In a year like no other, the Rangers will see back-to-back games against the Islanders to start the season, endure a four-game stretch against the Devils in mid-April, and close the shortened 2020-21 season with games against the capitals and Bruins.
The Rangers are in the middle of what is probably the most competitive of all four divisions, which were realigned to minimize travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic, joining the Islanders, Devils, Bruins, Sabers , Flyers, Penguins and Capitals to the east.
And with the concise 56-game schedule, there are hardly any easy stretches.
To kick off the 2020-21 season, the Rangers will host the Islanders back-to-back games at Madison Square Garden on January 14-16. It is the third time in franchise history that the Rangers have opened the regular season against the Islands.
With teams in East, Central and West facing every other team in their division eight times, the Rangers and Islanders will meet six more times throughout the season. Teams in the North Division, which consists of all Canadian teams, play nine or ten times against every other team.
The Rangers will host the Islanders again on February 8 before traveling to the Nassau Coliseum – in its final season as the Islanders’ home before the Belmont arena opens – for three games in April. The islands will return to MSG on April 29 before meeting the Rangers for the last time on May 1 on Long Island.
While most games are scheduled in blocks of one or two games, the Blueshirts will play against the Devils four times in a row from April 13-18, with both teams hosting twice. The four-game period against New Jersey is the longest on the Rangers’ schedule.
To conclude the 2020-21 regular season, the Rangers will play two games against both the Capitals and Bruins.
The islanders will play seven of their first nine games on the road in January. As with the Rangers schedule, most games on the islands are organized in one or two game pieces.
In late March, the islands will face what is probably the most difficult part of their schedule in terms of competition and travel. After flying to Washington for back-to-back games on March 15-16, the Islanders host the Flyers for two games a few days later.
The Islanders will then split four consecutive games on the road against the Bruins and Penguins, two teams who have won at least 40 games during the 2019-2020 regular season.
With the 2020-21 regular season starting on Jan. 13, the NHL has rolled out a five-game slate, including the Lightning raising their second Stanley Cup championship banner before facing the Blackhawks in Tampa Bay.
The NHL is aiming to close this upcoming season on May 8, with the playoffs ending on July 9. The ultimate goal of the league is to return to a ‘normal’ hockey calendar for the 2021-22 season starting in October.