Top five Ranger overtime thrillers in this decade

Nothing is more thrilling for a New York Rangers fan than an overtime goal in the playoffs. 

As the postseason inches closer, I find myself watching New York Rangers’ highlights over and over again. It’s good to say hockey is almost back. But, the videos I seem to watch even in the dog days of summer, are playoff overtime goals.

There is nothing like hearing the fans scream and chant when their team scores or even the intense, enticing silence from the arena like in 2012 when Marian Gaborik scored the triple overtime winner against the Capitals to give the Rangers the series lead.

The past decade of New York Rangers playoff hockey has brought fans on a roller coaster ride. In 2010, a first round loss to the Washington Capitals started the new decade off on a low. Then the Rangers got a taste of the Eastern Conference Finals ultimately losing to their cross-river rivals in the New Jersey Devils in overtime of game six.

In 2014, a magical run found the Rangers playing for the ultimate prize. Despite holding two goal leads in the first two  games in Los Angeles, the Rangers lost in Game Five in double overtime to the Los Angeles Kings.

The Rangers have gone to overtime 26 times over the past decade. They won ten times in those games and some of those were the most memorable in franchise history. The feeling of your team winning in overtime is the best feeling in sports.

When your team comes back from a 3-1 series deficit two seasons in a row or goes to the Stanley Cup Final, fans remember the journey it took to get there. Even several years later, we like to rejoice on the overtime goals that brought us unmatched joy.

Let’s start the countdown with the top five overtime goals in the past decade. We will begin with an honorable mention.

Honorable mention: Triple overtime winner

The Rangers have been to triple overtime only seven times in franchise history. The last time they had a game that long was back in 1971. After splitting the first two games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers and Washington Capitals battled to break the deadlock of the series.

After both team exchanged second period goals, it was scoreless until 14:41 of the third overtime period. Just after midnight in the East Coast, Marian Gaborik scored the biggest goal in his Rangers career, putting a pass from Brad Richards past Capitals goaltender, Braden Holtby.

It ended the fifth longest goal in team history. This triple overtime thriller began a string of thrilling overtime games in the decade for the Rangers and fans will remember them for a long time to come.

#5 Hagelin overtime winner

On April 24th, 2015, Carl Hagelin scored almost 11 minutes into overtime to clinch the First Round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, setting up yet another match-up between the Rangers and Washington Capitals. The 2015 year will be a popular one in this story but this overtime winner thrilled Rangers’ fans knowing they did not have to go through another seven game series.  That is until next round.

The 2015 Rangers had a lot of expectations heading into the playoffs that season. The President Trophy winners had the best record in the NHL that season at 53-22-7. Playing the eighth seeded   Penguins , it was no easy task knowing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were on the other side. The Rangers prevailed in game four of the series with an overtime goal from Kevin Hayes. It set up for a series clincher at Madison Square Garden.

Carl Hagelin beat Marc-Andre Fleury to send the Rangers marching to round two. His famous celebration on his stomach being embraced by his teammates will be the memory Rangers’ fans will hold with them every time Hagelin returns to the Garden.

#4 Marc Staal overtime winner

On May 7th, 2012, the Rangers battled the Washington Capitals in a Game Five thriller at the Garden. After being down 2-1 late in the third period, Capitals forward Joel Ward took a double minor high sticking penalty, sending the Rangers to the power play.

With 6.6 seconds to go, Rangers alternate captain, Brad Richards tied the game to send it to overtime. The momentum was on the side of the Blueshirts and a face-off won by John Mitchell set up for a powerful drive from Staal.

Staal’s drive took a deflection off a Capital’s defenseman and beat Braden Holtby to give the Rangers a 3-2 win and series lead.

They went on to lose Game Six in Washington but won Game Seven at home 2-1. The Rangers would advance to the Eastern Conference Final against the New Jersey Devils. Sadly, that overtime was decided by an overtime goal we will never forget.

#3 Captain Clutch comes through

The 2015 Rangers are arguably the best Rangers team of the last decade. Of course, the previous year they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, but all around, the 2015 team was a better squad. However, after winning the Presidents’ Trophy, anything short of a Stanley Cup Final appearance can be seen as a failure to some.

The Rangers struggled against the Capitals and saw themselves in familiar territory being down 3-1 in their Second Round series. In the season prior, the Rangers came back from a 3-1 deficit for the first time in their history, beating the Penguins on their march to the Stanley Cup Final. First year captain Ryan McDonagh did not disappoint in becoming clutch when it counted.

Down 1-0 late in the third period, Chris Kreider tied the game with 1:20 to go in regulation. After a back-and-forth overtime, the Rangers broke up a play in the neutral zone and brought life back into the series.

The Rangers most underrated player, Jesper Fast, intercepted a pass from Curtis Glencross at center ice.  He got the puck to Derek Stepan, who back passed to McDonagh, ultimately scoring the winner.

This overtime plays well in Rangers fans’ minds because of what overtime goal will be featured further in this article. But without this clutch moment by the Rangers former captain, there would be no overtime thriller by the man who assisted on this goal.

#2 St.Louis is the hero

The 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs will be embedded in the minds of Rangers fans’ for a long time, though it ended in utter disappointment. Anyway, the emotional roller coaster ride started when the Rangers fell behind 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round. After the Game Four loss, the Rangers received news that Marty St.Louis’ mother had passed away suddenly at the age of 63.

It seemed nobody cared what happened in Game Five, win or lose. But, St. Louis did and he knew his mother wanted him to play. The Rangers went onto win Games Five, Six and Seven to reach the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens.

After beating Montreal in the first two games at the Bell Centre, the Rangers lost Game Three in overtime. In Game Four, the Rangers came out flying and led the game twice before former Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban tied the game.

The Rangers had an opportunity to take a commanding lead in the series and get to the Finals. In overtime, the Rangers were relentless and hard pressure against the boards led to St.Louis’ biggest glory on Garden ice.

St.Louis beat Dustin Tokarski top shelf from the faceoff circle and put the Rangers one win away from the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1994. St. Louis said it best in his post game interview with NBCSN Pierre McGuire, “It’s our turn, it’s our turn, no doubt and we did it tonight.”

They did it in game six too, sending the Rangers to the finals and giving Rangers fans’ something to cheer for again. On behalf of all Rangers’ fans’, thank you Marty.