Mike Richter remains bullish on Rangers despite struggles: ‘These challenges galvanize you’
This isn’t the first time in New York Rangers history that a season filled with high expectations has gone awry. Far from it.
Mike Richter has firsthand knowledge of that truth. He also has the experience of coming out on the other side of the darkly disappointing 1992-93 season to win the Stanley Cup with the Rangers the following campaign.
That’s why his take on this season’s Rangers offers a glimmer of hope for what could lie ahead for the core of the current team.
“First and foremost, this adversity and these challenges galvanize you and make you a better player and a better organization,” Richter told Forever Blueshirts. “That’s what pro sports is about — find a way — because it’s the best against the best, the best players in the world, and nobody’s giving up an inch easily.”
Perhaps the current Rangers can take solace in those words as they continue to dig out of the mess they created with a heinous 4-15-0 stretch in November and December. Despite entering the season as Stanley Cup favorites in many circles after getting within two wins of the Cup Final last spring, the Rangers’ season appeared to be dead in the water before the new year arrived.
That’s not unlike the 1992-93 Rangers, who were Cup favorites after winning the Presidents’ Trophy the season prior — and with the reigning Hart Trophy winner in Mark Messier and Norris Trophy winner in Brian Leetch at the height of their powers.
But anything and everything that could go wrong did for the Rangers that season. From injuries to locker-room issues to a coaching change. Heck, even Messier — yes The Captain — was loudly booed off the ice in his final home game of the 1992-93 season at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers went from Stanley Cup contenders at the start the season to a last-place finish in the Patrick Division.
“We had some injuries and didn’t play our best. We had a target on our back. We were a team that people got up for, it was a different approach others teams had to us. It was a different road to get to the playoffs for us. And we had to learn from it,” Richter explained. “The biggest lesson was little things matter. Attention to detail. The best organizations have that, and we had to learn that.”
With Mike Keenan behind the bench and a steely team-wide resolve to turn things around, the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy in 1993-94. Then with Richter earning all 16 victories during the postseason, the Rangers won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1940.
From the lowest of lows just one year prior to the top of the mountain.
Related: Neil Smith believes Rangers ‘set up’ to land playoff spot, but there’s a catch
Mike Richter believes this about Rangers: No team ‘wants to see them in playoffs’
Of course, we don’t know how the story ends for the current Rangers, whether this season or next. This team could very well still make the playoffs — they’re tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind the two wild-cards teams with 24 games to play. Like the 1992-93 squad, which lost its stud defenseman Leetch for two extended stretches (shoulder injury and broken ankle), the current Rangers begin life without Adam Fox after he landed on IR with an upper-body injury.
So it’s not quite an apples-to-apples comparison between the two teams. But handling adversity and fighting through challenges to come out to a brighter side resonates as an important lesson the Rangers can take from the ’94 champions.
“The League is so competitive now,” Richter said. “The regular season matters — you have to remember that, can’t get ahead of yourself.”
Richter stated that there are many reasons to remain bullish on these Rangers, despite their struggles.
“The Rangers have put themselves in a great position. They have great young players. I think they’re one of the most exciting team in the League and it’s been that way for the last few years,” he explained. “They have the best goalie on earth — best two goalies on earth, I don’t see how you get much better than having Jonathan Quick behind [Igor] Shesterkin.”
That sounds a bit like assessing the Rangers from 1992-93. There was plenty of talent on that team, too, and they were set at the most critical position with a heckuva good goalie. Richter, who was handed the No. 1 role in 1993-94 after sharing the net for years with John Vanbiesbrouck, took it to the next level.
That story ended with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
Richter won’t go as far as to say that’s the end story this time. But he likes where the Rangers are headed and believes overcoming adversity can be a big part of their future success.
“They’ve positioned themselves for great things, but no one’s giving it to them. They’ve got to figure that out as a group.,” Richter stated. “They’re a dangerous team. I don’t think there’s anybody in the East that wants to see them in the playoffs.”
More About:New York Rangers News