With the NHL Playoffs underway, the New York Rangers have a chance to bring home their fifth Stanley Cup victory since their inception in 1926. This would be their first victory in thirty years.
In the first round of the 2024 NHL Playoffs, the New York Rangers are taking on the Washington Capitals. The Capitals finished in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division, compared to the Rangers who finished in first place. As the clear favorites, the Rangers are expected to win this series in a relatively dominant manner, as they are currently up 2-0.
If the Rangers are capable of defeating the Capitals, they will go on to face the winner of the series between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders. The Carolina Hurricanes are currently leading the Islanders 3-0 in the series, and are expected to win this series. The Hurricanes finished the regular season in second place in the Metropolitan Division, and the Islanders finished in third place in the Metropolitan Division.
If the Rangers continue to win out throughout this series, they will face off against either the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, or the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Florida Panthers are currently winning 3-0 in the first round against the Lightning. The Bruins are leading the Maple Leafs 2-1. These four teams are members of the Atlantic Division, where they finished in the following standings:
1: Florida Panthers
2: Boston Bruins
3: Toronto Maple Leafs
4: Tampa Bay Lightning
On the Western side of the NHL Playoffs, eight more teams are battling it out. The Dallas Stars, who finished in first place in the Central Division, are taking on the Las Vegas Golden Knights, who finished in fourth place in the Pacific Division. The Winnipeg Jets, who placed second in the Central Division, are taking on the third-seed divisional rivals, the Colorado Avalanche. The team holding the first seed in the Pacific Division, the Vancouver Canucks, are facing off against the fourth seed Nashville Predators of the Central Division. The Edmonton Oilers, who finished in second in the Pacific Division, are playing against the Los Angeles Kings, the third-seeded divisional rivals.
While the path to a Stanley Cup will not be easy for the Rangers, they have been able to build a team and culture over the past few seasons that few teams are capable of matching. They finished the regular season with a league-high 55 wins. The next closest win total throughout the league was just 52 wins, which was a tie between four teams.
With stars such as Matt Rempe, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers are hoping to continue the most intense momentum that they have felt in years. They will continue to play hard, hopefully through June, with the ultimate goal of hoisting the Stanley Cup just one more time.