by Aleena Khan

As we approach the halfway mark of the NHL season, the need for an update is necessary. The New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and New York Islanders have all had mostly successful seasons thus far which should make local hockey fans ecstatic.  

For starters, the New York Rangers have 22 wins and 7losses which currently puts them in first place. The New York Rangers have had a very strong season so far and have made many improvements as compared to last season. The Rangers, unfortunately, were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round last year which left fans very disappointed. Although fans were left disappointed last season, the Rangers have stepped up their game and are playing very well. Despite the Rangers’ success, fans have raised concerns about their star goalie, Igor Shesterkin, who ultimately was the reason the Rangers made it as far as they did in the playoffs last season. Shesterkin, however, has not been playing as well as he can and this has Rangers’ fans a bit concerned. 

Similarly, the New York Islanders are playing well and are in second place with 14 wins and 7 losses. The New York Islanders have also had a very strong season and have made many improvements similar to the Rangers. The New York Islanders left fans disappointed last year as they were also eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. The Islanders similarly have stepped it up and currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan division.

Unfortunately, the New Jersey Devils have not had the best run this season, as they currently sit in sixth place in the Metropolitan division. The Devils had a strong season last year and were expected to play great this season, but that, however, is not the case thus far. With many new additions to their team including Luke Hughes, Jack Hughes’ brother, they were predicted to be a very strong team. As the end of 2023 approaches, fans hope the Devils will be able to make a comeback in order to qualify for the playoffs and hopefully make a strong playoff run like they did last year.. 

Best of luck to our three local teams and fans as we approach the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024.