New York Rangers: Michael Grabner’s top five moments

The New York Rangers have gutted their franchise, leaving few veterans still in the lineup. One of those key players was Michael Grabner. Let’s take a look back at his top five moments with New York.

For a long while, this franchise wanted to hold on to its 2014 roster, the roster that made the Stanley Cup Finals. However, many faces since then have come and gone, and so few remain from that magical run.

One of the players brought in from the outside in the attempt to win a Stanley cup was Grabner. The team put a heavy emphasis on speed and the transition game and there are few faster in the entire league. Initially brought in to play on the fourth line and serve as a Carl Hagelin facsimile, Grabner was so much more than that.

Grabner’s time with the New York Rangers wasn’t long, but it was definitely memorable. He’s had some fine moments donning the Rangers’ sweater. Here are his top five.

Empty-Netter Against Golden Knights

The Las Vegas Golden Knights came into Madison Square Garden for the first-ever matchup between these two teams on Halloween night in 2017. This was the same day as a terrorist attack in lower Manhattan and it was an emotional day in the city. After being down 4-2 at the end of 40 minutes, the Rangers rallied their way back and won the game 6-4.

Although it was am an epmty net goal, it is still worth the same as a goal with a goalie in the net. This is one of the misconceptions about Grabner’s time with the team. Just because he scored so many empty net goals, does not mean his numbers were inflated. Empty net goals ensure that the team is almost always going to win.

That sixth goal was courtesy of Grabner when he put an exclamation point on the night with it. He definitely had a knack for empty-netters. In fact, he made NHL history with most empty net goals this season per 500 games.

Hat Trick Against Carolina

After Henrik Lundqvist gave up an easy one early in the first period, the Rangers found themselves in a position where they needed to fight back. And that they did, with the help of three goals from Michael Grabner, of course.

Every goal he scores is a great display of his accuracy with the puck and most importantly, his speed. The tip in from a pass from Kevin Shattenkirk was superb. However, both empty netters were finessed with a great deal of energy and power.

First Rangers’ Hat Trick Against Tampa Bay

Michael Grabner was a signing many people were wary about at first. However, this was the first time he got to prove what he was made of. This game showed his talent like no other he had played before for the New York Rangers.

With Chris Kreider out at the time due to neck spasms, Grabner was forced to use his incredible speed to keep the Rangers sharp against the respectable Tampa team. However, that by no means implies it was an easy task. Here are the highlights of his first Rangers’ hat trick.

Comeback Goal Against Columbus

It was a crazy atmosphere and a wild road game for the Rangers. After being down 4-1 in the second period, they pulled to within two. However, against a team that had a 16 game winning streak snapped just two nights prior, this one was beyond impressive. They were down 4-2 headed into the third period, and Michael Grabner went “Out of a cannon, shot through the neutral zone, backhand…”, just as Dave Maloney and Don LaGrecca put it.

One of the best parts of this goal is the call, as well. In other words, everything about this goal was phenomenal.

Although Grabner was not the flashiest player during his year and a half with the Rangers, he was still the team’s leading goal scorer during both of his two seasons. The wing is a textbook example of how a player can find new life in New York with a good enviornment. Putting a player in a position to succeed opens them up to better play.