New York Rangers Stars Come Up Short Again

The New York Rangers failed to win the Stanley Cup, losing to the Florida Panthers in six games in the Eastern Conference Final.

Call it the Presidents’ Trophy curse, call it the will to win, call it crumbling under pressure, or call it whatever you want, but once again, the top stars for the New York Rangers let them down.

Everyone can point to the power play that went 1-for-15 in the series, but you can’t have Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Artemi Panarin combine for two goals in a six-game series. This should sound familiar to fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, the point is the Rangers top stars, the guys who get paid the most money, disappeared when the lights were the brightest.

As previously mentioned, Kreider and Panarin each had a goal in the series’ last two games. Kreider opened the scoring in Game 5 with a short-handed goal. Meanwhile, Panarin cut the Florida lead in Game 6 to 2-1 with about 1:40 left in the third period. They scored well and well in the series, but it was too little too late.

Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Zibanejad had 14 points (three goals and 11 assists), and Kreider had 10 points (seven goals and three assists). Kreider had a natural hat trick to propel the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final. With the Rangers trailing 3-1 in the third period of Game 6 against Carolina, Kreider put a period together that would go in Rangers playoff history. But after that, he was non-existent.

Then, there was the potential Hart Trophy nominee Artemi Panarin. Panarin had one goal in the last nine games in the playoffs after scoring four times in the first seven games, including the overtime goal in Game 3 against Carolina. He had one shot on goal in each of Games 3 and 4. Remember, Panarin led the Rangers in the regular season with 120 points (49 goals and 71 assists). He finished the playoffs with 15 points (five goals and 10 assists).

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But the question has to be asked: What happened to the Rangers’ offense, which was dominant through the first two rounds of the playoffs?

A couple of old sayings come to mind in this situation. Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard. The other is a good defence beats a good offence every day of the week. And Florida’s defense smothered the Rangers in every game. That defense was led by the 2023-24 Selke Award Winner Aleksander Barkov.

But still, that just can’t be it. Sasha Barkov shutting down three players seems hard to believe. However, the Panthers defense just smothered the Rangers offense. It was a clinic on how to give the opponent no time and space.

In a few days, when the New York Rangers speak to the media on their locker cleanout days, we will discover certain players were playing through injuries. We all knew Adam Fox was not 100 percent. However, Chris Kreider and several other players were banged up. But injuries are not an excuse. Every team plays through them. So what then?

The Rangers rely heavily on the powerplay where Zibanejad and Panarin make a living. Again, 1-for-15 in the series and 2-for-25 in the last 10 games going back midway through the Carolina series. While the Rangers top players had chances to score, the bounces did not go their way. But the issue of five-on-five production for the New York Rangers reared its ugly head once again.

The biggest struggle for these players came in the third period. The Rangers relied on being the ‘Comeback or Cardiac Kids.’ That can only last so long. The hourglass eventually runs out on being the best comeback team in the NHL. New York ran into the best third-period team.

Florida outscored the Rangers 7-3 in the third period. In addition, the Panthers scored the game-winning goals in the third period of Games 5 and 6. Florida outshot the Rangers 66-45 in the third period, including 52-25 in Games 3 through 6. The Panthers got stronger as the game went on while the Rangers faded.

The Panthers’ top players bought into the system, while the New York Rangers’ could not adjust. When a significant goal was needed, the Panthers’ top players showed up, while the Rangers’ top players could not be found. It is good that Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck stepped their game up, but depth players help a team win, they should not be carrying the team.

It is a scary trend that goes back to the 2022 Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning and last year against the New Jersey Devils in the first round. Recall the Rangers were shut out in Games 5 and 7 against the Devils.

If the New York Rangers want to take the next step, they need more from the top players, especially when the team’s back is against the wall and when it counts.