The defending Eastern Conference champion Rangers likely will have two days circled on their calendar: Jan. 8 and March 24.
Those are the regular-season dates the Blueshirts will get a chance at revenge against the Stanley Cup champion Kings who denied them their first Cup in 20 years this month with a five-game series win that included three nail-biting overtime victories.
On Jan. 8, the teams will square off in Los Angeles, while March 24 sees the Kings visit Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers will get a chance to raise their Eastern Conference banner Oct. 12 when they host the Maple Leafs in their home opener.
Unlike previous years when MSG was undergoing transformation causing the Rangers to start their season on long western road trips — including last season’s 23-day, nine-game trek during which the team went 3-6 — the Rangers will play just two games on the road — in St. Louis (Oct. 9) and Columbus (Oct. 11) to open the season — before a four-game homestand.
Their longest road trip of the season is a five-game trip in March.
Henrik Lundqvist and the Blueshirts will face the Islanders five times and the Devils, Penguins and Flyers four times each.
For John Tavares and the Islanders, this will be their final season on Long Island before the team moves to Brooklyn and Barclays Center. The Islanders will host the Hurricanes on Oct. 11 for the opening game of their season, their last at Nassau Coliseum.
The Islanders will ring in the new year with a season-long seven-game road trip Dec. 31 through Jan. 13, which includes games against the Metropolitan Division rival Devils, Blue Jackets and Rangers.
The final regular-season game at the Coliseum is April 11 against the Blue Jackets.
The Devils begin the season with a four-game trip which starts Oct. 9 in Philadelphia. They open the home portion of their schedule on Oct. 18 — the latest home opener for any NHL team — against the Sharks. New Jersey has one other four-game trip in November with stops in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
The Devils play 15-of-19 games at Prudential Center from the end of January through the beginning of March. Their regular season concludes with games at Tampa Bay and Florida.
The annual Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2015, will see the Capitals and Blackhawks face off in Washington at a venue yet to be determined.
Full Rangers schedule
Oct. 9 at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Oct. 11 at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 Toronto, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Oct. 17 Carolina, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 San Jose, 5 p.m.
Oct. 21 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25 at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
Nov. 3 St. Louis, 7 p.m.
Nov. 5 Detroit, 8 p.m.
Nov. 8 at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Nov. 9 Edmonton, 6 p.m.
Nov. 11 Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Nov. 13 Colorado, 7 p.m.
Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Nov. 17 Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Nov. 19 Philadelphia, 8 p.m.
Nov. 21 at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Nov. 23 Montreal, 7 p.m.
Nov. 26 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 28 at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Nov. 29 Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Dec. 1 Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Dec. 6 at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Dec. 14 at Edmonton, 9:30 p.m.
Dec. 16 at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Dec. 21 Carolina, 7 p.m.
Dec. 23 Washington, 7 p.m.
Dec. 27 New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Dec. 29 at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Dec. 31 at Florida, 6 p.m.
Jan. 3 Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Jan. 7 at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.
Jan. 8 at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 at San Jose, 10 p.m.
Jan. 13 N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Jan. 15 at Boston, 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Jan. 18 at Pittsburgh, 12:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Jan. 27 at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Jan. 29 Montreal, 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 Carolina, 7 p.m.
Feb. 2 Florida, 7 p.m.
Feb. 4 Boston, 8 p.m.
Feb. 7 at Nashville, 3 p.m.
Feb. 8 Dallas, 5 p.m.
Feb. 10 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 12 at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Feb. 14 at Arizona, 8 p.m.
Feb. 16 at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Feb. 19 Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Feb. 22 Columbus, 7 p.m.
Feb. 24 Calgary, 7 p.m.
Feb. 26 Arizona, 7 p.m.
Feb. 28 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m.
March 2 Nashville, 7 p.m.
March 4 at Detroit, 8 p.m.
March 8 at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
March 10 at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
March 11 at Washington, 8 p.m.
March 14 at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
March 15 Florida, 5 p.m.
March 18 Chicago, 8 p.m.
March 21 at Carolina, 7 p.m.
March 22 Anaheim, 7:30 p.m.
March 24 Los Angeles, 7 p.m.
March 26 at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
March 28 at Boston, 1 p.m.
March 29 Washington, 3 p.m.
March 31 at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
April 2 at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
April 4 New Jersey, 7 p.m.
April 6 Columbus, 7 p.m.
April 7 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
April 9 Ottawa, 7 p.m.
April 11 at Washington, 3 p.m.