The New York Rangers should win it all
This is the year for the New York Rangers. A franchise known for heartbreak and failure throughout most of the last 75 years have the stars aligned and a loaded roster, not too mention a bunch of hungry players with ample experience. New York, which has only won a single Stanley Cup in the aforementioned time frame, goes into the postseason an overwhelming favorite to at least reach the Finals, and likely win them.
As of Friday morning, Vegas has New York as a 9/2 favorite, sitting atop the league. The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues round out the top three at 11/2 and 17/2 respectively. Between having an All-World goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist, dynamic forwards in Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis, Derick Brassard, Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan, the Rangers are stacked. Then factor in a defense which ranks third in the National Hockey League with anchors like Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, and it is easy to see why the Blueshirts have Madison Square Garden rocking.
Of course, the playoffs won’t be without their tests. New York is the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference after clinching the Presidents Trophy, but it might get a sour draw in the first round. The teams which the Rangers can play are the Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins or Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pittsburgh and Ottawa are the most likely candidates to play New York, and both will be tough outs. The Penguins have struggled mightily down the stretch but few teams are excited to face Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the postseason. Pittburgh has an enigmatic goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury, making it tough to know whether he will stand on his head or be yanked in the second period from night to night.
Ottawa is the team most Rangers fans would sign up for, although the Senators just pounded New York 3-0 on Thursday night. The Senators are young, talented and riding a huge wave of momentum. Still, the Rangers appear to match them in all areas and then some.
Many players have said throughout the years that the hardest round in the postseason is the first one. If the Rangers can get through to the conference semis unscathed, they will be a brutal team to beat. New York made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last year for the first time since 1994, only to be defeated in five games by the Los Angeles Kings.
Lundqvist and the Rangers appear hellbent on righting that wrong, playing with an unspoken tenacity since the beginning of autumn. New York has no option but to win it all, with every other outcome being an utter failure. It sets up for a pressure-packed spring but one the Rangers have been waiting for since losing last June.
