New York Rangers: Building an Identity

The New York Rangers have a rich history with one of the most passionate followings in the sport. Despite the lack of a postseason spot the past two seasons and ripping apart their roster, the Rangers are seriously working to construct their path to another Stanley Cup

This 2019-2020 season, the New York Rangers entered with a clear purpose. Before the suspension of play, New York fans saw a team that was sly, relentless and exciting.  While this season’s expectation did not include hoisting the Stanley Cup, the Rangers needed to establish chemistry and situate all pieces of the puzzle before they can gear up to have a satisfactory Cup run.

Since head coach, David Quinn, who is only in his sophomore year as a National Hockey League coach, joined the organization he has had a crystal clear vision for the team. “Fast, physical, relentless.” Since his introduction to the team, which was a strategic move as Quinn was the former coach of Boston University’s hockey team, he has been shaping the team to cultivate accountability, reliability, and wins, no matter how you get them.

“Fast, physical, relentless.” – David Quinn

Quinn brings a special set of skills to this young team and places emphasis on capitalizing the talent in New York. Back in the summer of 2018, he set his sights on speed, pressure, and puck possession. After a rough few seasons, Quinn wanted to come in and transform this team into a group that is quite difficult to play against– and we are beginning to see that take shape.

For any fan who followed the Blueshirts this season, there may be a few games that stand out. Perhaps in late November, with the gutsy win over the Montreal Canadiens when the Rangers overcame a four goal deficit to make it 6-5 in the final frame. Even the redemption victory (and shut out) over the Vegas Golden Knights after a brutal loss a few days earlier in December. Then there’s the sheer fact the Rangers completed a seasonal sweep of fellow Divisional rivals, the solid Carolina Hurricanes.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding this season’s closure, the New York Rangers have shown glimmers of being the team they are envisioned to be. New York fans should be excited about these upcoming seasons and being a force in the league once again. While no one should consider this roster to be set in stone, the talent and the direction of the organization are promising indicators of what is to come.