The New York Rangers were not supposed to make noise this season. They were atrocious in October and November, to the point where they were historically bad defensively. Then things turned around in December, with the process improving significantly, to the point where the Rangers went from historically bad to league average.
The wins didn’t come in December, despite the improved process, because of a dip in goaltending. This stuff usually happens throughout the year, as teams ebb and flow over the course of 82 games. The team was treading water in January, playing .500 hockey into their bye week.