Then and Now: Comparing the 2014 New York Rangers and the 1994 Stanley Cup Champions
It was a great week for New York Rangers fans: They watched their team advance to the Stanley Cup Finals after defeating the Montreal Canadiens. The Rangers will face either the Chicago Blackhawks or the Los Angeles Kings for the title. Coincidentally, all three teams remaining play in the three most populated cities in America.
The Rangers will be playing in the Stanley Cup for the 11th time in franchise history, so that got us thinking: How does this team compare to the last Rangers team that won the Stanley Cup?
1993-94 Team:
52 wins
24 losses
8 ties
112 points
This was the last season that the NHL format was run under an 84-game season, and the Rangers made it count. The Rangers won 52 games in the regular season and clinched the No. 1 overall seed heading into the playoffs. In the first round, the Rangers swept the New York Islanders and again showed their dominance in the second round by beating the Washington Capitals four games to one.
Then things really got dramatic. In the Conference Finals, the Rangers squared off against the New Jersey Devils in a battle over the Hudson River Rivalry. With the Rangers down in the series 2-3, the series went to New Jersey, and Mark Messier guaranteed a victory. The Rangers won the game 4-2, and Messier scored a hat trick forcing a do-or-die game seven. The Rangers defeated the Devils in game seven, 2-1, in double overtime. Later, the Rangers would continue their success against the Vancouver Canucks by winning the Stanley Cup in seven games.
2013-14 Team:
45 wins
31 losses
6 overtime losses
96 points
This Rangers team doesn't have the same star power of the '94 squad, but they do have some advantages. The Rangers finished the season with 45 wins, good enough for the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference and the 11th best record in the league. This team is more of a "Cinderella team" than the '94 team that was a No. 1 seed.
The '94 Rangers leading scorer was Adam Graves, who scored 52 goals, compared to this team's leading scorer of Rick Nash who scored just 26 goals. The biggest disparity between the two teams is the goals for. The '94 Rangers scored 299 goals, 3.6 goals per game. This Rangers team only scored 218 goals, 2.65 goals per game. However, the '14 team has the advantage defensively. This Rangers team allowed 193 goals against, and the '94 team allowed 231 goals.
Both teams do share a similarity in the postseason however.
Both goalies, Mike Richter and Henrik Lundqvist stepped up their performance when needed most. Richter's goals against average in the 1994 playoffs was a 2.07 with four shutouts, helping the Rangers win the Cup. Lundqvist's GAA through the first three rounds is 2.36. Both teams would defeat rivals in their path to the Cup Finals, eliminating a Canadian hockey team.
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