Нью-Йорк Никс багийн аварга болсон түүхэн амжилт NHL-ийн Рейнжерс багийн тоглогчдод Stanley Cup-ийн төлөөх тэмцэлд нь том урам зориг болж байна.
Рейнжерс багийн долоон тоглогч мягмар гарагт болсон Нью-Йорк Никс багийн аваргалсны ёслолд оролцсон нь багийн ахлах дасгалжуулагч Майк Салливаны хувьд тоглогчдоо хурцлах сайхан боломж болжээ. Владислав Гавриков, Шон Дурзи, Алексис Лафреньер, Уилл Кулл, Ноа Лаба, Гейб Перро, Ээли Толванен нар уг ёслолыг үзэж сонирхсон бөгөөд Гавриков Нью-Йорк хотын баг 1973 оноос хойш анх удаа түрүүлсэн нь тэдэнд ч мөн адил Stanley Cup-ийг хүртэх хүсэл төрүүлснийг онцолсон байна. Рейнжерс баг 1994 оноос хойш аварга болоогүй байгаа бөгөөд тоглогчид хотынхоо ижил төвшинд өрсөлддөг багийн амжилтыг харах нь тэднийг илүү их хичээхэд түлхэц болж байгаа аж.
Майк Салливан Торонто руу явахын өмнөх бэлтгэлийн үеэр хэлэхдээ, өөрийн спортын төрөлдөө оргилд хүрсэн багийг харах нь тоглогчдод маш их урам өгдөг гэв. Тэрээр багийнхаа тооны давуу байдлын үеийн гүйцэтгэлийг сайжруулах тал дээр анхаарч байгаа бөгөөд тоглогчдоо хаалга руу илүү олон цохилт хийхийг уриалжээ. NHL-ийн хүснэгтэд 18-р байрт бичигдэж буй Рейнжерс баг сүүлийн дөрвөн тоглолтод 15 удаагийн тооны давуу байдлаас ердөө хоёрыг нь л гоол болгон хувиргаад байна.
Бэлтгэлийн явцад Шон Дурзи биеийн байдлаас шалтгаалан оролцоогүй бол Люк Гленденинг багтай түр гэрээ байгуулсны дараа дөрөв дэх эгнээний төвийн тоглогчоор бэлтгэлдээ гарчээ. Багийн удирдлага Гленденингийн ирээдүйн талаар 10 хоногийн дотор эцсийн шийдвэрээ гаргах юм.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
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Seven Rangers players were at the Garden on Tuesday, taking in the scene as the Knicks received rings and raised a banner for their championship, and for his group, head coach Mike Sullivan said, an event like that can be inspiring.
Vladislav Gavrikov, Sean Durzi, Alexis Lafrenière, Will Cuylle, Noah Laba, Gabe Perreault and Eeli Tolvanen were all in attendance and appeared on the video board at one point, with some wearing or holding commemorative shirts given to fans in attendance.
And, just as the Knicks’ run to their first title since 1973 showcased in the spring, the ceremony served as another reminder of how a team can captivate New York City’s attention — and how the Blueshirts could produce a similar scene should they eventually snap a championship drought of their own that dates back to 1994.
“It’s inspiring when the group has achieved the ultimate success in their respective sport,” Sullivan said Wednesday after the Blueshirts practiced ahead of their game Thursday in Toronto, “and I think when it’s close to you — these guys, we have lunch with the Knicks a lot, so there’s some familiarity.”
The Rangers and Knicks both use the cafeteria at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, meaning that if their schedules overlap when both are home, they could see each other. Gavrikov told The Post that he got goosebumps watching highlights at the Garden — of the Game 4 comeback, of the Knicks clinching the series in Game 5 — and said the parade that followed was “probably one of the best experiences for them.”
Knicks players, executives and coaches were all presented with 22-carat rings that featured miniature replicas of the Garden exterior and the court itself while they lifted the banner for the title and had Jalen Brunson address the crowd before falling to the 76ers.
Gavrikov said seeing everything makes him want to experience that too. Perreault said he went to a playoff game during the Knicks’ run and said it’d be “super cool” if the Rangers could likewise win one day.
The Knicks’ title snapped a drought that lasted more than five decades while the Blueshirts haven’t won since Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter and others powered them past the Canucks in 1994.
“Probably here is one of the best places to win the Stanley Cup — if it’s not the best,” Gavrikov said. “So you definitely want to try to achieve that … that’s for sure.”
The Rangers kept their power-play lines intact and continued to work on igniting a unit that entered play Wednesday ranked 18th in the NHL (20.6 percent). They scored once with the man advantage Monday, but they’ve gone just 2-for-15 over their past four games.
“We’ve talked a lot five-on-five about creating off the shot,” Sullivan said. “I would argue that the same applies to the power play. Nothing breaks coverage down better than a shot on goal because it forces decision-making, and usually, when there’s decision-making, there’s either hesitation, players aren’t sure, or duplication, two guys doing the same job — an opportunity presents itself.
“That’s the benefit of shooting the puck, and so we’re trying to encourage them to shoot the puck a little bit more.”
Durzi didn’t practice Wednesday due to maintenance reasons. … Luke Glendening, who signed a PTO with the Rangers earlier in the week, practiced and rotated with Justin Dowling as the fourth-line center, continuing a 10-day window before the Blueshirts have to make a final call on his status.
