January 26-February 1 for the All-Star Game, which is being held in Nashville.
After the All-Star Game, 33 of the 82 games will be played starting on February 2 in New Jersey and ending April 9 at home against Detroit. Of those 33, 16 will be at home.
Here is the full schedule:
October: 11 games, 7H, 4A
Oct. 7 at Chicago 7:30 Oct. 9 at Columbus 7:00 Oct. 10 Columbus 7:00 Oct. 13 Winnipeg 7:00 Oct. 15 at Montreal 7:30 Oct. 18 New Jersey 1:00 Oct. 19 San Jose 7:00 Oct. 22 Arizona 7:00 Oct. 24 at Philadelphia 7:00 Oct. 25 Calgary 7:00 Oct. 30 Toronto 7:00
November: 14 games, 8H, 6A
Nov. 3 Washington 7:00 Nov. 6 at Colorado 9:00 Nov. 7 at Arizona 9:00 Nov. 10 Carolina 7:00 Nov. 12 St. Louis 7:00 Nov. 14 at Ottawa 1:00 Nov. 15 Toronto 7:00 Nov. 19 at Tampa Bay 7:30 Nov. 21 at Florida 7:00 Nov. 23 Nashville 7:00 Nov. 25 Montreal 7:00 Nov. 27 at Boston 1:00 Nov. 28 Philadelphia 1:00 Nov. 30 Carolina 7:00
December: 13 games, 5H, 8A
Dec. 2 at NY Islanders 8:00 Dec. 3 Colorado 7:00 Dec. 6 Ottawa 7:00 Dec. 9 at Vancouver 10:00 Dec. 11 at Edmonton 9:00 Dec. 12 at Calgary 10:00 Dec. 15 Edmonton 7:00 Dec. 17 at Minnesota 8:00 Dec. 18 at Winnipeg 8:00 Dec. 20 Washington 7:00 Dec. 22 Anaheim 7:00 Dec. 28 at Nashville 8:00 Dec. 30 at Tampa Bay 8:00
January: 11 games, 5H, 6A
Jan. 2 at Florida 7:00 Jan. 5 Dallas 7:00 Jan. 9 Washington 1:00 Jan. 11 Boston 7:00 Jan. 14 at NY Islanders 7:00 Jan. 16 at Philadelphia 1:00 Jan. 17 at Washington 5:00 Jan. 19 Vancouver 7:00 Jan. 22 at Carolina 7:00 Jan. 24 at Ottawa 3:00 Jan. 25 Buffalo 7:30
February: 14 games, 7H, 7A
Feb. 2 at New Jersey 7:00 Feb. 4 Minnesota 7:00 Feb. 6 at Philadelphia 1:00 Feb. 8 New Jersey 7:00 Feb. 10 at Pittsburgh 8:00 Feb. 12 Los Angeles 7:00 Feb. 14 Philadelphia 7:30 Feb. 17 Chicago 8:00 Feb. 18 at Toronto 7:30 Feb. 21 Detroit 7:00 Feb. 23 at New Jersey 7:00 Feb. 25 at St. Louis 8:00 Feb. 27 at Dallas 4:00 Feb. 29 Columbus 7:00
March: 14 games, 5H, 9A
Mar. 3 at Pittsburgh 7:00 Mar. 4 at Washington 7:00 Mar. 6 NY Islanders 5:00 Mar. 8 at Buffalo 7:00 Mar. 12 at Detroit 2:00 Mar. 13 Pittsburgh 12:30 Mar. 16 at Anaheim 10:30 Mar. 17 at Los Angeles 10:30 Mar. 19 at San Jose 4:00 Mar. 21 Florida 7:00 Mar. 23 Boston 8:00 Mar. 26 at Montreal 7:00 Mar. 27 Pittsburgh 8:00 Mar. 31 at Carolina 7:00
April: Five games, 4H, 1A
Apr. 2 Buffalo 7:00 Apr. 4 at Columbus 7:00 Apr. 5 Tampa Bay 7:30 Apr. 7 NY Islanders 7:00 Apr. 9 Detroit 12:30