Rangers have greater expectations for this year's playoffs
New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba sets before a faceoff against the Buffalo Sabres in the third period of an NHL hockey game at Madison Square Garden on Monday, April 10, 2023. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
When the Rangers returned to the playoffs last season after a four-year absence and a relatively quick rebuild, expectations were modest. No one knew what to expect, even after their stunning 52-win, 110-point regular season.
Then they won a couple of Game 7s, one on the road in Carolina, and made it to the Eastern Conference final. There, they won the first two games on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning, before running out of gas and losing in six games.
After all the success of last season, there is a totally different vibe surrounding this year's team as they enter the playoffs.
“Guys were excited when we clinched [a playoff spot], but I don't think it was how it was last year,’’ Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said. “The feeling was different. I think there was a little bit more of an expectation amongst the group of getting back [to the playoffs]. And, once you’re there, you’ve got to be ready to go. I think we’ve talked. All the words have been said. I think we're ready to play. It's finally here.’’
The playoffs will begin for the Rangers on Tuesday when they travel to New Jersey to face the Devils. And while facing a local rival in a best-of-seven series will generate excitement and enthusiasm for hockey in New York, the Rangers can’t afford to let that distract them from their ultimate goal: Winning their first Stanley Cup since 1994.
“I think you want to make the Stanley Cup Final and win it, to be considered a success,’’ defenseman Adam Fox told Newsday last week. “Obviously only one team gets to do that. It's every team's goal this time of the year. You come up short of that, you're going to be disappointed.’’
On paper, the Rangers look to be a stronger team than a year ago. They had already entered the season as one of the NHL’s elite teams before adding snipers Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, moves that elevated their profile even more.
Getting Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola from St. Louis three weeks before the NHL’s trade deadline, and adding the speedy Tyler Motte shortly after, gave the Rangers all the elements they felt they needed to win the Cup. But then they were able to find a way to creatively navigate the salary cap and bring in Kane, a three-time Cup winner with Chicago and surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Kane and Tarasenko plugged the holes at right wing on the Rangers' top two forward lines. The duo has settled in nicely, Kane with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad; Tarasenko with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.
The Kid Line of Alexis Lafrenière, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, which was the Rangers’ best in last year’s playoffs, continued their growth in the regular season. Chytil (22) and Kakko (18) each recorded career-highs in goals, and all three players set career-bests in points.
Versatile forwards Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey were pushed down to the fourth line, giving the Rangers four lines that can score. Adding Mikkola to the third pair upgraded the defense.
Goaltender Igor Shesterkin didn’t duplicate his Vezina Trophy-winning season of a year ago, but the 27-year-old Russian still finished tied for third in the league in wins (37). He finished strong over his final 13 games, going 10-2-1 with a 1.60 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage.
All that said, the first-round matchup against the Devils will be a stiff challenge. New Jersey was second in the Metropolitan Division, five points ahead of the Rangers. It is led by 21-year-old Jack Hughes and coached by former Rangers assistant Lindy Ruff. Hughes gets his first taste of the NHL playoffs after setting the franchise record with 99 points (43 goals, 56 assists).
The Blueshirts went 1-2-1 in four games against the Devils, who are one of the fastest teams in the league.
“We've had our ups and our downs this season for sure,’’ Trouba said. “I think we know what we're capable of, we know what the goal is. I like our team heading into the playoffs, and I think we're ready to get this thing rolling.’’
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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