3 Lessons the Rangers Can Learn From Recent Playoff Failures

When it happened in 2022, it wasn’t as egregious because they had been through two previous seven-game series against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes. They were completely fatigued and with the Lightning being the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, they knew how to overcome the adversity and then won the series in six games. However, when it happened the following year against the Devils, there was no excuse. They were the better team and they didn’t give the Devils anything. Then, when they changed their gameplay, the Rangers made no adjustments, and it led to their downfall. This is arguably the biggest lesson they could learn from. If they do manage to get a series lead at any point, they need to continue putting on pressure and try to end the series as soon as possible so they are not as fatigued and banged up as the playoffs go on.

Star Players Need to Show Up Consistently

Another one of the biggest disappointments over these last two playoff runs was the poor play of Panarin. In the 2022 Playoffs, he scored six goals and 16 points in 21 games played. It was even worse during the 2023 Playoffs. He had two assists in Game 1, then proceeded to go scoreless the next six games. This was an unacceptable performance and it caused a portion of the fanbase to even turn on Panarin, who wanted him traded because he failed to show up when the games mattered most two seasons in a row. Another star player who faced extreme criticism after last season’s playoffs was Mika Zibanejad. He scored only one goal in the seven games against the Devils and was a non-factor for most of the series. This followed up the 2022 Playoffs, where it took him until Game 6 of round one to score his first goal, but then finished that playoff run with 10 goals and 24 points in 20 games played. Many expected him to follow it up with a great 2023 Playoff, but it did not happen.

If the Rangers want to make a deep run, they need their star players to show up from the opening face-off of Game 1 of the first round. These two players especially as they are the most talented forwards this team has the offense run through them. If they struggle again, the rest of the team will have a hard time picking up the slack. Panarin is having the best season of his career, with 43 goals and 102 points this season so far. Because of his top-notch play, he will have high expectations of himself when the playoffs begin. He needs to keep playing at this level because if he fails to show up again, this season would once again show that maybe Panarin isn’t a 16-game player and is only good in the regular season.

For Zibanejad, he’s had an up-and-down season as his goal-scoring has dropped off, but his overall game is still very good. They need him to score at a high level and he needs to up his offensive while keeping his defensive game strong. If these two players can play at a high level, the Rangers will be a serious threat in the playoffs.

Igor Shesterkin Can’t Do It All

One of the biggest advantages the Rangers will have going into the playoffs will be Igor Shesterkin. He is one of the best goalies in the league and over the past two playoffs, he has been the team’s MVP. In 2022, he had a 2.59 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. He followed that up in 2023 with a 1.96 GAA and a .931 save percentage. He was never the issue in the playoffs and he kept the Rangers in it. He was the only reason they even went to a Game 7 against the Devils, but even his great play wasn’t enough as the rest of the team failed to show up. A big lesson they can learn from these past two playoffs is that Shesterkin can’t do it all and even on his best days, if the rest of the team doesn’t perform, it won’t matter how well he plays. If the team can show up consistently this year and they get great goaltending, there is no telling how far they can go.

The Rangers going into this season weren’t seen as true Stanley Cup favorites after how last season ended and because they lost players like Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko in the offseason. While they were expected to make the playoffs, they were seen as a second-round exit at best. Now, with the season they are having, the expectations are as high as ever and they will need to go on a deep run if they want this season to be seen as a success. If they can learn from their past mistakes and use that anger of getting eliminated early last season, the Rangers will be a favorite to win the Stanley Cup and maybe they will finally end the 30-year drought.