Hats Off to The Kings and Thank You New York Rangers

20 years ago today, Flag Day, 1994, the New York Rangers hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in 54 years. Friday night's Game 5 of this year's final between the Rangers and LA Kings went past midnight on the East coast. That meant that when Alec Martinez scored the game and series clinching goal in double overtime, the Kings were carrying the Cup in celebration on Flag Day, 2014.

It ended a dream that Rangers fans have carried since that magical night 20 years ago when team captain Mark Messier hoisted the Cup in front of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd. It was the first time the Rangers have made it to the finals since that night two decades ago. For a team with only four Stanley Cup wins since in it's inception in 1926, you don't want to let opportunities slip through your fingers.

Unfortunately, the Rangers ran into a powerhouse in the Kings. While the Rangers, with the exception of Game 3, led or were tied for the majority of most of the games, it was the Kings who won four out of five. It was the LA's second title in the last three years.

People will talk about the blown two-goal leads the Rangers held in the first two games, but their opponent was a relentless one. The Kings used their size to slow down a speedy Rangers team, which wasn't shy on size either, but couldn't compare to the linebackers playing for the Kings.

The players and fans are hurting right now, but this was one helluva run. One that was not anticipated during the stretch run of the season. The "only" significant move the Rangers made at the trade deadline was sending captain Ryan Callahan to the Tampa Bay Lightning for their captain, Martin St. Louis. The acquisition of St. Louis was to send a jolt to the offense, but the (reportedly) 5'8" winger managed just a single goal in 19 games.

Then the playoffs started and things changed. The Rangers knew they had the goalie to win a Cup in Henrik Lundqvist, but the remainder of the roster had little Cup experience. In fact, St. Louis and Brad Richards, teammates on the 2004 Lightning team that captured the Cup, were the only Rangers players to previously play for a title.

But the Rangers showed plenty of grit and heart, especially after they fell behind the Pittsburgh Penguins three games to one in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Their play over the remainder of the Penguins series was remarkable, especially considering the death of St. Louis' mother prior to Game 5. The support of his teammates and the fans seemed to help elevate St. Louis' play and in he, in turn, fired up his teammates.

The Rangers then exorcised some demons in defeating the Montreal Canadiens, a team they have always struggled with in the regular season, in the conference final. Then it was the two major markets playing for the greatest trophy in sports. Unfortunately, Rangers fans will have to hold on to that image of Messier, Mike Richter, Brian Leetch, and Adam Graves a little while longer. While there is encouragement that teams in recent years have gotten back to the finals more often - Kings (Cups in '12, '14), Blackhawks (Cups in '10, '13, conference finals '14), Bruins (Cup in '11, finals in '13) - the Rangers roster could quite different next season.

But in the meantime, thank you New York Rangers for a great ride!


And for a semi-dose of reality...
2014-2015 Rangers

One of the first players that will be looking for a new team next year will be Richards. The unofficial captain after the departure of Callahan, Richards played much better in Alain Vigneault's system than he did under John Tortorella, but he didn't play well in the finals. Richards entered the series with 12 points in 20 games, but only managed to pick up one assist against the Kings. But more than anything it's the absurd contract that Glen Sather signed him to prior to the 2011-2012 season that will cost him his Rangers career. The nine-year deal still has six years and $27MM remaining on it.

Richards will receive an amnesty buyout, which in his case will amount to roughly $18MM. The buyout will not count against the team's salary cap, which the league reduced from $70.2MM to $64.3MM as part of the last collective bargaining agreement. It will be the second and last buyout the Rangers will be allowed after they exercised their first buyout on defenseman Wade Redden last year.

The Rangers have a number of unrestricted free agents as well. Chief among them defenseman Anton Stralman, center Brian Boyle, and center Dominic Moore. Stralman was on the Rangers' second defensive pairing with Mark Stahl and earned $1.7MM this past season. He should be one of the Rangers top priorities this off-season.

Boyle and Moore are two of the players that are easier to replace, but both have been solid for the Rangers. Moore was one of the Rangers best forwards in the finale with this tenacious, gritty play. Boyle is an excellent faceoff man, penalty killer, and has a combo of size (6'7") and speed. But Boyle earned $1.7MM last year and the Rangers are likely to look for a cheaper alternative. Moore earned $1MM this season and would not likely earn much more than that if the Rangers retained him.

