New York Rangers react to winning Eastern Division
The New York Rangers are still taking in all the excitement after winning the Eastern Conference Finals this week. Winning in Game 6 has given the team a chance to rest before the start of the Stanley Cup Finals. But the work is not over and there is little time to revel in this win before final round begins.
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Here are some quotes from the guys since realizing they have a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup above their heads in just a couple weeks time:
Defenseman Ryan McDonagh is still in awe:
“This is a great feeling. It really hasn’t hit me yet that we’re going to have this opportunity. We’ve got a couple of days here to soak this in and what we’ve done. These opportunities don’t come easy and they don’t come often. We really are focused on trying to seize this opportunity.”
Dan Girardi is excited to get past that first round four the first time in a while:
“I thought in 2012 we had a good run against New Jersey in the conference final. I thought we had a great team then. Every year we’ve been getting past that first round and looking to take the next step. It is pretty special for us; the guys who were here the longest, but obviously for everybody.”
Derek Stepan is proud of his team:
“We’re a really happy group right now, really proud of the way we played. I think most guys have a thought in the back of their head that we haven’t really done much here.”
There is still a lot of hard work to be done. The Rangers haven’t been to the Stanley Cup Finals for 20 years and haven’t won the cup since 1994. Taking the win in 2014 would be an amazing feat for the club.