How The Rangers Have Evolved Since Their Last Stanley Cup Final Trip

When a team loses in the championship stage of any sport, one of the first sentiments to arise in its fan base is hope. People generally believe that their team will return to the big stage within the next few seasons, a belief that is often unfulfilled. The New York Rangers are a prime example of this, with their last appearance in the Stanley Cup Final coming in a 2014 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings. 

Since then, the Rangers have evolved in nearly every area of their team, using those changes to come painstakingly close to returning to the Finals three more times since their last chance to claim the Stanley Cup.

Leading New York's Stanley Cup appearance was head coach Alain Vigneault in his first year with the team. In his second year, the Rangers made the conference finals, seemingly removing Vigneault from the hot seat thanks to his excellent offensive coaching. However, just three seasons later, he was fired despite making the playoffs in four of his five seasons in New York.

Three coaches quickly followed Vigneault, with each failing to last more than three campaigns. First up to bat was David Quinn, who never managed to reach the offensive heights that Vigneault did. Next was Gerard Gallant, who, like Vigneault, managed a conference finals run in his first season, ultimately losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Despite another two playoff berths, Gallant and New York mutually agreed to part ways, ushering in Peter Laviolette for the 2023-24 season. Again, the first-year head coach brought the Rangers to the conference championship, and again they lost. After missing the playoffs in his second campaign, Laviolette was axed in favor of Mike Sullivan.

The philosophical differences between Vigneault and Sullivan are many. While the former emphasized playing within structure and adhering to game plans, Sullivan placed a premium on his players being adaptable, playing within their roles to find ways to win.

During their Stanley Cup run, the Rangers were a formidable defensive team. Defender Ryan McDonagh functioned as the anchor of the unit, leading the team in ice time while consistently giving opposing attackers all they could handle. Dan Girardi provided a devastating one-two punch with McDonagh, leading the team in defensive hits and blocks during the playoff run.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Henrik Lundqvist resided in goal. The five-time All-Star was still in the prime of his playing career and contributed a monstrous 12.4 in goalie point shares, showing that his excellent play was one of the factors keeping the Rangers afloat in close games. The goaltender was the most valuable defensive player that New York had, helping define a classic, hard-nosed approach that made them beloved by fans.

While the 2014 Rangers relied on physicality and strength, the current team has pivoted to a more finesse-based approach. Adam Fox is their replacement for McDonagh, providing excellent passing while sacrificing some of the play strength that helped define the latter defender. 

Another huge pivot is the difference in playing time throughout the blue line. While New York's 2014 iteration had several players taking on heavy minutes loads, Sullivan has relied on a variety of players to play substantial minutes, emphasizing depth over a top-heavy approach. One similarity that remains is excellence in the net. Goalie Igor Shesterkin might not compare favorably to Lundqvist; hardly anyone does. He is still a Vezina Award winner and established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the National Hockey League.

While the quality difference between New York's 2014 attack and its current unit is obvious, the philosophical evolution is far more interesting to look at. Vigneault relied on his defense to create turnovers and transition opportunities, opting to strike quickly rather than maintain prolonged stretches of puck possession. Additionally, the scoring was spread across a handful of players, leaving the Rangers with a solid attack without a standout attacker.

The new-look Rangers had a different mentality toward attacking the net. Sullivan's defense is not skilled enough to generate the same counterattack opportunities as Vigneault's, which encourages an emphasis on puck possession and consistent pressure in the opponent's end. Left wing Artemi Panarin and center Mika Zibanejad put up 57 and 52 points, respectively, far more than anyone else on the team, further showing how a difference in philosophy has led to a different statistical distribution across New York's teams.

It is worth noting that one player played on both versions of the Rangers. Center J.T. Miller was only a sophomore in the league during his first run on the team. He played for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks before returning to the Empire State via trade, allowing Sullivan to add a veteran presence that fit with both iterations of the team.

Evolution is typically a precursor to success in professional sports, but the Rangers have not experienced it as such. Instead, they continue to flounder outside of the postseason, and they might be looking for a new coach at the year's end. Further evolution is obviously necessary for New York to return to the heights it once reached.