This will be the 14th time the Rangers have advanced to the Eastern Conference finals or a Stanley Cup semifinal series since the NHL expanded to 12 teams from the original six in 1967.
This matchup featured some of the most memorable moments in the team’s history, and they finished 4-9.
Dave Brezow of the Post recalls:
2021-22: Lightning 4, Rangers 2
Coach Gerald Gallant’s Rangers, who had already led the series by two games with the win at MSG, took a 2-0 lead in Game 3 on goals from Mika Zibangedo and Chris Kreider in the second period. However, everything went wrong after that, and Rangers could only score three goals in total, losing that game and the next three.
2014-15: Lightning 4, Ranger 3
The Presidents Trophy Rangers, coached by Alain Vigneault, lost a bizarre series to the Bolts.
The Blueshirts scored 17 points in three games at Florida, but were shut out by Ben Bishop in both Games 5 and 7 at MSG.
2013-14: Rangers 4, Canadiens 2
The series was all but decided in Game 1 in Montreal when Kreider slipped with the Canadiens’ Alexei Emelin and crashed into goaltender Carey Price on the breakaway.
The star goaltender missed the final period of the Rangers’ 7-2 win and the rest of the series when Martin St. Louis scored an overtime goal in Game 4 against MSG.
With a goal from Dominic Moore and 18 saves from Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers won Game 6 1-0 and advanced to their first Cup final since 1994, but they lost to the Kings in five games. Ta.
2011-12: Devils 4, Rangers 2
Lundqvist won 3-0 shutouts in Games 1 and 3 for the Rangers, led by coach John Tortorella, and things seemed to be improving, but the Devils took control in Game 6, with Adam Henrique They advanced to victory with a goal in overtime.
1996-97: Flyers 4, Rangers 1
Three years after winning the Cup, the Rangers will try to win it again with Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky as teammates.
Gretzky won Game 2 in Philadelphia with a hat trick, but an injury to Brian Leitch limited him for the remainder of the game, and the Flyers won their final three games in a row.
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1993-94: Rangers 4, Devils 3
The gold standard in hockey playoff series, the Rangers took a 2-1 series lead in Game 3 at the Meadowlands on a little-known double-overtime goal by Stephane Matteau.
The Devils won their next two games, and Mike Keenan’s Presidents Trophy winning team seemed destined to become a victim of the 1940 curse.
The third period of Game 6, the Rangers’ victory over the Devils in the 1994 series. AP
But Mark Messier said, “We’re going to win tonight,” and he scored a hat trick in the third period to seal the victory.
After Valeri Zerepkin saved the Devils in Game 7 with a goal with 7.7 seconds left in the game, Mateo’s even more famous double-overtime wraparound goal sent the Rangers into the finals.
Two weeks later, the wait was over.
1985-86: Canadiens 4, Rangers 1
The Rangers, coached by Ted Sater and captained by Barry Beck, finished below .500 but made the playoffs, defeating the Flyers and Capitals.
The Habs, with Patrick Roy in net, will attack the Blueshirts quickly and aim to win the Cup.
1980-81: Islanders 4, Rangers 0
After firing Fred Shero, GM Craig Patrick sat on the bench and the Rangers made the playoffs with a record of 30 wins, 36 losses and 14 ties.
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They defeated the Kings and Blues, then faced the Islanders, with the Islanders scoring 22 of 30 goals in the sweep.
1978-79: Rangers 4, Islanders 2
The favorite playoff series for many fans over 55, the Sherroes Rangers (91 points) suffered their final playoff loss to the Islanders (116 points) before their dynasty began.
1979 Stanley Cup semifinals held at Nassau Coliseum.
In Game 5 at Nassau Coliseum, Anders Hedberg’s goal with 2 minutes, 13 seconds left gave the Rangers the series lead, and John Davidson made 21 saves in the deciding game at MSG.
1973-74: Flyers 4, Rangers 3
The series, which was decided by a one-goal margin in Game 7, was widely remembered for the loss of Rangers defenseman Dale Rolfe to Flyers defenseman Dave Schultz in the first period of the final game. ing.
1972-73: Blackhawks 4, Rangers 0
The Rangers won the season opener 4-1 at Chicago Stadium, but then goaltender Tony Esposito allowed only one goal in each of Games 3, 4, and 5, and the Blackhawks dominated. became.
1971-72: Rangers 4, Blackhawks 0
Perhaps at the height of the Emile Francis era, the Rangers dominated Chicago even without Jean Ratel, who scored 109 points that season in just 63 games before breaking his ankle.
GAG linemates Rod Gilbert and Vic Hadfield each scored in a 6-2 shutout win at the Garden, giving Rangers a spot in their first Cup final since 1950, but the Bruins have six games to go. With that, the dream of the title came to an end.
1970-71: Blackhawks 4, Rangers 3
The series featured one of the most memorable games in Rangers history, in Game 6 against MSG, when Pete Stemkowski saved the season with a goal 1:29 into the third overtime.
In Game 7, goals from Stemkowski and Gilbert gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead midway through the second period, but Chicago ultimately won on a goal from Bobby Hull.
