Hockey analytics pioneer Rob Vollman is ESPN Insider's armchair GM this season, exploring how modern statistics can inform front-office decisions.
The New York Rangers have reached the Eastern Conference finals for the third time in four seasons. In 2011-12 they were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils, and last year, they advanced past the Montreal Canadiens before falling in five games to the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup finals. Having vaulted from 18th in NHL regular-season goal scoring in 2013-14 to third this season, do the Rangers finally have the scoring punch they need to win it all?
Despite setting a single-season franchise record of 53 wins, improving by 17 points in the standings, and earning the Presidents' Trophy, this year's Rangers are statistically not much different than last year's.