Pat led the Rangers on a ridiculous 13-1-0 tear during the month of March, a 92.9% winning percentage. The Rangers got off to a quick start in March with a 6-0 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres. After another shutout for Henrik Lundqvist against the Minnesota Wild (a 3-0 victory), New York allowed its first goal in March on a goal from Ottawa's Alex Kovalev at the 12:34 mark of the third period, ending a shutout streak of 174:34 to start the month. The goal wasn't enough to beat the Rangers, though, as they defeated Ottawa 3-1. They would add to their winning streak with 4-1 and 3-1 victories over the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks, respectively, before suffering their only loss of the month in a 4-2 decision to the San Jose Sharks. Following the loss, the Rangers won their next eight games by a combined score of 27-9 over the Islanders (twice), Canadiens, Penguins, Panthers, Senators, and Bruins.
The Rangers now sit atop the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 51-22-7, trailing only the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lundqvist and the Rangers have given up only 173 goals in 80 games (an average of 2.16 per game), second to only Tampa Bay, while racking up 244 goals of their own (an average of 3.05 per game), resulting in an average of almost a full goal per game more than the opposition.
The Rangers are currently 1-1 in April, with games remaining against the Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils before entering the playoffs as a strong contender.
Past GM of the Month Winners:
02/2011: Dave Greybill (CAR)
