Rick Nash and the New York Rangers started their NHL Stanley Cup return voyage on the right track
If the New York Rangers are going to make a run for a second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup, they’ll need to have a hot start. Thursday night’s 3-2 win in St. Louis definitely helps the cause, and having Rick Nash play against the Blues didn’t hurt either.
Nash scored his first pair of goals this season for the Rangers on Thursday night with the second goal being the game-winner coming with just under a minute left in the game. He’s scored 23 goals and 43 points in 51 regular-season games against the Blues in his career.
“I didn’t know I had success against them,” Nash said after the game. “It seems like it is one of the toughest places to play. Being in Columbus so long, it was such a tough building to come into and have success. Too bad we don’t play them more.”
Speaking of Columbus, the Rangers play them next before returning home to Madison Square Garden for a four-game opening home stand.
But the 1-0 start is exactly what the Rangers needed if they’re going to return to the Stanley Cup Final, where, despite playing in what seemed like one overtime game after another, the Rangers lost in five games to the L.A. Kings. (L.A. lost their opener against San Jose Wednesday night by the way.)
The Blueshirts need to have another banner season if they’re going to return to the Cup Final, let alone prove to everyone in the NHL and New York City that last year wasn’t a fluke.
The 2013-14 Eastern Conference Championship banner that has bet set atop The Garden cannot have a similar meaning next to the Rangers Stanley Cup Championship banner from the 1993-94 season is hangs next to. It needs to serve as a reminder of a goal that was missed last year, and motivation for what’s expected of the Blueshirts this year.
“You cannot not reflect on (last season),” Henrik Lundqvist said prior to Thursday night’s opener in St. Louis. “We should have learned a lot form it. But every year is new. We understand it’s not going to be perfect form the start.” Lundqvist opened his 2014-15 campaign with a 23 save performance, allowing two goals in the win against the Blues on Thursday.
The cards are in the Rangers hands. The Blueshirts open with 12 of their first 18 games at home, including the four-game home stand after a quick two-game road trip to open the year. Last year, the Rangers opened with nine-games on the road mainly due to MSG’s extravagant refurbishing.
They also have a bunch of new faces whom of which have to fill big shoes in the locker room and on the ice. Brian Boyle, Brad Richards and Derek Dorsett are among those that are gone, while the new Blueshirts in Lee Stempniak, Tanner Glass, Dan Boyle and Anthony Duclair will have to help guide this team back to the playoffs and the Cup Final.
New captain Ryan McDonagh anchors what’s still considered one of the best defensive units in the NHL.
The question with this team is this: can they finish as strong as they start. The Rangers got off to a hot start throughout each game of the Cup Finals last year and had a similar start Thursday night, jumping to an early 1-0 lead in St. Louis in the first period. However, the defense and Lundqvist allowed a pair of goals in the third period, tying the game at two goals apiece prior to Nash’s game winner.
History isn’t exactly on the Rangers side either.
Teams that have lost the Stanley Cup Final have not succeeded at returning to the Cup Final the following year. Those teams include the Red Wings, Flyers, Canucks, Devils and the Bruins. In fact, the last team to return to the Stanley Cup Final after losing it the year before was the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins who won it all after losing in the Final in 2008.
Whether or not the Rangers can defy history and join the Penguins as the only teams to win a Stanley Cup the year after losing it will have to been seen as this season goes on. It won’t be easy, however it may be one of the more interesting encores of any NHL team in recent history.
At least this encore is off to a good start.
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