By New Year's Eve, the Rangers had lost 15 of 19 games, as well as their last four.
They fell to last place in the Metropolitan Division, with only the Sabers below them in the Eastern Conference.
At that point, the Rangers were seven points out of the wild-card spot for second place in the East, and a playoff spot seemed remote at best, with seven teams having to pass to get there. .
But just over three weeks later, the Rangers look like a different team. This is a team that rarely loses.
Thursday night's lopsided victory over Philadelphia at Madison Square Garden extended the team's winning streak to 10 games, its longest streak in nearly a year.
Since Jan. 2, the Rangers have scored a league-high 19 points and scored 43 points, which also leads the NHL.
They also outscored their opponents 11-1 in the wild-card race, on a winning streak.
They were one point behind Tampa Bay and Columbus, and entered Friday's game just one point out of the playoff spot.
And so, a season that seemed all but lost less than a month ago resumed, with the Rangers finally playing up to their standards.
Still, despite the upset, the players insist their spirits have not wavered.
“Of course it's great,” Filip Sittil said of his recent string of successes. “But even in the difficult moments we went through, we did not lose our heads. We know the team very well and in a few months we will forget how to play hockey. There are stretches like that during the season, and it's important how the team responds, and that's why we've responded well in the last month. You can win.”
Their defense has definitely gotten better.
The Rangers allowed five or more runs in five of seven games from Dec. 23 to Jan. 7, but only once in the past eight games.
When asked why he improved, Quandre Miller replied: When you come back from [Christmas] With a break, everyone looked in the mirror and realized they could contribute a little more. ”
And the Rangers continue to get production from all four lines.
Adam Edstrom scored on the fourth line Thursday, but like his teammates, Edstrom said the key was physicality.
“We're coming in with a defensive mindset,” Edstrom said. “We play for each other and stand up for each other in completely different ways.”
Despite the results, Sittil added: “There are many challenges ahead of us.”
It begins Sunday against MSG, when the Rangers host Colorado.
The Avalanche are firmly in first place in the Wild Card standings in the Western Conference, but the Rangers played a close game against the Avalanche in their last meeting on January 14th in Denver, losing 3-2 in overtime. Ta.
The Rangers won't play a team outside of the playoffs until they host Pittsburgh on February 7th, so they can't afford to underperform any further.
And they don't expect it.
“I think everyone in this room knew what we were capable of and what a good team we were,” Miller said. “It was just a matter of believing. We showed a lot of good things in the last few games and showed how good a team we can be if we play as well as we have in the last few weeks.”