A look at the 2017 playoffs: The last time the Rangers were in it

The New York Rangers are heading back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a five year hiatus. The last time the Rangers made the playoffs was 2017. The Rangers made the Stanley Cup Qualifier during the 2020 bubble but that is not officially sanctioned as the Stanley Cup Playoffs and considering the sweep by Carolina, let’s not even talk about that one.

Since 2017 the Rangers and the NHL have changed.  The playoffs were another disappointing year for the Rangers falling in the second round to the Ottawa Senators in six games. The Rangers then entered a rebuild in 2018 turning overmuch of their roster. A few players remain but most are playing elsewhere. The NHL landscape has also changed, stars are playing elsewhere and the NHL has added two new teams.

What happened during the playoffs

In 2017 the Rangers actually benefited from the NHL’s silly playoff format. The Rangers finished with 102 points and the first wild card spot. Going into the postseason it seemed the Rangers drew the better hand as they would play in the Atlantic Division which was the weaker division. Montreal won that division with 103 points, only one more than the fourth place Rangers.

In a rematch of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals the Rangers played Montreal in the first round. The Rangers won in six games and we got this great Mika Moment in game five.

Some notable stats from the series. Mika Zibanejad led the team with four points with his only goal that game winner. Mats Zuccarello led the team with three goals. Chris Kreider had only one assist that series, which was on Mika’s winner. Henrik Lundqvist went 4-2, posting a 1.95 goals against average (GAA) , a .947 save percentage (Sv%) and one shutout.

The Rangers second round matchup was with the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers lost in six games in a series in seesaw of a series. The Rangers dropped the opener 2-1 in Ottawa when Erik Karlsson score from an awful angle to steal Game One.

The second game was a 6-5 disaster, mostly due to Jean-Gabriel Pageau who scored four goals, including the double overtime game winner.  The Rangers won the next two at the Garden by identical 4-1 scores and looked to be in the drivers seat, but they lost Game Six in overtime by 5-4 score.  They led 4-3 with only 1:26 left in the game when ex-Ranger Derick Brassard scored to tie the game with the Senators goalie pulled. Kyle Turris scored the OT game winner 6:28 into overtime.

The Rangers lost Game Seven 4-2, a  game in which the Senators took the lead and never trailed.

Some stats from the series. Mika Zibanejad and Ryan McDonagh led the team with five points in the series. Chris Kreider and Oscar Lindberg tied for team lead with three goals each. Erik Karlsson had seven points and J-G Pageau had six goals torching the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist had one of his worst playoff series with a 2-4 record, a 2.81 GAA, and a .905 Sv%.

Had the Rangers beaten Ottawa they would’ve played the Pittsburgh Penguins in what would’ve been the Rangers fourth Eastern Conference Finals appearance in six years. Unfortunately the Penguins would go onto win the Stanley Cup that year as well.

Who’s still here

Of the 2017 Rangers who played in the postseason only two players still remain with the organization. Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider are the two remaining Rangers. Coincidentally, the 2016-17 season was the first season Chris Kreider reached his previous career high of 28 goals. Henrik Lundqvist and Tanner Glass are still with the organization as a MSG analyst and the Rangers Assistant Director of Player Development. Jesper Fast, Derek Stepan, Brendan Smith, Antti Raanta, and Brady Skjei are all member of the Carolina “Rangers”.

The changeover

Looking at the roster it is crazy to think that much of the 2017 team had played in a Stanley Cup Final and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals three times.

The 2017 roster had four 20-goal scorers, led by Kreider’s 28 and one more than Michael Grabner with 27 goal.   No Ranger cracked 60 points with Mats Zuccarello the leading scorer with 59 points.

Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider have come along way since then. Zibanejad was in his first season in New York scoring 14 goals and 57 points in 56 games after breaking his leg in November.  Chris Kreider had 28 goals and 53 points, both career bests until this season.

Compare that to this year’s team. Four Rangers have 70 points. Artemi Panarin quietly had a career year leading the team with 96 points. Mika Zibanejad had 29 goals and 81  points. Chris Kreider also had a career year with 52 goals and 77 points. Finally Adam Fox had 11 goals and 74 points.

The Rangers have completely changed since 2017.  That playoffs marked the end of an era for Rangers hockey. It was an era when the Rangers missed the postseason only once since the 2004-05 lockout. It’s been five years and with a successful rebuild the team has the star power to go on a similar run with the next step accomplishing what that team couldn’t, win the Stanley Cup.