In the grant scheme of things, the NHL’s President’s Trophy doesn’t mean a great deal beyond home ice advantage in the post season.
Cam Talbot got the silverware win in Newark Tuesday for Rangers – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
On Tuesday, the New York Rangers wrapped up the franchise’s third such award. They did in the 1991-92 and 1993-94 seasons. Ah the halcyon days of the franchise; when the future was mortgaged against the immediate win.
This season’s silverware haul was met with a matter-of-fact approach from the club in the dressing room in Newark after defeating the New Jersey Devils, 4-2, to sweep the season series from their cross-river rivals.
“There’s certain teams that you may struggle against or you don’t have success against, but when it’s [the Rangers] it makes it worse,” New Jersey’s Cory Schneider said. He made 36 saves in the loss.
On the other side, the Rangers were a bit unfazed by the accomplishment.
“Winning the Presidents’ Trophy is not an easy thing to do; just look at the teams right now fighting to get into the [Stanley Cup] Playoffs,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “It’s a challenging thing, and I think for our group it’s just one step in the direction that we’re looking to get to. I’m very proud of our group, but we all know that we’re going to be judged by what we do in the playoffs, so this is a first step.
“Now we need to get ready for the next one.”
Ryan McDonagh scored in Rangers win over Devils – file photo Jack Lima
It is true there is not much to hang a hat on when you look at the regular season. After all, the Rangers went to the Stanley Cup Final last season having needed a late season surge to qualify.
Kevin Hayes, Ryan McDonagh, James Sheppard and Carl Hagelin scored for New York.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” McDonagh said. “Like any team, we had to handle adversity, injuries and ups and downs. To say we won the regular season is a huge confidence boost and a huge reassurance what this team is capable of doing. We just needed to trust in the system and have everyone play their roles. When we come ready and prepared, we can do good things.”
This year’s club is a team as opposed to the one that reached the Final last year only to be dispatched by the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
Rick Nash has been a leader in goals and effort this season – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
That roster was a patchwork of leftovers from the John Tortorella coaching days and Vigneault did a masterful job of getting them to the Final but the team lesion caught up to them.
Aside from Rick Nash and his 42 goals this season there are few big names beyond Henrik Lundqvist in goal.
This year they are third in the league in goals scored with a 3.05 average; their goals against average is a gaudy 2.28 good for third place.
On the penalty kill they are fifth in the league with an 84.5% success rate and nine shorthanded goals thanks to their speed. They are second to the Winnipeg Jets in shorties.
Where they lack success is in the power play with a 22 ranking in the league at a dreadful 16.8% rate.
But with two games left on the schedule the Rangers have 244 goals spread across a roster of young players and experienced veterans. They have welcomed the re-emergence of Nash but they have not had to rely night in and night out on his production.
Martin St Louis and Chris Kreider have 21 goals each this season. After these two the goals are spread throughout the lineup.
Martin St Louis’ 21 goals tied for second on team – file photo by Jack Lima
Each night is a new player stepping up.
\With the silverware in hand, the team needs to prep for two remaining games in the schedule including at home against the Ottawa Senators, everyone’s darling this spring and the Capitals in Washington.
“We’ll approach our remaining two games the same way we approach every game, with good habits,” McDonagh said. “We’re competitors all the way. The games may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but you want to be playing well and feeling good about yourself before a long playoff run.”
There was no better example of the “team” effort Tuesday than seeing Cam Talbot in the net for the Rangers; he made 18 saves for the win.
Talbot has been sensational this year especially in relief of Lundqvist when he was injured.
“It meant a lot to me [playing in this game] to be honest,” Talbot said. “To go out there and be able to play in the Presidents’ Trophy-clinching game was a big moment for myself. The boys came out and battled for a full 60 minutes and it was probably one of our more complete games of the year. It was a great team effort and team win.”
So for all of Schneider’s bitterness at losing to the Rangers, he lost to a team effort. Something Schneider might want to recall next season when he is looking elsewhere for blame for mounting losses.
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