By Ryan Lafex
On a warm muggy May night in New York City, it was all about the
ice in Madison Square Garden. It was game 7 of the Eastern Conference
Finals. Where the Tampa Bay Lightning who were forced back to NY for
game 7 by the New York Rangers looked to stay alive in the 2015 NHL post
season. The Rangers have shown all postseason long that they are
resilient and can come back from anything. It was nothing new for the
broadway blue shirts they have come back before when down in a series,
including being down 3-1 to Washington just in the past series, and that
same 3-1 deficit last year to Sidney and the Penguins forcing game 7s
in both those series to win it and move on. The Rangers this time around
expect nothing different and neither do we the fans. The Rangers
trailed in this series with the Bolts 2-1, and then 3-2. Now the Rangers
did take game one from the Lightning to take a early lead in the series
but that would prove to be the only series lead they would have against
Tampa..
All that was standing in the way from returning back
to the finals and opening game one in the garden Monday was 60 minutes
and playing good strong Rangers hockey like we've all came to love and
watch since October. The Rangers coming off a huge win in game 6
discharging the Bolts in a 7-3 rout in Tampa, were looking to ride high
on the emotions of the win and come back and take the series in front
of the Garden Faithful and clinch the East for a 2nd straight campaign.
With Zuccarello out and Mac D playing with a broken foot, the Rangers
would have to continue to play hockey with they're team no where near
100%. The stage was set for a memorable night in NY, Friday night, Prime
time. The biggest stage in the world. Madison Square Garden. A NHL
Eastern Conference Final Game 7. King Henrik perfect in Game 7 at home.
The Rangers, the Presidents trophy team taking on the highest scoring
team this postseason. The ice was clean, the garden faithful was loud,
waiving they're rally towels ready for this moment to be here, the
moment we as all ranger fans have waited since that long night last June
in the Staples Center losing in the Finals to the Kings. The moment
after the national anthem is played and we all know what's next, the
teams skate to center ice with the referee and then mayhem ensues.
Game time. 60 minutes from destiny. Here we go. Puck drop, Brassard
wins the draw. JT Miller makes huge hits on Stralman and Paquette.
Former Ranger Ryan Callahan counters with a hit on Rick Nash, and Tampa
players Johnson and Carle add to the hit parade. Tanner Glass counters
with a hit on former Blue shirt Brian Boyle, when suddenly the first
shot made in the game 2:35 seconds in the first came from Jesper Fast by
a tip in but was quickly stopped by Bolts Net minder Ben Bishop.
Another three minutes of hitting and puck jostling go by before the next
shot was made. Tampa this time from Ryan Callahan on the backhand, but
was foiled by Lundqvist. A few more shots and hits traded between the
teams and they both head to the dressing room locked and zero. The
Lightning out shot the Rangers 9-5 in the first period, and neither team
drew a penalty in a clean fast paced opening 20 minutes.
Ice is
clean, Teams rested up, fans back to they're seats. We're ready for the
next 20 minutes of action. Tampa takes the face off but 18 seconds in
its Staal with the first shot of the 2nd, quickly thwarted by Bishop on a
slap shot from about 15 ft away. Shots and hits traded by teams for a
few more minutes until Rick Nash draws a penalty after getting hooked by
Brenden Morrow. The crowd starts to buzz as the Rangers go on the Power
play. Rangers only get one shot off during the man advantage. But
quickly go back on the man up, after Tampa couldn't execute the line
change correctly and got served for too many men of the ice. This was
going to be it right here, 2nd period 2nd time on the power play,
something's got to give now. Maybe a floater, a tip and deflection
something has to go in for the Rangers, am I right? I guess I was wrong.
Just one more shot in during the Power play from the captain. More
shots, more hits, more extra curricula’s after the whistle. Emotions are
running high now as both teams head back to the locker room once again
knotted at 0-0.
20 minutes. 20 minutes to change the ending. 20 minutes to leave it all on the ice. 20
minutes to play for the Prince of Wales trophy, and 20 minutes to get
back to the finals to play for a chance to hold Lord Stanley's Cup. New York
City was ready, the Garden was ready, Rangers nation was ready. It was
our time again, we were all ready for it. That one moment that would
solidify this team as one of the greatest Clubs in franchise history.
