*FAN SUBMISSION by Leslie Monteiro of Fort Lee, NJ. Follow on Twitter @DisguestedNYer
Courtesy: NY Daily News
The New York Rangers fans are understandably giddy about their team participating in the Stanley Cup finals. It’s been 20 years since the Rangers played in one. They saw their team go through down times from 1998 to 2004.
New York fans have earned this moment to enjoy after putting up with bad product for six years prior to 2006. This is a fanbase that has been loyal for four decades from one family generation to another. This Stanley Cup run is meant for them.
With that said, this season is not a success until the Rangers win the Stanley Cup. They have to validate this run by winning the championship. No one cares about coming up short or being a runner-up.
New York is about championships. This is a town that should expect championships year after year when looking at the teams in town that celebrated rich history of championships. This is a town that should not accept being a championship runner-up. Leave that attitude to towns like Denver, Cleveland, Phoenix, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami, Tampa-St. Petersburg and other small-market towns that are not used to winning.
People in this town don’t remember teams in this town that fall short of winning a championship. Ask teams like the 2000 Mets, 2006 Mets, 2009 and 2010 Jets, 2000 Giants, 2012 Devils, Pat Riley’s Knicks teams. There were great teams that had chances of winning a championship, but they didn’t get it done. It’s hard to think highly of these teams that did not win a championship.
Winning a championship makes a NYC team hero for life. They don’t have to pay for food or drink ever. They get perks. They will be adored as long as they are alive. Just ask the 1994 Rangers, 1986 Mets, Yankees of the late 90s, 1990 Giants, 2007 and 2011 Giants. That’s why it’s imperative for the Rangers to get it done of winning a championship. This team worked hard for fans to forget their run.
The Rangers have what it takes to win a championship. They have a great goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist, a gamer in Chris Kreider, a leader in Martin St. Louis and an excellent coach in Alain Vigneault.
They certainly have the goods of being a championship material team. The fact they rally from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Penguins in the Eastern Conference semifinals showed their championship mettle. What stood out was how they did not engage in the Canadiens’ stupidity of running their mouths in the playoffs. They focused on playing the game and winning games. It was a mature response that a championship team displayed.
The Rangers did not get lucky to play in the Stanley Cup finals. They earned the right to play in it.
No Ranger has this much invested of winning a championship than Lundqvist. He has been billed as an elite goaltender to the point he is one of the best that ever played the game, but he has not played like one in the playoffs in recent years. He actually was 31-39 prior to this year’s playoffs.
This year’s performance by the Rangers goaltender has been worthy of excellence. He’s why the Rangers are four wins away of winning a championship. If he wants to be a legend in New York sports, he must win a title. He knows this as much as anyone after hearing criticism from certain media members in town and the causal Rangers fans.
This series is about him. If he does great against the Kings in the Stanley Cup finals, the Rangers will win it all. The Rangers will score. It’s up to him to set the tone as he has done this postseason.
Coming up short is not an option for him and the Rangers. Not when a proud sports town has gone on a two-year championship drought. A two-year drought in New York is like a 10-year drought here when fans have been used to winning. Considering the rest of NY sports teams from pro to college stinks, the Rangers must come through of winning a championship.
Opportunities of winning a championship do not come often. There may not be a next time. The Rangers and Lundqvist know this.
The job has to be finished here or else this run was a waste of time for everyone involved.
