Last year, the Rangers endured a season-opening nine-game road trip, which came on the heels of a preseason odyssey through western Canada, all while breaking in new coach Alain Vigneault.
It’s no wonder they lost six of those first nine games.
But there are no such excuses heading into this season, and Henrik Lundqvist said a similarly sluggish start must be avoided.
“I think we showed ourselves and a lot of people that even though you’re off to a slow start, you can turn things around, and you’re not that far off,” the goalie said Sunday at the Citi Private Pass Youth Hockey Clinic at Chelsea Piers. “At the same time, you can put yourself in a tough spot if you’re not off to a good start. You want to build confidence, you want to have a good feeling in the locker room.”
The Rangers will return most of their core from a season ago, despite some offseason roster tinkering.
Brian Boyle, Brad Richards and Anton Stralman were among those departing, while additions include Dan Boyle, Tanner Glass and Lee Stempniak.
“I’m excited to see all the new guys and what they can bring to the team,” Lundqvist said. “We did lose a couple of great players that played a big part for us last season, but that’s just part of [the game]. Every summer, there’s some changes, and you get used to that.”
Despite the 3-7 start — and, months later, a 3-1 series deficit against the Penguins in the conference semifinals — the Rangers persevered and advanced to the Stanley Cup final against the Kings.
They lost in five games in a deceivingly tight series. Three of their four losses came in overtime.
“I still think about it,” Lundqvist said of the finals, which ended with him sprawled on the ice in agony after allowing the series-winning goal to Alec Martinez in double overtime of Game 5.
The Rangers’ season began on Oct. 3 and came to an end in mid-June, and Lundqvist said the longer-than-usual season only slightly changed his offseason training.
“[I] started skating in August,” he said. “I always start skating in August, but maybe I waited a couple of more weeks this year before I started doing the physical training.”
It was far from a linear path from start to finish, but despite the heartbreaking conclusion, the Rangers’ season was still a success, as they won their first Eastern Conference championship in 20 years.
“I think the entire year was definitely a step in the right direction for us,” Lundqvist said. “Having a new coaching staff, it’s interesting to see a different side of how to think about the game, how to approach it. I think it’s going to help us that we have one year under our belt now together. I just look forward to get going and see what we can do.”