The New York Rangers have officially reached the postseason for the third consecutive year.
Despite early-season struggles that earned the squad an "overrated" label for much of the season, the team surged through its final stretch of the regular season to solidify a spot in the playoffs.
Although the Rangers began the lockout-shortened campaign as a Stanley Cup favorite following an offseason filled with splashy moves and heightened promise, New York didn't nearly look the part for much of the 48-game slate.
Following a loss to rival New Jersey in the 2012 Eastern Conference Final, the organization acquired five-time All-Star Rick Nash. The club immediately entered Stanley Cup-or-bust territory with the move.
“The Rangers are coming off a season in which they finished first in the East and made the conference finals, so anything short of a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals likely will be regarded as a failure," NHL.com columnist John Kreiser wrote last summer. "To say Nash will have big expectations on his shoulders would be putting it mildly.”
Although he suffered through a mild slump to open the sea ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Tyler Donohue
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