#1: Stepan Seals the First Round Against Montreal
The first round series against the Montreal Canadiens was hard fought for the Rangers in every game. It all paid off in game six when Derek Stepan sealed the deal with the near full-ice empty netter to put the Rangers up two.
This wasn’t any old empty net goal. Stepan gained control of the puck and lofted it down ice towards the empty net. Maybe it was the stipulations of the puck going in, but it seemingly took years to get to the goal.
Once it finally reached the goal, the Rangers had essentially punched their ticket into the second round of the playoffs.
Next: Five Offseason Story Lines for the Rangers
Any playoff win is an instant classic. However, playoff series clincher wins always stand out as extra special ones. This Stepan goal sealed the only Rangers playoff series win and it will stand out as the fondest memory of the 2016-2017 New York Rangers season.