#3: (Finally) Beating the Islanders on Opening NightĮver since the Islanders rose out of the gutter and back to relevancy towards the end of 2014, wins against them have been hard to come by. Although it may not go down in Rangers lore as a moment that sparked a championship run, watching the team upset Montreal and its fans was fun while it lasted. Opening game rangers 2016 series#From New York’s perspective, getting to win a playoff round and clinch the series on home ice was a nice cherry on top before moving on to the next opponent. From Tanner Glass going top shelf on Carey Price to tally the first goal of the playoffs, to overtime heroics from both teams throughout the series, to the goaltending clinic that Price and Henrik Lundqvist combined to put on, it had everything anybody could want out of a first round series. It really had everything a hockey fan could ask for. From the moment the puck dropped until the clock ticked down at the conclusion of Game 6, the series was the most hard-fought series in the opening round of the playoffs. Despite the stakes not being as high as they were when the two Original Six franchises met in 2014, the intensity of any playoff series brought out a degree of physicality and nastiness that New York hadn’t exhibited all season. ![]() This meant that the Blueshirts would square off with the Montreal Canadiens for the second time in four seasons. ![]() #4: Upsetting the Montreal Canadiens in Round Oneĭue to earning the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers crossed over to the Atlantic Division’s side of the playoff bracket. The fact that not doing something mind-numbingly dumb is praise worthy speaks to where the bar is for the Rangers front office, but it was a refreshing change to have the trade deadline come and go and still be in possession of the team’s most valuable draft asset. Now, the team is primed to make a first round pick for the first time since 2012. Although the decision to immediately turn around and ship two draft picks to Detroit to rent Brendan Smith was highly questionable, it was better than the alternative. Thankfully, Washington swooped in and removed any possibility of the Rangers taking Shattenkirk for a test drive by trading their first round pick to St. However, he wasn’t playing for the home team Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images Kevin Shattenkirk was at Madison Square Garden on February 28th, just as many analysts predicted. Kevin Shattenkirk was the darling of this season’s trade deadline, and with rumors of him wanting to sign with the Rangers once the season concludes, there was no valid reason for Gorton to take a serious run at New Rochelle native. After three seasons, the team had one Eastern Conference Championship banner, one defensive prospect, (Tarmo Reunanen) and one annoyed fanbase to show for it.įor that was reason, it was crucial for Jeff Gorton to resist the urge to use major assets to bring in another big name rental. ![]() Two first round picks, three second picks, one seventh round pick, and two high-upside prospects in Anthony Duclair and Aleksi Saarela was the cost of bringing the three established NHLer’s to New York. In doing so, the organization had to empty out a majority of the cupboard to make the team better today. ![]() That was especially true for New York, who had made large splashes in years past by acquiring name-brand players like Martin St. Unfortunately, unless you’re dealing with Peter Chiarelli, you have to give something good to get something good. Over the past three trade deadlines, Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton have always made sure that the Rangers were looking for ways to improve the team. #5: Avoiding Disaster During the Trade Deadline So without further ado, let’s reminisce on the good memories of New York’s 90th season of play. Jeff Gorton’s two most notable offseason acquisitions proved to be major hits in their first season on Broadway, as Michael Grabner and Mika Zibanejad were both excellent throughout the year. The team had three rookies score 20+ points, something that had never been done in franchise history prior to this season. Despite not bringing home the ultimate prize, there were plenty of good things the Rangers can take away from the past 96 games. After diving into some of the New York Rangers’ worst moments of the season yesterday, it’s time to reflect on some of the better times.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |