NHL: Never Count Them Out: Reasons Why Rangers Can Succeed in Playoffs
What the New York Rangers have proved time and time again all season is that you can never count them out. No matter the odds, no matter how bleak the outcome is, the Rangers are resilient and will always put up a fight even if they die trying.
There are many reason why the Rangers, even with the absence of Ryan Callahan can still succeed in the playoffs this year.
The Rangers' Heart, Grit, and Determination
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New York Rangers bench boss John Tortorella has used one phrase to characterize his team all year. “We’ve got balls.” This diatribe has been pretty accurate to describe the “Broadway Black and Blueshirts”, a term coined by Rangers writer Larry Brooks of the New York Post
When the Rangers were outplayed by the Anaheim Ducks on a road trip earlier this year they quickly responded in the next game against San Jose.
The Rangers would do the same on Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers after a disgraceful loss against the New York Islanders last week. The momentum and heart the Rangers displayed Sunday carried over against the Boston Bruins as the Rangers made a remarkable comeback. Just when the fans thought all was lost, the Rangers fought back from a 3-0 deficit to score five unanswered goals, three of which came in the tail end of the third period.
This team never quits and if they lose they die trying.
Youngsters Playing at Unforeseen Level
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If you were to tell me that Derek Stepan, the kid who captained the United States 2010 World Junior Hockey Team to a Gold Medal over Canada, would score a hat trick in his first NHL game against reigning Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller, and that he would have 20 plus goals and 40 points this season I would have laughed at you.
Derek Stepan has been a breath of fresh air in the lungs of the Rangers. His playmaking abilities are uncharacteristic of your typical rookie center man. The 20 year old center has shown a great offensive skill set that puts him in consideration to be the No. 2 center for the Rangers next season.
Ryan McDonagh, another Wisconsin Badger has played great for the Rangers this season. He has played beyond his years and has established himself as a top 4 defenseman for the Rangers. He reminds many fans of Dan Girardi and Marc Staal.
Alongside him is Michael Sauer who is another rookie who is showing why he deserves to play in the big leagues. His defense has been superb and he has also shown he can score goals. He may only have three goals this year but two of them have been game winners.
Other great contributions have come for Mats Zuccarello who has been the Rangers shootout ace. His hands are very quick and he has the tools to become a future Marian Gaborik like player.
Rangers' Road Record
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The picture says it all.
The Rangers have played great away from Madison Square Garden this season. The 24 road wins captured by the Blueshirts this season (24-16-1 overall) ties their highest total away from Madison Square Garden since securing 24 in their Stanley-Cup winning season in 1993-94.
This is a major advantage to the Rangers as they will start most of their playoff series on the road against other teams. If they have the chance to win a game or two on the road it puts them in a great position when the return to home ice.
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Garden Faithful and Playoff Hockey Mindset
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While the Rangers have played on the road well as of late they have been playing great at home. The Garden atmosphere is in playoff mode as the New York Knicks have already clinched a playoff berth. If the Rangers clinch it would be the first time since the 90s that both teams would be in the playoffs concurrently.
The Rangers have been playing playoff hockey for a little over a month now. They have had to play with that mindset while they have battled for a playoff spot. If you were listening or watching the latest Rangers game you could hear the roar and excitement of the crowd in the 3rd period.
This crowd can be a major advantage for the psyche of the Rangers and a major disadvantage to the psyche of the opposing team come the playoffs.
Marian Gaborik
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Marian Gaborik is going to have to show why the Rangers signed him to a 5 year 37.5 million dollar contract. The Rangers have seen Gaborik explode offensively for them and against them. Marian Gaborik has shown more confidence in shooting the puck as of late. He has not produced the way he did last season but some will say that is a result of the playing time missed due to injury. If Marian Gaborik is on top of his game the Rangers should be fine in the playoffs.
Secondary Scoring
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What the New York Rangers may lack in superstars, they make up in heart and talent.The New York Rangers also have one of the greatest core of young talent in the NHL today. When you take the likes of Brandon Dubinksy, Artem Anisimov, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello, Michael Sauer, and Michael Del Zotto and place them all on one team you have a core group of players that will be on the Rangers, hopefully, for many years to come.
We have seen that the Rangers can score goals this season. The Rangers have 5 players with 20 goals or more and 6 with at least 15 goals. Derek Stepan, Brandon Dubinksy, Artem Anisimov and Brian Boyle are going to have to continue to put the puck in the next in Ryan Callahan's absence. If the Rangers score goals they have a chance as long as the man in the next slide is in net.
Henrik Lundqvist
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The Rangers have one of the best goaltenders in the league and one of the most clutch goaltender’s down the stretch. Henrik Lundqvist always gives the Rangers a chance to win and has been at peak form in the last few weeks of the season. While there have been some minor hiccups along the way the overall play of Lundqvist has been superb.
Henrik has also had the pressure of playing without a reliable backup something other Vezina candidates Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas take for granted. A month ago veteran backup Martin Biron went down with a broken collar bone. Just like with all the other injuries this season, the Rangers just kept pushing forward.
Henrik Lundqvist leads the league with 11 shutouts this season and has a goals against average of .227 and a save percentage of .923 this season. Henrik's record on the year is 35-26-5
I can only imagine how this season would have turned out without Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes.
Comments, Questions, Concerns, Gripes?
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If everyone steps up their game a notch and pulls their equal weight, the Rangers have a chance to make a successful playoff run. Even though the general consensus is that the Rangers are a few key players away from being a Stanley Cup contender, in a seven game series with emotions and endorphins running at extremely high levels, anything can happen.
Comments, Questions, Concerns, Gripes?
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