Here we go. 3rd period. It's our time, Tampa wins the draw, Rangers get
two quick hits in and a Carl Hagelin gets a slap shot in on Bishop, but
threw aside by the Tampa goaltender. Then it happened, it was going to
eventually, just not the way we wanted it too. The first goal 41:54 in
to the game, 1:54 into the 3rd. The first goal. Scored by Tampa player
Alex Killorn on a backhand that was sent in front of Lundqvist in a
shoot and hope kind of play, that squirted through Lundqvist’s five hole
to give the bolts a 1-0 lead in game 7. As disgusting a feeling as it
was, the Rangers had 18:06 left in the game to get one goal to tie or
two too win. Which doesn't seem like that big of a task, but the Rangers
had already been shut out once by Tampa’s Bishop and also he already
has a Game 7 shut out in these playoffs against a team who's been to a
few playoff games before (24 straight seasons) the Detroit Red Wings.
Minute by minute passes, hits, shots, blocked shots, face offs keep
going on. It's like they're going through the motions now, just at a
very high level. The Rangers sense of urgency is there and the Bolts
keep playing just beyond the Rangers reach. Half the Rangers shots are
being blocked out front and only the ones few and far in between are
finding Bishop, when he finally knocks them down and away before they
cross that little red line that we want to see that puck cross, and
scream and cheer and sing our favorite song during hockey season. And
then, once again it happened. With 8:43 left in the 3rd lightning
strikes twice. On a snap shot from Ondrej Palat, assisted by Johnson and
Bishop. 2-0 Tampa. Now the urgency is a critical level. It's now or
never for the Broadway Blue Shirts, a little over eight minutes to
score two goals to tie it up, and at least send it to overtime or set a
tee time on the links for the upcoming weeks.. Face off Rangers take it,
get a shot off, saved by Bishop, face off win, shot away by Tampa. The
Rangers gave away the puck 3 times in the final five minutes and only
won half of the draws in that time frame. The Rangers never got a shot
off until the final second at 19:59 when Kreider fired the puck from the
Rangers end into Bishop to end the game. The clock hits zero. You could
have heard a pin drop in the garden.
The Lightning exit the
bench to celebrate with Bishop and the rest of the team on the ice in
front of the goal that Bishop faced 22 shots on and never let one
though. The Rangers players exit the bench dejected, saddened,
disappointed, everything you could use to describe every negative
emotion could be used to for our team Friday night after it was all said
and done. The Rangers and their fans knew this was supposed to be our
year, 11 years was too long for another championship and Cup title. We
were the best during the regular season. We had it all: home ice, come
back wins, come back series wins, blow out wins, hard fought one goal
games, we took out the two best players in the league, Ovechkin from
Washington and before that Sid the kid in Pittsburgh. It was destiny,
Cup or bust. It was all for the taking. Just so close, and yet so far 20
minutes, 1200 seconds, if those moments that just seem to fly by could
have played out different, we may be sewing on finals patches to our
jerseys now. We could be planning viewing parties, and still not shaving
our playoff beards. We could be talking about how Lundqvist is still
perfect at home in game 7, how our coach has got us to 2 straight
finals. But all those could be’s are now should have been.
As a
fan when does it hit us? When the final horn sounds? when you watch the
other team celebrate? For me it's when the teams hit the hand shake
line. That final moment before your team leaves the ice until October.
That's when I realize it's finally over and our dreams of a Stanley Cup
Championship are dashed and packed away until the fall. Some fans will
move on to other sports, baseball, golf, the NBA playoffs, others will
stay with the NHL to watch the Final. I will stay and watch the finals
only cause I love hockey and it's the Final. I would love to see Tampa
win the Cup, because if the Rangers are going to get eliminated, they
need to be taken out by the best and also I want the cup back east. . On
the other side I would like to see Chicago win it strictly cause it's a
original six team taking Lord Stanley's Cup back home. So other than that I
just want a good ole hockey final and wouldn't mind it going to game 7.
My prediction is Chicago in 6 with Toews or Kane as the MVP.
The
Rangers season will go down as a failure in many fans eyes, and
rightfully so. We had such high hopes going in. Nash was contending for
the leading goal scorer, even our back up goalie came in and put on a
clinic, when our king went went out on injury for an extended time.
Injuries plagued us. People were stepping up. We owned the west coast on
our road trips out there. We were winning on the road, and at home. We
beat teams we weren't supposed to and dominated teams we were supposed
too. We closed the coliseum for the Islanders, we scored 5 goals in the
3rd period against Minnesota to come back and win a thriller. We did
everything we were supposed to and even more. I, as many other fans
fell in love with these Rangers, like we do every year, and sadly they
once again broke our hearts. But come October, we will renew our
relationship, maybe a little gun shy at first. But when the puck drops
next fall, we will be ready. Ready to cheer, eager to see our NY Rangers
get on that ice and take out what's ever in they're way. Ready to live
and die by what our Rangers do. Ready for another chance to fall in
love again and hoping maybe, just maybe they won't end the season with
another loss and a broken heart for our family, the Ranger Faithful.
