New York Rangers Inch Closer to Cup with Another Win over Panthers

Is it inevitable that the New York Rangers will hoist the Stanley Cup in less than a month?

At times in this postseason, it certainly has felt that way. And considering the way the Rangers have pulled off their last three victories in this postseason, it feels even more like the Cup Final could be a coronation of the 2023-24 Rangers sheer greatness.

Granted, it's only 2-1 in favor of the Blue Shirts after three games. The Florida Panthers are the reigning Eastern Conference Champions for at least a little while longer. Anything can happen in a seven-game series, just ask the Knicks, who most thought would trounce the Pacers.

But aside from health, which the Rangers have a lot of -- for the most part -- as compared to their MSG co-tenants, this team has had the "IT" factor for a while now.

COMEBACK KIDS

The New York Rangers love the comeback. Twice on Sunday, the Rangers watched their leads of 2-1 and 4-2 vanish, but they never gave in. A lot of that credit is to goalie Igor Shesterkin and this tenacious Rangers defense.

Over the final eight-plus minutes of Game 3, including overtime, The Florida Panthers were credited with 24 shot attempts. On six of those shots were on goal, and were stopped by the Rangers All-Star netminder. The rest were either blocked or straight-up missed.

In short, no matter what the Panthers tossed at the Rangers they found a way to hang on. Then with 14:30 to go in the OT, the puck just so happened to find Alex Wennberg's out-stretched stick, and bounced back into the net for the game winner.

It's been that kinda run. A couple days earlier Barclay Goodrow netted the game winner on a slap shot at the Garden in overtime to send New York to a 2-1 victory, while tying the series a game a piece.

All of sudden people have long forgotten what happened in Game 1, when the Rangers scored on themselves.

And let, us not forget what happened in Game 6 in Charlotte when Chris Kreider went off for three-goals in the third period to send the Rangers to the East Finals.

It's been all comebacks all the time.

THE TALENT + THE COACHING

No knock on Florida, Dallas or Edmonton, all of whom are very capable of winning the Stanley Cup this season, but the New York Rangers have a unique combination of gritty veteran talent and great coaching. It's hard to come by sometimes.

From Mika Zibanejad to Artemni Panerin, Kreider, and Vincent Trochek. From Adam Fox to Jacob Trouba, and Goodrow, the Rangers can get scoring and defense from anywhere. And with a coach like Pere Lavioltte pressing all the right buttons as he has all season, the Rangers -- at times -- feel unstoppable.

Will the Rangers continue this good fortune for six more victories? We will find out in short order.

MORE NEW YORK RANGERS

Summer always brings a bevy of vacation options, some more exotic than others. But, you don't have to travel far or do something major to have a great vacation. There are many fun and affordable staycation ideas that can give you a memorable vacation memory by just staying close to home.

So, what exactly is the definition of a staycation? It's pretty self-explanatory, but according to the Oxford Dictionary, it's "a vacation spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions. Similarly, Merriam-Webster says it's, "a vacation spent at home or nearby." I think it's a stretch to call any vacation that's spent in your home country a staycation. That would mean that someone living in Michigan who travels to California for a vacation is really having a "staycation." It makes much more sense to define a staycation as a vacation where you literally stay at home or do something fun in your local area. Thankfully, there are a plethora of great staycation ideas out there.

Plenty of cities have "be a tourist in your own town" activities promoted by their local city tourist bureaus, which are perfect for a staycation. Really, staycations have been around forever, but they increased in popularity during the pandemic, when people actually weren't allowed to travel abroad. Still, even after the pandemic, the staycation is going strong. According to an international study by tourism and hospitality experts in the U.S. and China, the "staycation phenomenon" that started during the pandemic is still very popular and likely to stay as a new normal. The study, dubbed "Customer Preferences for Staycation Package Attributes," is published online in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. It researched the local staycation preferences of Chinese tourists, as well as staycation information from the U.S., Netherlands and Indonesia.

I love a good staycation. It can be stressful to plan a huge trip to squeeze into your time off. By the time you get everything packed, do all the flight stuff and get to your hotel, you might just feel like resting for the short while that you're at your destination. What's more, you can often find so many great places close to home that you've never experienced before. I've had so many great staycations where I ventured to a part of town or the state that I had never been before, and those are among my favorite vacation memories. In that spirit, here are some fun and affordable staycation ideas. Send me your ideas, too.

Have a vacation in your living room or bedroom. Make it a movie-watching marathon. Watch a string of your favorite guilty-pleasure movies or binge-watch a brand new series. Either way, it'll be cozy and comfy.

If you have a state or national park nearby, use your vacation time to go adventuring. Being at a local park can offer some breathtaking scenery, especially in the summer. Have a picnic out there, too. If you don't have a state or national park close by, try a local park.

Nearly every town has a local museum or art gallery. Perhaps you've never really had the time to visit your local museum or art spot. Use your vacation time to explore those local spots, and you might find a new favorite place.

If you've driven by that new hotel for a while and wondered what it's like inside, why not book it for a night? You don't have to be traveling to say at a hotel, Airbnb or local bed-and-breakfast. It can make for an exciting adventure right in your backyard.

Using vacation time to plan a big party for friends is a good use of that time. Instead of traveling around the world, bring to world to you. Invite lots of your good friends, and spend some of the cash you would have on a vacation for your party. It'll be the party of the year. Make that decade.

Pamper yourself. Maybe you think having a spa day is too much of a luxury, but if you're saving money by not taking a big trip, why not use that money for a spa day? It's not just for ladies, either. Guys can book a spa day for a variety of services. It'll make for a day of bliss.