The New York Rangers had one of their best seasons in franchise memory last year and are poised to build on that success as the NHL lockout ends.
The team had the best record in the East and won the Atlantic division for the first time since the 1994 Stanley Cup season and was tied with Vancouver for the most wins in the NHL with 51. The Rangers made their first Eastern Conference Finals since 1997 and won the most games in nearly a decade for the franchise. Although the team lost in six games to the New Jersey Devils, there was tons of reason for optimism.
Henrik Lundqvist proved to be one of, if not the best goaltender in the NHL and the team finally was able to break through with a crop of young talent and veterans, including Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Michael Del Zotto and Ryan Callahan. But the prospect of missing a full season was devastating for the Rangers.
While they have a number of young players, the team also is stocked with veterans in key positions and one missed year equals one year of age for players like Lundqvist and Richards. Now that the lockout is over, the prospect of a shortened season is welcomed by the Rangers.
The team looked tired and beat up by the time the playoffs rolled around after playing in two straight series against Ottawa and Washington that went seven games. The Rangers simply ran out of gas against the Devils. A shortened season means less wear and tear on older players, as well as the idea of fresh legs once the playoffs roll around. Instead of hitting the playoffs after 82 games, the players will be in mid-season form, which should help the Rangers greatly if they are going to make a playoff run.
A similar thing happened with the NBA lockout last year, with the shortened season providing some cushion for older players who have a lot of miles on their legs. Both Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett played energized basketball by the time the playoffs rolled around.
New York was consistent at home and on the road last season, losing just 12 games at Madison Square Garden and the same amount away from the Big Apple. The Rangers had a solid plus-39 goal differential, but will need to improve on that number of they hope to travel deep in the playoffs.
The biggest area where the Rangers can improve on is with the power play. The team ranked 23rd in the league in power play percentage last season and scored only 44 goals, tied with Buffalo for 20th in the NHL.
The Rangers are improved on paper from last year's team after adding Columbus Blue Jackets star Rick Nash in the offseason in a trade. Last season Nash had 20 goals and 29 assists in 82 games and should provide another reliable scoring option for a team that had issues putting the goal in the net last year.
New York has an excellent set of defensemen in Michael Del Zotto, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal, but the team will need to be more consistent on offense and with power plays to be as successful as last year. Gaborik led the team in points and goals, while Richards was tops in assists with 41.
The Rangers will also benefit from a full season from rookie Chris Kreider, who joined the team for the playoffs after finishing his college career at Boston College. The 21-year-old played in 17 games during the playoffs, scoring five goals and adding two assists with 20 shots on goal. Kreider played for AHL-Connecticut during the lockout, but had only five goals in 33 games. A full season (or a half season at least) should give some confidence to the young star.
New York's season will hinge on the play of goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who has been the most visible player with the franchise since taking over the starting job in 2005. The 30-year-old had the best season of his career last year and took home the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie after posting 39 wins with a 1.97 goals against average. He became the first NHL goalie to win at least 30 games in his first seven seasons and will be the most valuable piece to a Rangers playoff run.
The Rangers started gathering back at the team facility on Monday with training camp approaching and coach John Tortorella has been taking stock of the roster. The team still has some personnel issues to go through and will need to decide if they want to resign restricted free agent Michael Del Zotto. Marian Gaborik will be returning from offseason shoulder surgery, but the team said on Monday that he should be ready for the start of the shortened year. Gaborik was medically cleared to play in December by doctors.
Teams will be playing mostly division rivals and conference opponents to help with travel, which should be a positive for the Rangers as they prepare to make a Stanley Cup run. New York opens the season with a road game against the Boston Bruins and will be eager to get new addition Rick Nash into the mix early and often.