The Rangers felt fortunate to play in the two outdoor games at Yankee Stadium and to be able to reflect on the unique atmosphere and the memories of midseason contests that will endure far beyond the season.
But the Rangers were ready Thursday to return to their normal routine. They were ready to come back inside and to come back to a place that evokes even more emotion.
“It’s been two games now where everything’s been different, the preparations and just being out there playing the games,” goalie Henrik Lundqvist said after Thursday’s practice. “I look forward to being back at the Garden, even though these two experiences have been amazing. I loved every minute, but the Garden is still the Garden.”
After two straight games in The Bronx, the Rangers return to Manhattan on Friday night for their fifth and final game of the season against the Islanders. It will be the rivals’ second meeting in three days and third in the past 11 days.
In the 2-1 win over the Islanders on Wednesday, Lundqvist saw a stadium filled with nearly three times as many fans as a sold-out Garden can accommodate, reminding him how much the rivalry means, and how the surrounding energy impacts the players more than a normal regular-season game.
“[The rivalry has] been at a great level,” Lundqvist said. “We always talk about it, you can tell it means a lot to a lot of people. That’s exciting as a player when you feel that. … As a player, when you play and you feel the excitement in the stands and you feel how much people care, of course that adds to your excitement to play the game and to do well. Absolutely.”
Though the teams have split the first four meetings this season, they are heading in different directions as the Olympic break approaches. The Rangers have won eight of their past 11 games, while the Islanders have lost four straight after winning 10 of their previous 13.
Nevertheless, with the Islanders only seven points out of the final playoff spot entering Thursday night, Lundqvist sees a suburban rival he hadn’t seen in his first several seasons in the league, following the Islanders’ first playoff appearance in six seasons last year.
“Obviously they expect more out of themselves now, I think, then what they did five, six years ago,” Lundqvist said. “They have a good team and they know that. They’re fighting for a playoff spot, so the desperation might be a little bit higher now. That, in combination with their skill, makes them a dangerous team.”
A dangerous and desperate team, one that overcame a two-goal deficit and defeated the Rangers, 5-3, at the Garden on Jan. 21.
“They’ve got a lot of chemistry,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “I think they’ve had a core group of guys that have been there the last few years now, and same with us, that have grown together. They have a style and a mentality that they play hard for each other and their team. They continue to never give up and that’s the sign of a good team.
“We just got to play with a tone and an edge all the way through the game and not relax at any point because this is a team that can strike at will and strike in a heartbeat. We all remember what happened when we were up 3-1 in our building last time and they came back.”