The Rangers need to start playing like its March and not January

2010-11 11-6-1 (defeated by Washington 4-1 in Quarterfinals)
2009-10 10-6-4 (DNQ)
2008-09 11-6-1 (defeated by Washington 4-3 in Quarterfinals)
2007-08 9-3-5 (defeated by Pittsburgh 4-1 in Semifinals)
2006-07 12-3-4 (defeated by Buffalo 4-2 in Semifinals)

Above are the Rangers W-L records for March and April going back for the last 5 seasons where the Rangers are a collective 53-24-15. The Rangers should know how to play in March since its usually around this time of the year when the Rangers have started to make their push for 8th. Where as in the foreseeable past we were never sure if the Rangers were going to make the playoffs, for the past couple weeks more or less since the trade deadline we've been talking about who was going to be the Rangers first round opponent in a 1 vs. 8 matchup.

Well, those discussions have been somewhat silenced over the past couple days with the Penguins in the midst of a 7 game winning streak and the impending return of Sidney Crosby coinciding with the Rangers taking a bad 4-1 loss in Newark on Tuesday.

Starting with tonights game in Ottawa, the Rangers need to start playing with a sense of urgency that they've shown they can build in the month of March and ride the wave of momentum that needs to carry them through the playoffs.

Just to give some perspective the last time the Rangers had Games 1 & 2 at home was the 1997 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Montreal. I know home ice doesn't mean much in the NHL but it would be nice to have that luxury for at least 3 playoff rounds.