The Rangers are returning to the NHL postseason.
After their win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, and some help, the Blue Shirts will look to raise their first Stanley Cup in 30 years.
Entering Tuesday night’s game, the Rangers had three scenarios to clinch a postseason spot.
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The Rangers beat the Flyers in any fashion
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The Detroit Red Wings lost to the Washington Capitals in regulation
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The Rangers picked up a point and the Red Wings lost to the Capitals in any fashion
The first scenario would come to fruition as Adam Fox scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Rangers to a 6-5 win and punch their ticket to the postseason.
“It’s huge. It’s what you plan to do at the start of the year,” Fox said of making the postseason. “That’s the first step for us. With 10 games here or so [left], keep sharp and keep our foot on the gas. We want to keep racking up points and get right for the playoffs.”
The Rangers are the first team this season to clinch a playoff spot, and despite the the win, and the accomplishment, the Rangers locker room was pretty subdued like they’ve been there before. The reason? The team has higher aspirations.
“Just based on the season we’ve had, there’s an assumption that at some point you’re going to get in,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “It’s not about that anymore. It’s about playing the right way and feeling good about your game as you approach the playoffs and you’d like to keep it consistent in the playoffs.”
“I don’t know if it’ll be much of a celebration, but this is what every team is fighting for,” Mika Zibanejad said echoing his coach’s feelings. “We have, I would say, bigger goals, but if you one day want to lift the Stanley Cup, you’ve got to get into playoffs first. That’s step one.”
New York, who are now playoff-bound for the third straight season, will look to make it further than they did a year ago when they were eliminated by the upstart New Jersey Devils in seven games.
The Rangers (48-20-4) are also looking to win the Presidents’ Trophy, awarded to the team with the most points. Currently, they lead the Eastern Conference with 100 points, but the race for the top seed remains a four-team race with the Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes all on New York’s heels.
