They've also played 3 more games than the team in first, and 3 or 4 more games than pretty much every team, and they are still behind. The standings shouldn't fool anyone, based on points %, the teams behind the Rangers are actually ahead of them, some comfortably ahead of them.
The Rangers are not nearly as close to a WC spot as it appears.
BTW - the Panthers game was game 43, not game 42.