As the New York Rangers begin their 100th season in the league, they hope to create more memorable moments. These are the five best moments of the 2020s so far.
#5: Start the playoffs 7-0 after winning the President’s Trophy
The most successful season of the Wanderer this decade was in 2023-24. In previous seasons, the New Jersey Devils eliminated the playoffs in the first round. They took advantage of this adversity and turned it into a 53-24-4 record and 114 points, enough to make the president’s trophy the NHL’s best regular-season team. It’s also the best regular season in franchise history.
In the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, they touched Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, a team that gradually entered the last outdoor card of the Eastern Conference. The series isn’t close as the Rangers won four games in a row and named Ovechkin’s goal zero.
In the second round, they led the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 after two overtime titles at Vincent Trocheck. They won the overtime championship again in Game 3 and won overtime with a record of 7-0 in the playoffs. When they lost the next game, they won the series 4-2 before losing to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference finals.
#4: Stadium series makes a comeback with New York Islanders
Rangers and New York Islanders face each other in the NHL Stadium series on February 18, 2024. In front of nearly 80,000 fans, this is one of the most fun outdoor games in NHL history. The Wanderers led 3-1 in the first stage before the Islanders scored three goals 3:14. They scored again to start the second time with a 4-1 score, but the Wanderers fight ended the second time with a 4-3 score.
Another islander’s goal is to start the third phase, leaving the Rangers behind 5-3. However, with less than five minutes of the game, Igor Shesterkin gained a five-on-three advantage, and Chris Kreider cut the deficit by one. Then, the islanders punished again, and Mika Zibanejad scored and tied for the game.
Artemi Panarin only takes 10 seconds to help rangers complete their comeback victory (after review). Despite being behind most of the game, they have achieved one of the best results in outdoor competitions in recent memory.
#3: Zibanejad’s five goals match
The 2019-20 season is Zibanejad’s breakthrough sport. Despite the lack of time due to injury, Zibanejad proved that he could be the top NHL center, scoring 41 goals and 75 points in 57 games, including five goals against the Capitals at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in March 2020.
The Wanderers fought for their playoffs at the time and ended up getting a record, but were eliminated when the NHL returned from Covid-19 games in 2020.
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This is one of the most exciting regular seasons in franchise history. It’s a breakthrough game that shows Zibanejad has grown into an All-Star player and he becomes an offensive threat in the league for the coming season.
#2: Kreider’s Stage 3 Playoff Hat Trick vs. Hurricanes
Kreider is one of the best playoff performers in the history of the Rangers. He held the playoff goal record with 48 and had many memorable playoff moments throughout his career. But, no bigger than his third performance in the second round of the 2024 playoffs against the Hurricanes.
After a 3-0 rise in the series, the Rangers lost the next two games and entered the third phase in the third season, the seventh inning of the game. However, Kreider scored three consecutive goals during his most hockey period as the Rangers, allowing the Rangers to lead the lead and silent Hurricane fans.
It was a Mark Messier-type show that helped the Wanderers play their tickets to the Eastern Conference finals. Although his tenure with the team didn’t end with his best results – he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks during the offseason – Kreider will be remembered at this moment during his time in New York.
#1: Panarin’s Game 7 Overtime Championship vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
This moment rolled up an incredible comeback for the Rangers in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is the team’s first playoff since 2016-17, and they won Game 2 after losing three games in overtime. They lost the next two games, down 3-1 in the series and down 2-0 in the fifth game. They won the matches for 5 and 6, setting the stage for 7.
The Penguin was asked to be punished for overtime. Adam Fox has less than 15 seconds left, and Adam Fox passes the puck to Panarin, who snips him through the screen and goes into the back of the net. The goal drove MSG into madness and was best summoned by Sam Rosen’s signature goal: “Rankers, Rangers, Rangers win!”
The Rangers have been a very exciting team to watch over the past five seasons, and those five moments stand out for the remaining five seasons. They define the 10 years of the team so far: successful and resilient. Even though they didn’t receive the final award, they still created some memorable moments that fans will remember in the years to come.
