When the New York Rangers completed their improbable comeback win over the Montreal Canadiens, one intriguing possiblity became apparent. Did the future captain of the team played a key role in the win?
Of course, we are talking about Brendan Lemieux. He was a catalyst in the Rangers comeback win, not just by scoring two goals, but by playing hard, killing penalties and showing great leadership.
If you have doubts about that, Just listen to him:
Tonight’s mantra:
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 24, 2019
“Never too high, never too low.” pic.twitter.com/rrsW8eMYpk
The New York Rangers haven’t had a team captain since they traded Ryan McDonagh to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since his departure there has been a round robin of alternate captains with no clear successor.
Coming into the season the consensus was that it would be Mika Zibanejad, but the soft spoken Swede was not the choice. Chris Kreider‘s contractual status keeps him from being a contender. In the meantime, the team carries on with a void in leadership, a trait that has become an issue on occasion.
Here’s the official definition of a team captain per the NHL Rule 6.1: “One Captain shall be appointed by each team, and he alone shall have the privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game.”
But a team captain is much more than that. He is the leader on the ice and in the locker room, spokesman for the team and the link between the players and the coaches. A good captain can lift a moribund team to higher levels and provide inspiration to his peers.
The Rangers were lucky to have the greatest captain of all time in Mark Messier. Whether it was glare or a hard check or fulfilling a guarantee with a playoff hat trick, there is no doubt that the 1994 Stanley Cup championship would have never happened without Messier.
It’s a key piece that is missing from the Rangers, the youngest team in the NHL.