With the calendar year coming to its conclusion, the last 365 days have been eventful. This has been a year that saw the New York Rangers get to the Eastern Conference Finals in their first season back in the playoffs after announcing the rebuild, come within 3 games of winning the Metropolitan Division title away from the Carolina Hurricanes, and come two games away from their first Stanley Cup Finals berth since 2014 (or 1994, if you’d prefer).
Despite their success in the first half of the calendar year, the Rangers have had struggles since the new season started. They lost some major contributors to last year’s deep run to free agency and only signed one guy to replace their production, had a good but not special draft, and have seen their playoff chances for the new scheduled year crumble before their very eyes. It’s been eventful, to say the least.
So when I was asked earlier this week whether this was a good or a bad week for the Blueshirts, it made me pause. There have been extreme ups and downs during this year. Overall, it was a successful year, but as is everything in life, it was far from a smooth ride. This entire decade has been rough so far and we’re not even close to halfway through it, but the Rangers’ escape from the doldrums provided some respite for the fans.
New York had an enjoyable year. Despite the position the Rangers find themselves in, it’s been a year that the Rangers and their fan base will not wish to forget anytime soon. However, I find that there are five moments that stick out to me as to why I will remember this year for the New York Rangers. If there are other moments on here that you do not agree with, please let me know below.