SUNRISE, Fla. — The Rangers have proven themselves every day since mid-September, and now it’s up to them to do it again. A season full of embraces, unity and belief has led them to this moment of truth.
It all depends on who wins the Presidents Trophy, but it also depends on the core Blueshirts who have been together for five seasons, have struggled to win and will be in for a summer of uncertainty if they fail to do so (again).
There’s no need to doubt the Rangers’ mettle as they try to avoid elimination in Game 6 on Saturday. They’ve shown it plenty of times during a season in which they compiled 114 points. They showed it in their rally in Game 6 in Raleigh after failing to win the second round in Game 4 in Carolina and Game 5 in New York.
The Blue Shirts make an appearance.
But the Panthers have been so dominant in the final three games of this series that the scoreboard has often been misleading, so it’s questionable whether the Rangers can stop them. This is no fluke. The Panthers have been building up to this win since the 2021-22 season, when they won the Presidents Trophy.
Florida was faster, bigger, stronger, deeper, tougher and more disciplined. They controlled the pace, dominated the time of possession and played to postseason officiating standards. In their last three games, the Rangers’ expected goals percentages have been recorded at 30.81%, 26.53% and 30.96% since Game 3.
The scores of those games were 4-3 in overtime, 2-1 in overtime and 3-2 in overtime, respectively. It’s a reminder that the best goaltenders can and always will have a disproportionate impact on a series. It’s a reminder that while Mark Messier rightly declared “we’re going to win tonight” in Game 6 in 1994, it was Mike Richter who came to the rescue first in arguably the biggest money game of his career.
Of course, it was the captain who notched a hat trick in the third period at the Meadowlands to seal a 4-2 victory that would send the landmark conference final back to the Garden, where Stephane Matteau awaited. But without No. 35, it would have been 5-0 by the middle of the second period. That’s how dominant the Devils were through the first 35 minutes.
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Yes, I believe Igor Shesterkin will likely become the highest-paid goaltender in the NHL with his contract extension, which starts in 2025-26 but is expected to be negotiated this summer, and I definitely believe he can put on that kind of game.
Either way, about two-thirds of the series was Shesterkin versus the world.
The 1994 Battle of the Hudson is one of a kind. But the 2012 Black and Blueshirts lost Game 5 at the Garden, were down 3-2 in the first round, then overcame possible elimination in Game 6 in Ottawa before winning Game 7 at home to advance to the next round. The 2015 team lost Game 5 at MSG, were down 3-2 in the conference finals, then overcame possible elimination in Game 6 in Tampa Bay before losing Game 7 at home.
The Panthers won the Presidents Trophy two years ago, but were soundly defeated by the Lightning in the second round. Last year, they slipped into the playoffs in eighth place and made it all the way to the Finals. They’re trying to become the first team to make the Finals after losing since the Penguins avenged their loss to Detroit in 2009. In other words, the Panthers are the real deal in every sense of the word.
This game will require the Rangers’ best, but it will require more than the Rangers’ best. It will take a village. Coach Peter Laviolette will need to trust his reserves, like he didn’t in Game 5. Not only did he prematurely decide Matt Rempe couldn’t play, he benched Will Caille and Barclay Goodrow as well. It just didn’t make much sense.
In fact, the Rangers have seven players averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game, the most of any team in the conference finals. Edmonton has six, Dallas has five and Florida has four. Vincent Trocheck is averaging 23:05 per game, about 1:30 over his regular-season allotment. Mika Zibanged is averaging 21:25 per game, about 1:40 over his regular-season allotment. They’re taking on bigger, stronger competition every night. Of course, they’re worn down.
The Blueshirts’ lineup is at a clear disadvantage in terms of size and strength. They’ve been outplayed and outgunned in the first three games. They’re having all sorts of issues getting inside and getting to the net. Caillou is the right size for this. He’ll be up front. But Caillou was on the ice for just 4 minutes, 27 seconds in the first two periods. Goodloe was on the ice for 2 minutes, 55 seconds in the third. What?
That has to change. There’s no time to wait. Those are Messier’s two most magical words in sports.
This is the sixth match.
The moment of truth had arrived.
