New York Rangers Tickets

The New York Rangers are looking to make a return to the playoffs but are battling hard in one of the toughest divisions in hockey.

The Rangers are currently in third place in the Atlantic Division and tied with a number of teams in the Eastern Conference with 66 points. They will need to pick up their play if they want to reach the postseason.

They have gone in the opposite direction of late, having gone 2-6-2 over their past 10 games. That won't get the job done.

The fans have grown increasingly frustrated at Madison Square Garden, to the point where the behavior is beginning to get a little bit ugly in the stands. It isn't much better on the ice, where the players are starting to feel the pressure as well.

The jobs of both the coach and general manager are now on the line, but they aren't ready to panic yet.

Coach Tom Renney said the hardest part of the recent slide is just finding a way to win that one game that can keep your from sliding further down the mountain. Until they can get over that hump, things will be tough.

Goalie Henrik Lundqvist hasn't been part of the problem, as he allows just 2.57 goals per contest. At the same time, he hasn't been able to elevate his level of play of late to shut down opposing teams and get the Rangers off their recent slide.

The real problem with the Rangers has been their offense, or lackthereof. Markus Naslund leads the team with just 17 goals, which is an embarassingly low number this far into the season.

Scott Gomez leads the team with 29 assists, which is at least a respectable number. Gomez is one of the few offensive players competing at a consistently high level.

New York needs to pick up their play in a hurry with the Carolina Panthers just five points behind them for the final playoff spot. The upcoming schedule is pretty easy, so the Rangers have a chance to string some wins together.