Six games into the season, the Rangers hold a 4-1-1 record and are sitting on a four-game winning streak, five games with at least a point.  They’ve managed to accomplish this despite missing two of their top six forwards: Ryan Strome – 4 games COVID and Kaapo Kakko – 3 games Upper Body.

In their absence, Gerard Gallant has cobbled together a couple of top lines that made the best of the resources he had left, and in the process found some goals from lesser lights on the team.  Still it hasn’t been a dominating performance, particularly on offense, where New York has gone 3 for 24 on the PP and has not yet managed more than three goals in a game.

Fortunately, it appears that both players will return to the line-up in the coming week, though whether that will be tomorrow against the Calgary Flames, or on Friday against the division rival Columbus Blue Jackets, remains to be seen.