The New York Rangers’ Top 5 MVPs of the 2014-15 Season
Mar 2, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) celebrates his empty-net goal against the Nashville Predators with teammates during the third period at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers defeated the Predators 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Another NHL season is about to conclude, and new Presidents’ Trophy winners, the New York Rangers, are sitting pretty atop the standings with an astonishing 52-21-7 record, good for 111 points, which is the second-most points the club has ever recorded in one season. The Blueshirts racked up 112 points en route to winning the Stanley Cup in 1993-94, which is also the last time they earned the Presidents Trophy.
There have been many unforeseen circumstances during the 82-game stretch that have turned uncertain situations into golden opportunities for certain players on rosters, like Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk almost-single-handedly saving the Wild’s season after coming over from Arizona. Nobody in their wildest dreams expected him to be much of anything because of his rocky play in Edmonton and subsequent demotion in Montreal, but he took the fresh start and ran with it, and now Minnesota has secured a playoff berth.
The New York Rangers have had multiple MVPs throughout the year, some more publicized than others, but in the end it takes every player in the locker room to deliver such spectacular results. Here are the 5 players that have gone above and beyond to do their part and help the team become of the best in the entire NHL.
Next: New York Rangers' #5 MVP
Feb 10, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein (8) during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Rangers beat the Maple Leafs 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
5) Kevin Klein
Before being traded to the New York Rangers, Kevin Klein was already a steady shut-down defenseman for the Nashville Predators. But when he came over, he turned into a completely new monster on the blueline. Before breaking his arm blocking a shot in the last minute in a victory against the Washington Capitals on March 11, Klein racked up 9 goals and 17 assists in 65 games, which doesn’t seem like much, but those numbers are staggering considering that Klein has never scored more than 4 times in a season. His +24 rating is 13th-best in the entire league, and that’s also the 4th-best +/- for defensemen, behind Jason Garrison at +27, and Niklas Hjalmarsson and Hampus Lindholm at +26. Kevin Klein is the type of player that rarely gets any recognition from top media sources, but he quietly does all the little things that prevent chances for the opposition and generates opportunities for the Rangers.
Side note: He wished me a happy birthday on twitter a couple weeks ago. So on top of being a rock on the ice, he also made my 18th birthday that much more special.
Next: New York Rangers' #4 MVP
Mar 13, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan (21) against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Rangers 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
4) Derek Stepan
Prior to this season, Derek Stepan had never missed a game. He played in 294 straight regular season games, and was set to continue that streak–until he broke his leg on September 24, causing him to miss action until November 8. He hasn’t missed a beat, quite on the contrary in fact, and he currently has 39 assists and 55 total points in 66 games this season. He hit his career-high 57 points last season, but he played 16 more games. Yet another player that doesn’t nearly get the recognition he deserves, Stepan is one of the best playmakers in the NHL, delivering unbelievable tape-to-tape passes to his teammates game after game. His +29 rating is 8th-best in the entire league, so not only can he create scoring chances, he’s very reliable in the defensive zone as well, which isn’t very common for top-6 players.
Next: New York Rangers' #3 MVP
Feb 10, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Rangers right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) picks up the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Rangers beat the Maple Leafs 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
What can be said about the Norwegian hobbit that hasn’t already been said a hundred times? For somebody that’s 5’7″, it’d be understandable to see him shy away from contact in fear of getting his head clobbered by taller opponents, but instead, Zuccarello hits anything and everything in his path, including 6’9″ giant Zdeno Chara. Everybody in New York loves him, and he’s a key component to the roster on and off the ice. He’s down a few points from last year, 49 this season as opposed to 59 in 2013-14, but for a squad that doesn’t have too many tough guys, Zuccarello can put the puck in the net while not backing down from anybody in the league. When rumors circulated that Zuccarello might get traded just before the deadline, the Rangers didn’t play well at all against the Flyers that night, uneasy that their favorite Hobbit might get moved. Rangers fans chant his name every time he’s on the ice, and pleasing the crowd like that is almost impossible to accomplish in the Big Apple. He loves New York, and New York loves him.
Next: New York Rangers' #2 MVP
Feb 10, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) shoots against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
2) Rick Nash
Many people were rioting at the end of last season for Rick Nash to be traded, which was semi-understandable, but luckily Sather stuck with him, and it’s paid off big time. He’s racked up a career-high 42 goals, and added 27 helpers for a combined 69 points in 79 games this year. He’s the first man out on the offensive, but if the puck gets turned over, he turns on the jets and becomes the first player back to defend, something the Rangers haven’t seen from him in prior years. Rick Nash has 42 goals this year, and only 6 have come on the powerplay. He’s netted 4 shorthanded goals, and 8 of his 42 tallies have been game winners. The only thing he still has to prove is his capabilities in the postseason, which have been lackluster, especially last year, when he scored just 3 goals in 25 games. But nevertheless, if Rick Nash can silence the naysayers and be a dominant force in the playoffs like he was during the regular season, the Rangers would definitely be a team not many would like to go up against.
Next: New York Rangers' #1 MVP
Mar 15, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers goalie Cam Talbot (33) makes a save against Florida Panthers defenseman Willie Mitchell (33) during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
1) Cam Talbot
On January 31, 2015, all-star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist went down with a ruptured blood vessel in his neck, and was forced by doctors to sit out because of a greatly increased chance of a stroke. The Rangers were 28-15-4 at that point of the season. Enter Cam Talbot, who started 24 of the 26 games between February 3 and March 27, with rookie netminder Mackenzie Skapski earning his first 2 career starts in Buffalo, winning both. During Lundqvist’s absence, Talbot recorded an absurd 17-4-3 record, and propelled the team to the top spot in the NHL. Because of his unbelievable play, he rightfully earned the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, voted by NYR fans as the player who “goes above and beyond the call of duty”. He’s the first goaltender to receive the achievement since Henrik Lundqvist in 2005-06. Without Cam Talbot standing on his head for two months, who knows where the Rangers would be in the standings today.
Next: New York Rangers' MVPs Honorable Mention
Jan 15, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; New York Rangers center Derick Brassard (16) during the third period of the Boston Bruins 3-0 win over the New York Rangers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Honorable Mention: Derick Brassard
The former 6th overall pick in the 2006 draft, Derick Brassard has very quietly put up a career-high in assists (41), points (59), and has tied his career-best in goals (18). He’s another player that has stepped up big this season, distributing the puck well while having incredible puck vision. He’s a huge part of the top-6 point production, and he’s also incredibly under-the-radar, not nearly getting enough media attention as he should. Hopefully he continues his fine play in the postseason.
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