from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Regardless of whether Mother Nature (or Gary Bettman) allows for this Rangers-Islanders showdown at the Coliseum to be played as scheduled on Tuesday or if it is pushed back to Wednesday — when both teams and the building are free — this next Battle of New York represents the Blueshirts’ best, if not last, chance to join the race for first place.

Which, other than ninth place, could be the worst place for the Rangers to be when the playoffs open.

Have you thought much about a hypothetical first-round matchup against the potential wild-card Bruins? No, didn’t think so.

But now do you see my point?

First things first: True enough, the Rangers still will have 35 games to go following this one, and at worst, a regulation defeat would drop them seven points back and still with two games in hand, so it might seem premature to get out the “Sky is Falling” placards.

But the NHL’s three-point game that creates the opportunity for losers to pick up points along the way has created an illusion of proximity in the standings. Even with games in hand, the likelihood of making up seven points in a little over two months on a team as strong as the Islanders is negligible.

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