NHL

Game 5 loss is likely Richards’ farewell to Rangers

LOS ANGELES — Brad Richards sat in a chair in the middle of the dressing room, pushed from his locker by the hordes of media and likely pushed from his time with the Rangers.

The thrilling 3-2 double-overtime loss to the Kings in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals gave Los Angeles its second championship in the past three years and ended the Rangers’ season. Richards now is looking at a summer when it is close to inevitable the team will use their final amnesty buyout on him, voiding his annual $6.67 million salary-cap hit that would go through the 2019-20 season.

“Tonight is not a night to reminisce,” Richards said. “There will be a time this summer when you think back to what an amazing ride it was. It has to be amazing to get this far. Things have to come together. No one will ever know except for us how much fun it was, how we came together. When you lose three games in overtime in the final, it’s hard to explain.”

Because of the cap recapture clause that was part of the most recent collective bargaining agreement, if the 34-year-old Richards were to retire before his contract ends, the Rangers would be on the hook for a lot of money, and a lot of it toward the cap. That makes his situation one the Rangers can hardly afford, especially in light of his postseason struggles.

Although Richards was a terrific leader, he was demoted to a fourth-line winger for Game 4, and played that same role for most of Game 5, before being moved up in the first overtime. He finished with 21:26 of ice time, and had one assist and four shots on net in eight attempts.

“You spend your career getting to this, and it’s the toughest moment,” Richards said. “I haven’t been this far and lost.”

Richards had won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004, when he also collected the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP. This time, he fought his game, made some crucial defensive mistakes, and looked a step behind the action.

If bought out, he will surely receive some free-agent offers, and probably some decent ones in the two- to three-year range.

“It’s definitely worth it — worth every second of these two months,” Richards said. “But right now, I’m kind of speechless.”


The Rangers were upset with a tripping call on Mats Zuccarello in the third period, as the ensuing Kings power play ended with Marian Gaborik tying the game, 2-2. Yet the Rangers were the team to get two power plays in the overtimes, and couldn’t convert on either.

“I thought in the overtime, though, that’s when we played our better hockey of the night,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “Had some real good looks. Both goaltenders were outstanding.”


Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh played a game-high 42:12, just more than Kings counterpart Drew Doughty, who got 41:21.

“We tried to compete,” McDonagh said, “but we didn’t get it done.”


Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist dropped to 2-4 in overtimes this postseason, and now has a career playoff-overtime record of 6-15.


Rangers third-string goalie David LeNeveu backed up Lundqvist for the fifth straight game, as regular backup Cam Talbot remained out with an undisclosed injury.