The 2015-16 NY Rangers Regular Season Schedule

The NY Rangers will open the 2015-16 season on the road at the United Center in Chicago. The “Madhouse on Madison” will be even louder than usual, as the Blackhawks will raise their third Stanley Cup banner in the past six seasons. The Broadway Blueshirts will be their opponent that night, October 7; and will do everything possible to spoil the evening.

The Blueshirts then will travel to Columbus and play the Blue Jackets in their home opener on October 9; before flying to NYC and open MSG on October 10. The Blue Jackets will return the favor and oppose the Rangers as hockey returns to the Garden for the 2015-16 season.

The Rangers will play 17 back to back games during the upcoming season and will be home on November 25, the day before Thanksgiving, to play host to the Montreal Canadiens. The Friday after Thanksgiving will be a day game in Boston against the Bruins at 1:00PM and the Rangers will take the shuttle back to Manhattan and get ready for the Flyers of Philadelphia on Saturday the 28, also at 1:00PM. So the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend will see two day games, as the fans have leftover turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce for lunch.

The Rangers and the Lightning meet on November 19 at Tampa, on December 30 in Tampa and on April 5 at MSG.

The Blueshirts will travel to Western Canada for a three game, four day road trip in December; as they face the Canucks on Wednesday December 9, the Oilers on Friday December 11 and the Flames on Saturday December 12. Last year the Rangers swept this western Canada trip.

In March, the Rangers will play three games in four days as they travel to California for that road trip. Last year they swept this trip as well. On Wednesday March 16, they will play the Ducks, on Thursday March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) the Kings and on Saturday March 19, the Sharks.

The defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks will visit MSG on February 17, 2016. The Philadelphia Flyers will be at the Garden on Valentine’s Day (March 14, 2016). I doubt there will be any kissing that game, maybe some shots to the kisser, but no kissing.

The Rangers will meet the Devils, Islanders and Penguins four times this year: two home and two away. They will face the Flyers five times: two at home and three in Philly.

Devils: 10/18 and 2/8 Home and 2/2 and 2/23 Away.

Islanders: 3/6 and 4/7 Home and 12/2 and 1/14 Away

Penguins: 3/13 and 3/27 Home and 2/10 and 3/3 Away

Flyers: 11/28 and 2/14 Home and 10/24, 1/16 and 2/6 Away

The Rangers are coming off their best season in franchise history, but fell short by one period of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight season. The Draft is set for Friday June 24 in Florida and Free Agent Frenzy will begin on July 1.

The Rangers are geared to trade back-up goaltender Cam Talbot and face some hard questions concerning UFA’s and RFA’s.

We will see what happens and what GM Glen Sather can do with the Salary Cap at $71.4 million for this season, to make the Rangers better.

It should be very interesting.