Does a 60-65 game season favor the Rangers?

Not the hair. With the NHL and NHLPA set to meet for a fourth straight day, it appears that the appropriate pressure has finally been applied. A deal will (hopefully) get done, as corporate sponsors –specifically NBC– push both sides to start the season. A full 82 game season is impossible, as all of October and November have been canceled. The rumored season length will be between 60-65 games, with no inter-conference play. For the Rangers, that means four games against each club in the Northeast and Southeast Divisions, and five or six games against Atlantic Division rivals. When you consider that four teams in the Atlantic made the playoffs (with all four finishing above the 100 point mark), two went to the Conference Finals, and one to the Stanley Cup Finals, that seems a bit unfair for the Rangers. That strength of schedule would make even Notre Dame blush. Looking a bit deeper into last year’s results, the Rangers went 10-6-2 against the West, and took 22 out of 36 possible p...