SUNRISE, Fla. — The New York Rangers did not see this finish coming.
They had been the Presidents’ Trophy winners on the energy of a 114-point common season. They breezed by the Washington Capitals and defeated the Carolina Hurricanes handily to succeed in an Easten Convention closing towards the Florida Panthers.
However that is the place all of it fell aside for the Rangers, who misplaced 2-1 in Recreation 6 of their sequence on Saturday evening, eradicated from the postseason within the third spherical for the second time in three seasons.
“What we constructed as a group right here, it simply felt particular this yr,” Rangers captain Jacob Trouba stated. “It felt like we had one thing on this room. It was a bond. [It’s] in all probability too quickly to elaborate extra.”
Trouba, specifically, got here underneath hearth for his efficiency on Saturday. New York’s rugged defenseman misinterpret a play at his group’s blue line late within the first interval, permitting Evan Rodrigues to feed Sam Bennett for Florida’s opening rating.
That was Bennett fourth aim within the sequence, tying teammate Matthew Tkachuk’s franchise document for many markers in a convention closing in Panthers’ historical past. His three-game aim streak additionally tied a Panthers playoff document.
Trouba’s sluggish response contributed to the Rangers being in an early deficit they by no means overcame. Vladimir Tarasenko scored his first aim of the convention closing — towards the veteran’s former group besides — halfway via the third interval to present Florida a 2-0 lead.
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By the point Artemi Panarin notched his first of the sequence — with New York having already pulled goalie Igor Shesterkin — there was simply 1:39 remaining. Too little, too late from one of many Rangers’ stars who had failed when it mattered most.
It wasn’t simply Panarin, although. Mika Zibanejad did not rating towards Florida. He and Chris Kreider — who had one short-handed tally within the sequence — mixed for under three pictures in Recreation 6. And whereas Panarin broke via finally, his line with Vincent Trocheck — who led the Rangers in postseason factors with 20 — and Alexis Lafreniere had been stymied by the Panthers all evening.
New York misplaced on Saturday its third straight recreation by a single aim. Shesterkin’s excellence — he posted a .935 save share and a 2.25 goals-against common within the sequence — merely wasn’t sufficient to repeatedly overcome the Rangers’ incapacity to get pucks previous the Panthers.
“[After] one-goal video games, you consider each little play, each missed alternative, each mistake,” defenseman Adam Fox stated. “It hurts. When video games are that tight, it sits with you, each little play you perhaps might’ve carried out otherwise.”
Shesterkin earned accolades from each dressing rooms following the loss, and Florida’s coach Paul Maurice in contrast the goalie’s exhibiting to a legendary run from the NHL’s Hart Trophy winner in 2002.
“I have not seen a sequence by a goaltender like that since [former Montreal Canadiens goaltender] Jose Theodore in 2002,” Maurice stated. “He was sensible on this sequence. He was fairly good.”
It was the remainder of New York’s lineup not offering sufficient backup. The Rangers by no means discovered the precise formulation to rattle Florida. And New York’s momentum-sucking energy play did not assist issues. The Rangers had been 0-for-1 with the additional man in Recreation 6 and 1-for-15 within the sequence, a protracted drop from the membership which held the league’s third-best energy play within the common season (26.4%) and entered the sequence even higher (at 29.7% within the playoffs).
New York stumbled too usually. And there was no comeback magic left within the Rangers — regardless of them having earned an NHL-record 34 come-from-behind victories within the common season and 6 extra within the postseason.
“They bought to their recreation extra constantly,” Kreider stated. “They had been dialed in on what they had been doing.”
The loss might sign modifications for the Rangers. It is an unsettling feeling for New York to sit down with given the promise of this season and the way swiftly it ended with a thud.
“The tradition we constructed right here, the camaraderie, that is one thing we’ll have to show over,” Fox stated. “It sucks to suppose this yr is over, however what we constructed is robust.”
New York hoped to be heading dwelling for a Recreation 7. As a substitute it is going to return with unanswered questions on what’s subsequent.
“Our guys fought this yr; they purchased in proper from the beginning,” coach Peter Laviolette stated. “We make it up to now and it is disappointing. Whenever you begin one thing like this … you do it to go the entire means. So there is a disappointment proper now that units in with our group and our intentions we had all year long. No person was anticipating to be on this finish of it.”
