5 Things That Make 2022 Stickout for the New York Rangers

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.

The comeback

In the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New York Rangers found themselves down 3-1 in the series to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby and his crew were winning the series and doing it without their starting goaltender for the most part. It looked like New York’s great season was going to come to an end in the first round, and that was okay given the success they had endured.

However, that would all be changed going into game 5 back at Madison Square Garden. New York got into a 2-0 hole early in this one but managed to fight back to grab a 3-2 lead thanks in large part to the kid line that was starting to emerge as the force it would be during this playoff run at the time. Pittsburgh would tie it up but the Rangers would again use the kid line to power through and grab the win in game 5.

That left the Rangers down in the series 3-2 going back to Pittsburgh. However, this one had a similar pattern to game 5. Pittsburgh grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period, the Rangers would flip the game and grab a 3-2 lead before the Penguins would tie it. From there, the Rangers managed to overcome their Metro division rivals and force a winner-takes-all-deciding game at the Garden.

This one would not follow the script that had been written in the games prior. New York would grab the 1-0 lead, but Pittsburgh would fight back to make it 2-1. New York would tie it at 2, but the Penguins would re-establish their lead. New York would tie the game in the third set up a next-goal-wins overtime in the series decider. Artemi Panarin would be the hero and the Rangers would come back from 3-1 down to knock off the grizzled Pittsburgh Penguins.

Round 2

The only way to get better than a game 7 victory in round 1 has to be a round 2 victory in the same playoff run. After the Rangers’ tough battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins, they would find their next opponent to not be any easier. It was the team that pipped the Blueshirts to the Metropolitan Division title, as the Carolina Hurricanes and the epitome of playoff depth would be the next test for the Rangers.

This one doesn’t have the same ebbs and flows that the games against Pittsburgh did, In fact, this was a rather weird series because the Hurricanes had not seen a team win on the road in the postseason so far. They eliminated Boston in game 7 by winning all four of their home games, and they would have home ice against the Rangers. It would not be an easy task for New York to come out victorious against this vicious storm.

With the Rangers not having home ice, they would need to win against a team that had not lost at home in the postseason to this point, and it would not start well. Carolina would overcome a 1-0 lead late in game 1 to turn the game around and take the win in overtime. In game 2, the Rangers were shutout and the Canes would bring a 2-0 lead to Madison Square Garden. New York would need to make the Garden a fortress.

New York would do just that as they would hold Carolina to a goal in each of the two games at the Garden. They’d tally a total of seven across the two games to tie the series up at 2. Going back to PNC Arena and that booming building in Raleigh, the Rangers still needed to overcome this Canes team in their own building. It was becoming a larger and more difficult task. Chances to do it were running out.

Game 5 would not see that change as the Rangers were defeated 3-1 in Raleigh, and the Canes pushed the Rangers to the brink. A 3-2 series lead for the Hurricanes meant that they could eliminate the Rangers in New York. However, a 5-2 win for the Rangers would shatter that idea. It was another game seven and for this one, we’d go back to Raleigh.

New York’s powerplay would explode in game 7 as the Rangers routed the Hurricanes 6-2 and eliminated the Metropolitan Division winners, and the 3rd best team in the NHL as the Blueshirts went back to the Eastern Conference Finals in their first playoff appearance since the rebuild. It was the perfect way to announce that the New York Rangers were back to being a competitive roster.

Some big pieces leave

New York has had its fair share of dedicated servants to the hockey club, especially during the years the Blueshirts spent in the rebuild. After the Rangers spent big at the 2022 NHL trade deadline, there were inevitably going to be people that just couldn’t be re-signed due to the Salary Cap and the implications that it has on the teams in the NHL. There were going to be painful departures from the organization.

New York felt this when they were forced to move goaltender Alexander Georgiev and let go of forward Ryan Strome. Your Rangers were also forced to watch all of their trade deadline acquisitions find new homes since the Blueshirts did not have the means to extend the group they had. While they do have the players to replace what they lost now, it still isn’t easy to see these servants depart.

It’s never easy to see these players leave. Ryan Strome is now an Anaheim Duck. Alexander Georgiev is now a member of the Colorado Avalanche. Andrew Copp is now a Detroit Red Wing. Justin Braun opted to re-sign with the Philadelphia Flyers. Tyler Motte went and signed with the Ottawa Senators. This purging of the team that got to the Eastern Conference Finals was not easy to undergo, and the Rangers have felt the ramifications of their revamped roster.

While the Rangers did get to add forward Vincent Trocheck via free agency, it is still difficult to say that this was a sufficient replacement for everything the Rangers lost in the summer. Hopefully, the Blueshirts will get back to becoming one of the best teams in the NHL soon and the organization can go and get its fifth Stanley Cup banner sooner rather than later.

The emergence of New York

After a rebuild that was needed to give the organization the facelift it needed, the Blueshirts finally became one of the best teams in hockey again. While there are flaws with this roster as there are with any group, it’s good to see the Blueshirts where they need to be in terms of competing. No one enjoyed watching the Rangers endure their period in the doldrums. Competing in the playoffs was the best.

As the Rangers started to expose their young kids to the pressures and riggers of a major playoff run. They were put under the bright lights of the hockey world when they were chasing the Carolina Hurricanes last season. They’ve had the heat turned up to 11 with the expectations placed upon them this season, and it’s great to see the young guys growing. With the team still taking shape, it’s so promising.

As the calendar ticks over into 2023, the Rangers will look to keep fighting for a playoff berth. They will look to correct their inconsistencies and adjust to the life of a team expected to compete for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot. They are already expected to make another deep run with many having called them a Stanley Cup favorite before the start of the season.

We’ll see if the team can live up to the bright future. It’s been a fantastic year to be a fan of the New York Rangers. It’s been 365 days of the highest highs. It’s seen some deep lows. Faces have changed and the results have fluctuated, but the Rangers still have a lot to do. There’s going to be hockey played in 2023, there will be a Stanley Cup awarded in 2023, and the Rangers will want to be the team to grab it.