For the first time in five years, for the first time since the letter came out, the New York Rangers are headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There were two scenarios in which a playoff berth could be secured for the Rangers; by beating the Ottawa Senators or if the New York Islanders lost. While the Islanders did end up losing 6-1 to the Blues, the Rangers came out on top against Ottawa in decisive fashion by the score of 5-1, controlling their own destiny, punching their ticket to playoffs on their own. It was such a high feeling of elation for the Rangers and fans alike to get the win at home and know for certain that they will be headed to the playoffs.
The fans were active early and often in this contest as the Garden erupted in cheers as Kaapo Kakko took the ice for his first shift in months, finally returning from injury. The Rangers dominated the game out of the gate but in typical Rangers fashion, Ottawa got on the board first. Just two and a half minutes in, Mark Kastelic fed Austin Watson right in front of the net who buried it, 1-0 Senators. New York picked up right where they left off and controlled the rest of the period and ten minutes later, Artemi Panarin put one away to tie the game up at one. This was a goal Anton Forsberg probably wished he could’ve had back as it wasn’t the greatest shot but nevertheless the Rangers were finally rewarded for their offensive efforts as they out-shot the Senators 12-3 in the first period.
The dominant offensive performance would carry on in the second, although this time around it would be reflected more strongly on the scoreboard. About seven minutes in, Artemi Panarin gave a perfect cross slot feed to Andrew Copp who put it away top shelf, giving the Rangers their first lead of the night. What a story Andrew Copp has been for the Rangers, almost averaging a point a game since being traded at the deadline. Speaking of stories for the Rangers, just a few minutes after Copp’s goal, Chris Kreider found the back of the net as he continues to have a career year, 3-1 Rangers. The second period would fly by at the Garden as Ryan Strome capped off the period with his 17th of the season off assists from Panarin (67th of the year) and Ryan Lindgren (second assist of the night).
Heading into the third, Ottawa was being outshot 25-9 as they were completely being outplayed by the Blueshirts. The Senators picked up on the offense, keeping Igor Shesterkin a little more busy than they had for most of the night. With each passing save, chants of Igor increased as did the energy at the World’s Most Famous Arena as fans began to realize what tonight’s win would mean. The Garden would erupt in the final minutes as Chris Kreider found his second of the night, putting him within one of the significant milestone that is the 50 goal mark. There wouldn’t be enough time for him to complete the hat trick but we were on our feet at the Garden as the horn sounded and for the first time since 2017, the New York Rangers are headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This team has been such a joy to watch all season and Saturday night’s win was no exception. They absolutely dominated the game and took advantage of the opportunity to take control and win the game to get them in the playoffs. This team has earned that feeling of excitement and relief that undoubtedly came following the win. With just under ten games to go and the likelihood of falling in that second place spot being pretty strong, this group has earned a break and to have some fun and relax a bit through these final games. Aside from the two games against Carolina, you have to think Gallant will begin to rest some of his core guys or at the very least cut back on their ice time. There’s no need for Adam Fox or Jacob Trouba to play anywhere close to 25/30 minutes a game and they have the depth to let guys like Zibanejad, Panarin, Goodrow and Kreider take a night or two off here and there.
The Rangers are back at it with their second to last back to back of the season this week as they host the Hurricanes on Tuesday before heading to Philly on Wednesday. Expect the Rangers to roll with their full lineup on Tuesday as they will want to be prepared for a potential playoff meeting down the line but come Wednesday, don’t be surprised to see some regulars in the press box. They’ll have two days off following the back to back before hosting Detroit at the Garden on Saturday. The schedule is extremely kind to the Rangers as they wrap up the regular season, just roll through the motions in these final weeks and focus on staying healthy for the journey ahead, the most wonderful time of the year.
Chris Feldman
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