Adam Fox, young Rangers gained valuable experience in first round of playoffs
Adam Fox #23 of the Rangers celebrates his second period goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during Game Five of the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Credit: Jim McIsaac
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Rangers made it to Wednesday night’s Game 1 of their second-round series against the Hurricanes thanks to a thrilling, come-from-behind 4-3 overtime Game 7 win over the Penguins at Madison Square Garden three days prior.
Of course, watching that game was tenser for some than others.
“They’ve definitely been to Rangers’ playoff games (before),” defenseman Adam Fox, of Jericho, said of his family, longtime season-ticket holders. “My dad (Bruce) was saying he couldn’t even enjoy that last game because of the nerves of everything. It was definitely fun for them but, at the same time, I don’t know how much fun it was watching a Game 7 overtime with their kid on the ice. I guess that goes for any parent.
“But to be on the ice and have them at a playoff series watching me, it’s special and I’m really glad they’re able to come.”
Fox, 24, won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2021. But this marks his first, true playoff run in his three seasons since the Rangers being swept in a best-of-five qualifying round by the Hurricanes in the COVID-19-forced playoff bubble in Toronto in 2020 doesn’t really count.
Fox had three goals and seven assists against the Penguins, becoming just the seventh defenseman in NHL history with at least one point in all seven games of a playoff series and the first Rangers’ skater to accomplish the feat.
Despite the success – both individually and for the team – it was very definitely a learning experience that Fox knows will be needed in this second round.
The Rangers not only rallied in Game 7 against the Penguins but overcame a 3-1 series deficit by rallying from two goals down in both Games 5 and 6.
“I think it’s huge,” Fox said. “I think it definitely gives us a bit of confidence to know we have the ability to beat good teams. I think the way we did it, too, gives us confidence to know we’re never out of a game. I think we’re definitely a confident group right now. We’re trusting each other and just trying to play good hockey.
“Personally, I’ve never played in the playoffs. Every game is so intense. Every shift, you can’t really have any lapses. Every mistake is amplified. Going through it and knowing you could beat a good team, it definitely gives you confidence.”
The Rangers won three of four games at the Garden in the first round but certainly looked intimidated by the raucous Pittsburgh crowds in Games 3 and 4, though they came back to win Game 6 on the road.
That’s another lesson Fox believes will help the Rangers against the Hurricanes.
“Everyone, right from the start, upped their intensity,” Fox said. “Being at home helped us a bit to feed off that crowd energy right from the start. Hopefully, we’ve adjusted to being on the road, that’s a little different atmosphere for everyone being on the road in the playoffs. But I think we kind of understand how we have to play in those situations.”
Fox is far from the Rangers’ lone younger defenseman. Braden Schneider is 20, K’Andre Miller is 22, Ryan Lindgren is 24 and, like Fox, all are going through their first NHL playoff run.
To coach Gerard Gallant, it’s been so good, so far.
Fox led the Rangers in average ice time in the first round with 28:25, followed by Miller’s 26:33. Lindgren was fourth with an average of 23:51.
“They play a lot of minutes,” Gallant said. “(Fox) plays in all situations. Our group of defensemen did as good a job as they could so I’m happy with the way we’re playing.”
Fox believes the Rangers’ youth may be an advantage, and he’s including Filip Chytil, 22, centering Kaapo Kakko, 21, and Alexis Lafreniere, 20, on The Kid Line.
“We still definitely have a pretty young group here,” Fox said. “But I think it also might help us. We’re an energetic group. Maybe, sometimes, we don’t know any better, the way we’ve won games maybe we shouldn’t have. But those guys, they’ve been great for us. It doesn’t seem like the moment is too big for them.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
