Hockey Fans Hope for a Comeback

The NHL is one of many professional sports organizations that have suspended operations in the middle of their season. The season was nearing the playoffs, each team having about 20 games remaining on their schedule. Both of New York’s teams were in serious playoff contention, but arrived there very differently from one other. If the season resumes, it will be a crazy fight for both the New York Rangers and New York Islanders to get themselves a spot in the playoffs.

The Islanders started the season red hot and were considered to be one of the top teams in the league. The Rangers, on the other hand, were in the middle of the pack in the standings for most of the first half of the season. Defense and goaltending were issues the Rangers faced early on, but everything started to come together around the All-Star Break. The Rangers caught fire and were as hot as anyone in the league.

The Rangers’ success was likely in part due to the Rangers calling up Russian goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin was considered one of the most promising prospects before getting called up, and his plays really backed up his reputation. After excelling in his first several starts, Shesterkin and fellow Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich got in a car accident. Both suffered relatively minor injuries, but Shesterkin’s broken rib held him out of hockey for about three weeks. After returning from injury, Shesterkin played in very few games before the season was put on hiatus.

The Islanders, however, were really struggling to find any consistency on offense. Their star, Mathew Barzal, was in a severe drought offensively, and his supporting cast was not playing any better. However, if the league returns, the Islanders can definitely regroup and have a good shot at clinching a playoff berth.

Former Rangers player Wayne Gretzky has voiced his opinion that the NHL will be able to resume play this summer. Gretzky proposed having the league resume in June and play throughout the summer. Only time will tell, but in the meantime, fans can be cautiously optimistic that conditions will improve and they will get to see the best hockey players in the world start competing once again.