With 22 wins in 30 games, Rangers proving to be one of NHL's elite teams

GREENBURGH — Thirty games into their season, the Rangers are 22-7-1, a record that speaks for itself and is enough to have them sitting atop the Eastern Conference.

And naturally, there are some impressive numbers that go along with a record like that, such as a 10-3 mark at home that is second best in the league (as far as points percentage) and a 12-4-1 mark away from home that is also second-best. Their power play was tied for first (with the Devils) entering Thursday’s games, at a success rate of 31.3%.  Their penalty kill was fifth overall at 85.3%.

But maybe the most impressive numbers are their wins against the top teams in the league. The Rangers are 7-2 against seven of the top 11 teams, including two wins in two tries over Boston (19-5-6) and a split with Toronto (16-7-6). They also have won their only meetings with division rivals Devils and Carolina.

If anyone had doubts as to whether the Rangers truly are an elite team and a Cup contender, they can put those to rest. This group can play with anybody.

“Yeah, for sure,’’ Artemi Panarin said when asked if beating good teams speaks to how good the Rangers are themselves. “But we have to respect the other teams too. We have to stay focused on every single game. But of course, if we beat Boston it feels – nicer.’’

“I think any time you have success against the top teams, it's obviously a good reflection of how you're doing and how, maybe, things are going,’’ defenseman K’Andre Miller said after practice Thursday.. “I think we're doing a really good job, honestly. I think we're dialed in around the rink and people are having fun. It's a good atmosphere coming to the rink every day.’’

With roughly four months to go before the playoffs start in April, coach Peter Laviolette won’t bite on reading anything into the Rangers’ record against the top teams so far. But what the coach is proud of is how his team has responded in games against a team that they lost to in their first meeting. They’re 4-0 in games against a team that beat them once before.

“To me, that's something,’’ he said. “What I’ve liked about where we're at with the record … is that when we haven't played well, or there's been things that needed to be better, and we're playing that same opponent … we go back out, we play a better brand, and that leads us to success.’’

They have 52 games remaining in the regular season, beginning with these last two before the Christmas break, Friday night at home against Edmonton and Saturday at home against Buffalo. So the playoffs are well off in the distance, and not something anyone in a Blueshirt is willing to talk about now.

But if they can keep their level of play up the rest of the way, the Rangers will have to be on the short list of teams considered legitimate favorites to win the Stanley Cup next summer.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.