SUNRISE, Fla. — A team that ends every practice with a hug ended its season watching its opponents embrace each other.
The Rangers were especially close because most of their key players were with the team prior to this season, and while all teams have close friendships, this team drew strength from them like a well.
It permeated their mentality and everything they did on the ice.
That fact makes it even more painful that they ended their season one round short of their goal, losing 2-1 to the Panthers in Game 6 of the conference finals on Saturday night.
“It’s like a family here,” Mika Zibanejed said in a low voice in the locker room after training camp ended. “I think we’ve been working a lot since training camp started. We have a lot of guys who have been here before and the new guys we’ve had are unbelievable. Everybody expects the next guy to do well and we’re all fighting for the same goal. I love this team and I love the guys on this team.”
“This definitely makes it harder to lose.”
These Rangers have grown together as a team with relatively minimal changes to the core group.
A loss in Tampa at this stage two seasons ago was a big blow, but expectations weren’t as high for that team as they are this season.
The Rangers could certainly look back positively on this run, as a joyous record of having reached the big stage.
The Post follows Rangers coverage in the NHL playoffs
This year, it’s hard to imagine there will be any happy lamentations after the fact.
The Rangers were the strongest team in the regular season, but they just couldn’t find a way to consistently be effective offensively against a Florida team that played a relentlessly aggressive and physical style and closed down opponents’ space at every turn.
And unlike two years ago, this group isn’t young and won’t have nearly every key player back next season.
Ryan Lindgren, Kaapo Kakko and Braden Schneider will become restricted free agents.
Jack Roslovic, Alex Wennberg, Blake Wheeler and Erik Gustafsson are on unlimited contracts. Igor Shesterkin and Alexis Lafreniere become eligible for extensions July 1. There will be tough decisions to make with this group.
“That’s the worst part of any season,” Adam Fox said. “In professional sports not everybody stays with the team, teams turn over, so I think a lot of guys came and helped out, but the culture that we’ve had here, the camaraderie that we’ve had, even though there’s turnover in personnel, I think the foundation is here.”
“It’s sad to think the year is over. I think what we’ve built is strong.”
