Very recent playoff success for the Broadway Blueshirts, including a long run to the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Eastern Conference Final, serves as a reminder of the Rangers great potential to go all the way. Other New York Rangers playoffs showcase the success of the long-time players still on their 2024-25 roster. In light of the continued possibility for them to hoist Lord Stanley’s cup again, moves like the recent addition of a proven playoff performer, Reilly Smith are an example of those high expectations. So, here’s a recap of some of the Blueshirts best playoff performances in recent history. We go back just over ten years, to the 2014 run, and those playoff successes since that time.
Their Best Recent Run and the 2022 Eastern Conference Final
Right off the bat, we have a recent 20-game stretch from just two years ago. The New York Rangers recent playoff run in 2022 marked the last time before 2024 that the Blueshirts made the Eastern Conference Final. Their first two series against fellow solid eastern teams were competitive and stretched to seven games. In the first round, the Rangers defeated their Metropolitan Division counterpart, the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-3 in the series. The second round was similar, with the Blueshirts defeating their East Coast rival the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. This playoff run saw offensive career-best NHL playoff performances in multiple players plus some great highlights. Here’s a recap of a few.
Igor Shesterkin
Towards the end of June 2022, netminder Igor Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy for best NHL goaltender. After starting and playing all 20 playoff games that year, Shesterkin notched a .929 save percentage and 2.59 goals-against average. He even tallied three assists. In this year’s playoffs, Shesterkin won ten and lost nine of his games. This year’s performance, especially culminating in a Vezina, is one of the many reasons Shesterkin is considered to be one of the best netminders in Blueshirts history.
New York Rangers Playoffs Offensive Performance Starting with Mika Zibanejad
In 2022, the then 29-year-old centreman Mika Zibanejad had the best offensive playoff performance of his NHL career with ten goals and 14 assists totaling 24 points in all 20 playoff games. In Game 6 of the second round against the Hurricanes on May 28, 2022, Zibanejad scored a power play wrister goal to make the score 2-0 Blueshirts. It was scored 9:51 into the first period following Tyler Motte‘s unassisted goal. The Rangers would win 5-2, never losing the lead in that game.
Adam Fox
Defenceman Adam Fox, then just 24 years old, had the best offensive playoff performance of his NHL career so far. That playoff saw him record five goals and 18 assists for 23 points in all 20 playoff games. Fox also notched 37 blocks, his second-most in an NHL playoffs, and 17 hits, his most in an NHL playoffs. A year prior, the New York State native took the James Norris Memorial Trophy. In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round series against the Hurricanes, Fox opened New York’s scoring with a power play snap shot goal 3:40 into the first period. The goal was assisted by Alexis Lafreniere and then Rangers centreman Andrew Copp. The Blueshirts would end up winning this game 6-2 and would advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
Also in this game, which took place on May 30, 2022, then Hurricane Vincent Trocheck scored a tip-in power play goal in the third period to open the scoring for Carolina. It was assisted by Canes star forward Sebastian Aho and blueliner Tony DeAngelo. Of course, Trocheck more recently had the best offensive NHL playoff performance of his career with the Blueshirts in their deep 2024 playoff run.
Chris Kreider
Left winger Chris Kreider was yet another excellent offensive playoff performer in 2022. The then 31-year-old Massachusetts native’s NHL playoff goal-scoring peaked that year with ten in those 20 games. Kreider also picked six apples (assists), which is second-best in the NHL playoff career. But that, plus his ten goals added up to 16 points to make an offensive NHL playoff career-best for Kreider. On May 5, 2022, during Game 2 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Playoffs First Round, Kreider scored a tip-in goal in the second period to make the score 3-1 for the Blueshirts. New York would win this game 5-2.
Alexis Lafreniere
Quebec native left-winger Alexis Lafreniere notched two goals and seven assists (nine points) in all 20 playoff games in the 2022 New York Rangers playoffs. On May 11, 2022, during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Lafreniere broke Pittsburgh’s 2-1 lead with a slap shot goal in the second period. The Blueshirts would ultimately win this game, at Madison Square Garden, 5-3.
The Number 2. 2014 Playoff Run to Stanley Cup Final
The 2014 playoffs were a long and fierce 25-game run for the Blueshirts. It saw seven-game series wins against the Philadelphia Flyers (4-3) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (4-3). The Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens was a shorter, more decisive 4-2 series win for the Rangers. With an excellent team that playoffs including legendary goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, it is no surprise the Blueshirts ended up taking the Prince of Wales Trophy that year.
Henrik Lundqvist
The already Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender and future Hall of Famer played the most games in the playoffs of his career in 2014, starting and playing all 25 games. With 13 wins, a shutout, and a .927 save percentage, Lundqvist is just one example of what made that year’s team so special. This was also the playoffs that Lundqvist notched an assist.
Ryan McDonagh
Then Blueshirts defenceman Ryan McDonagh had the best offensive performance in an NHL playoff of his career that year with four goals and 13 assists (17 points) in those 25 games. In terms of defensive numbers, McDonagh also notched 48 blocks and 52 hits in those games.
Sadly, however, the Blueshirts would eventually lose to the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 in the Stanley Cup Final series.
3. 2015 Playoff Run to Eastern Conference Final
Although the series score in the Eastern First Round against the Pittsburgh Penguins was not close, 4-1 for the Blueshirts, all five game scores were within one goal of each other. In fact, all four of the Rangers wins were 2-1. The exception was the Pens winning 4-3 in Game 2. To highlight even more competitiveness, New York won the last two games (Game Four & Five) in overtime. In Game Four, the overtime winner was scored by then-Blueshirts right-winger Kevin Hayes. In Game Five, it was scored by then-Blueshirts left-winger Carl Hagelin.
Rick Nash
Now 40 years old, then Blueshirts left-winger Rick Nash had his best offensive NHL playoff performance of his career in 2015, with 14 points (five goals & nine assists) in 19 playoff games. Nash also took the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2003-04.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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