5 Things the New York Rangers Have Done Right in 2012

Every good team, it seems, has their own story line.

If you listen to the immediate emotional reactions of fans and the drive-by media, you would assume that a team is successful only because of one or two things, but this is almost never the case.

For a team to win in any sport, they need to excel, at least part of the time (and at the right times) in every phase of their game. 

While the New York Rangers are still a few wins away from a Stanley Cup Championship, their 2012 season has been the consummation of a long journey that has seen the organization shape-shift their identity over the last five years. 

This year, many of those changes finally came to fruition. Here are five things the New York Rangers have done right in 2012 that has made them one of the best teams in hockey.

Made the Right Decisions in July

When a guy like Brad Richards really only wants to go to your team, it makes things a lot easier in terms of building a roster in the off-season. After all, no other team in the league had that luxury.

But still, the Rangers have exhibited some uncharacteristic patience in recent seasons in terms of developing their prospects and letting their high priced free agents work through their troubles. Marian Gaborik was a virtual sinkhole offensively last year, but turned it around in 2011-12. It was something he was able to do because of the patience of the organization that recognized it was building toward something.

What's more is that the Rangers did not really bite on Richards attempt to artificially inflate his salary from New York this offseason when he allowed other teams to come in and present their offers. That sort of patience will allow the Rangers flexibility going forward as well. 

Improved Team Toughness

One thing that every team seems to recognize is that the NHL is reverting back to a league where physical prowess is more critical than speed and skill.

The bigger and badder your team is—the more capable they are of shutting down an opponent physically—the better. No team was a better example of that than last year's Stanley Cup champions, the Boston Bruins.

So this year's edition of the New York Rangers took heed of that lesson and applied it in the Big Apple. The New York Rangers led the league in fighting majors this year with 65. 

Believed in Henrik Lundqvist

For an organization that has historically high turn over and in a city that is always looking to turn its superstars into villains, the Rangers have exhibited a great deal of patience with goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who has had his own postseason struggles over his career.

Perhaps due in part to Lundqvist's all-world regular season numbers, the Rangers have held onto Lundqvist and allowed him to grow with the team despite an abysmal 13-20 playoff record going into this season. 

The big-bodied, big pad net minder has rewarded the team with the best playoff performance of his career, sporting a 1.57 goals against average thus far. 

Blocked a Ton of Shots

If things weren't easy enough for Henrik Lundqvist with an improved roster, he also got a ton of help defensively as the Rangers were among the league leaders in blocked shots. 

Not only was this a key point of contention for New York during the regular season, but they brought it into the playoffs as well. This includes an astounding 26 blocked shots in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, a game that resulted in a 3-0 shutout victory for the Rangers. 

Brought About an Aggressive Attitude

Believe it or not, attitude matters in the National Hockey League, and with John Tortorella as your coach, attitude is plentiful in supply. 

This year, behind the workman like efforts of new captain Ryan Callahan and the grizzled antics of no-BS coach John Tortorella, the Rangers adopted an aggressive new attitude that kept them from being bullied all season.

While Tortorella has received some criticism for his handling of the media during postgame press conferences. The "my way or no way" attitude he's brought to Madison Square Garden has allowed the Rangers to overcome several critical obstacles along the way.