The New York Rangers have not enjoyed being the last team standing in a season since 1994, where they defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. Legendary Rangers commentator Sam Rosen said at the final buzzer that "this one will last a lifetime." For Rangers fans, they were hoping that this would be one of many for the foreseeable future.
When looking at the history of the Rangers, they have always had some elite talent on their roster. After 1994, there was one star the Rangers had, and it was Henrik Lundqvist. Not only did he solidify himself as one of the best goaltenders in franchise history, which is saying something considering the other incredible talent they had, but also in the NHL. But one thing that Rangers fans always look back on sadly is that Lundqvist never won a Stanley Cup.
Rangers' failed attempts to bring Henrik Lundqvist to Stanley Cup Final
Lundqvist made his NHL debut in 2005 as a seventh round pick in the 2000 draft. He took over for an injured Kevin Weekes that season and never reverted back to his backup role, as he recorded an impressive 30-12-9 record, a .922 save percentage, and a 2.24 goals allowed average in 53 games (50 starts).
As a rookie, Lundqvist brought the Rangers to the playoffs. Unfortunately for him, it was a short, four-game stint, as they were swept by the rival New Jersey Devils. To make matters worse, it wasn't a particularly close series, as they were outscored 14-4 through those four games.
Certainly, Lundqvist and the Rangers would use this experience to go on much deeper runs, resulting in multiple Stanley Cup Final trips, right? Well, the Rangers would make it to the playoffs in four of the following five seasons, but failed to make it past the second round.
In 2012, Lundqvist and the Rangers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1997. This felt like the Rangers' best shot at making it to the Stanley Cup Final, as they were the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but they ran into a scorching hot Devils team, who held the sixth seed. After taking a 2-1 series lead, the Rangers lost the next three games, with the final moment of that run being Lundqvist giving up an overtime goal to Adam Henrique to send the Rangers packing.
The following year, the Rangers made it to the playoffs, but lost to the Boston Bruins in five games in the second round.
Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist finally make Stanley Cup Final in 2014
2014 was a playoff run that Rangers fans will never forget. That's because for the first time in a while, it felt like the Rangers had a legitimate chance of winning the Stanley Cup. At that year's trade deadline, New York made a blockbuster move, trading away captain Ryan Callahan to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for probably one of the best players of the 2000s in Martin St. Louis.
The first two rounds went down to the wire, as the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games each. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games to finally make it to the Stanley Cup Final. St. Louis played a pivotal role in their deep playoff run, as he scored six goals and recorded seven assists through the first three rounds. As for Lundqvist, he had a .928 save percentage and a 2.00 goals allowed average through 20 games before the Stanley Cup Final.
Waiting for them in the Stanley Cup Final were the Los Angeles Kings, who were always going to be a tough opponent for the Rangers. The hope was that the Rangers would use their momentum to steal some games away from the Kings and secure four wins to hoist the Cup.
Unfortunately for Lundqvist, the Rangers just couldn't get the better of the Kings. They lost the first two games of the series in overtime (double overtime in Game 2). Thinking that maybe a trip home would help them, they lost 3-0 in Game 3 to go down 3-0 in the series. Their fate was basically sealed, unless they could do the unthinkable and win four consecutive games. They did pick up a Game 4 victory, but their run ended in Game 5 after a series-clinching goal by Alec Martinez in double overtime.
Lundqvist did his best to try and keep the Rangers in it, as he held a .923 save percentage through the five games. It just wasn't enough for them.
Henrik Lundqvist could not make it back to the Stanley Cup Final again after 2014
Even though the loss stung for the Rangers, the hope from the fanbase was that they could use this as motivation to try and get them back to it the following year, but with a different, more desirable end result. Most importantly, help get Lundqvist's name on the Stanley Cup.
At the 2015 trade deadline, the Rangers brought in defenseman Keith Yandle from the Arizona Coyotes, forward Carl Klingberg from the Winnipeg Jets, and forward James Sheppard from the San Jose Sharks. The Yandle move was a big one, as he was expected to not only help the team defensively, but also on the power play.
The Rangers made it back to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015, and they did feel like the team of destiny, especially considering how they made it past the Capitals in the second round. But they ran into the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals, a year after the two teams made the St. Louis-Callahan swap. Tampa Bay were the winners, defeating New York in seven games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. The trade for Yandle did pay off, as he put up 11 points in 19 playoff games. But, it just wasn't enough.
For Lundqvist, this was the furthest he would get in the playoffs since the 2014 Stanley Cup Final loss.
The Rangers kept trying to put forth a good enough roster to make it to the Finals, but it wasn't enough. In 2016, the Rangers traded for Eric Staal, only to lose in five games in the first round against the Penguins. In 2017, they acquired defenseman Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings. While the Rangers made it to the second round, they lost in six games to the Ottawa Senators.
For Lundqvist, he would not make it back to the playoffs in 2018 or 2019. The 2020 playoffs, the Rangers failed to make it out of the qualifying round in the Toronto bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was as he split time with Alexander Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin.
After the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, Lundqvist hit free agency, where he signed with the Capitals. He would not play a game for the Capitals due to a heart issue, which ultimately led to his retirement from hockey.
It is a shame that one of the greats in a professional sport never win a championship. Sadly, it does happen very often. The likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Dan Marino, and Charles Barkley, all considered the best in their respective sports, never won a championship. Unfortunately for Lundqvist, he will go down as one of the best hockey players to never win a title. The Rangers tried their best, in their minds, to put forth a strong enough roster to do so. It just wasn't enough.
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