Benoit Pouliot showed a scoring touch at times, but after making $1.3MM, the Rangers will let him walk. Dan Carcillo is a question mark. He made $8.25MM this year and played reasonably well until he got physical with a linesman in the Montreal series and missed all of the finals. (He was eligible to play in Game 5.)

Among the restricted free agents (2013-2014 salaries in parenthesis) the Rangers will try to retain are forwards Derick Brassard ($3.2MM), Chris Kreider ($1.325MM), Mats Zuccarello ($1.15MM), and defenseman Justin Falk ($975K). Defenseman John Moore ($925K) would seem to be on the bubble.

Unless you've followed junior hockey or the Hartford Wolfpack, you may not be aware of Danny Kristo, another restricted free agent, who has yet to play in the NHL. Kristo had 43 points for the Wolfpack in 65 games this season. Drafted by the Canadiens in 2008, the Rangers acquired him last season for Christian Thomas.

Messier is Still the Man, but Not the Right Man to Coach the Rangers

I've been a New York Rangers fan for over 40 years and in that time I never saw another NHL player that was as strong a leader as Mark Messier. Over the span of his 25-year NHL career (plus three seasons in the WHA), Messier did it all- fighter, goal scorer, face off man, checker, specialty teams regular, captain and six time Stanley Cup winner.

He was the man who proved he could win a Cup without Wayne Gretzky in Edmonton and brought the Cup to Rangers fans for the first time in 54 years. Next season's post-season will mark 20 years since the Rangers won that lone title since 1940 and that is just one of the reasons that the man that guaranteed a conference finals win and ensured it with a hat rick is not the right man for the job.

You can be the greatest player of all time, but that doesn't mean you can make a natural transition to coaching.  Just look back at how things went for Ted Williams when he tried to manage Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers. Messier knows just about everything there is to know about hockey, but that doesn't mean he can help coordinate the power play, motivate players that are not teammates, or win hockey games. It's also unusual for a player of any status to become a head coach with no coaching experience in any of the major sports.

It's hard to know how interested Messier is in getting the job since everything we've heard is through the media, but reportedly there is a high interest. His former teammate and the greatest hockey player of all time, Gretzky, is keeping his eyes on the job as well. The "Great One" never finished higher than fourth in his four seasons at the helm of the Phoenix Coyotes.

An experienced, and hopefully successful, coach has a better chance to take the current group of players to the finals. As worn out as the team and fans were with John Tortorella, he had coached a team (Tampa Bay Lightning) to a Stanley Cup championship, and took the Rangers to the Eastern Conference finals last season. Torts' predecessor Tom Renney was a good coach who couldn't get the team past the second round.

There is an urgency for success due to the clock ticking on the team's key to success, Henrik Lundqvist. The 2011-2012 Vezina Trophy winner will be 32-years old when next year's playoffs come around. He'll also be in the final year of his current contract. Right now, Lundqvist's response to reporters' query about an extension is "We'll see." The correct coaching move could entice the "King" to remain in the Rangers' red, white, and blue.

Messier has been an assistant to GM Glen Sather, a job far removed from coaching. If Mess wants to coach, groom him as an assistant to the next coach or let him cut his teeth by having take over the Rangers AHL affiliate in Connecticut.

Whether it be rumored candidates like Lindy Ruff, Alain Vigneault, or Dave Tippett (under contract to Phoenix until June 30), the Rangers need someone familiar with the X's and O's and not just someone who would be an extremely popular choice with the fans.

It's The Rangers Victory Song

No, not Texas..they couldn't pull off the sweep tonight, dropping a 6-3 decision.

But another Rangers team, those Broadway Blueshirts who make their living in Madison Square Garden, won their season debut tonight.

The New York Rangers doubled up the Buffalo Sabres by the identical 6-3 score. The most amazing part of the road win? Rookie Derek Stepan became just the 4th rookie in NHL history to score a hat trick in his debut.

Brandon Dubinksy scored a pair of goals, including an empty netter, and King Henrik stopped 33 shots.

Mess Moves Closer to Running the Rangers

Mark Messier is back with the NY Rangers as the assistant to GM Glen Sather. It's possible it could be a position in training to take Sather's job one day. Sather is happy about it.

"...looking forward to him joining the organization and learning a whole new part of the hockey business."