The New York Rangers are well aware of the challenges that come with being the top team in the regular season, but they’re not dwelling on it. Since the Presidents’ Trophy was introduced in 1986, only eight teams who won it went on to win the Stanley Cup.
The most recent was Chicago in 2013, and the Rangers in 2015 were the only ones to reach beyond the second round since then.
“We know what has happened to previous Presidents’ winners, but at the same time I don’t know if that’s the main thing that drives us,” said New York forward Mika Zibanejad.
Captain Jacob Trouba echoed the sentiment, saying, “We’re just trying to write our own page, our own story, and that’s, I guess, the focus.”
The Rangers, aiming for their first Stanley Cup title since 1994 when they also clinched the Presidents’ Trophy, will kick off the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
The Hurricanes are seen as the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook, while the Rangers are ranked fifth.
In the NHL’s divisional playoff setup, this series features the Rangers, who finished as the top team in the regular season with 114 points, against the Hurricanes, who were just three points behind and ranked third overall in the NHL standings.
“The Rangers were the best team, and we were chasing them all year,” said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour. “Whether you face them in the first, second, or third round, you have to go through the best at some point. So let’s go for it now. I think it’s going to be exciting.”
The Hurricanes, who made it to the Eastern Conference final last year, have made the playoffs for six consecutive years under Brind’Amour’s leadership. Their victory against the Islanders in the first round marked the first time a team has won at least one series in six straight years since Detroit achieved it from 1995 to 2000.
This series also marks the first time since 2019, excluding the bubble games four years ago, that the Hurricanes won’t have home-ice advantage for a playoff series.
“Starting on the road isn’t ideal, but we have the same mindset of going in and aiming to win, to kick off the series on the right note,” said forward Seth Jarvis.
