2007 New York Rangers

Even as we say “Congratulations” to the Pittsburgh Penguins, winners of the Eastern Conference Finals, we want to say a big “Thank you” to the New York Rangers for the outstanding season they had!

New arrivals Scott Gomez and Chris Drury were among the difference-makers this year for the Rangers, who are always dangerous in the Eastern Conference. Future Hall-of-famer Jaromir Jagr continued to be productive, leading the team in both goals and points. If the team’s many veterans, particularly goalie Henrik Lundquist, can stay both steady and healthy through the NHL playoffs, fans at Madison Square Garden might just be delighted by a strong run by the Rangers in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

The New York Rangers faired pretty well in the 2006-07 season, finishing 3rd in the fiercely competitive Atlantic Division. But fans can barely contain their excitement over changes made in the off season that promise to make the Rangers tough to beat in the 2007-08 season. Adding forward powerhouses Scott Gomez (from the New Jersey Devils) and Chris Drury (from the Buffalo Sabres) and re-signing Sean Avery, Henrik Lundqvist, Brendan Shanahan and Petr Prucha has left GM Glen Sather feeling very pleased with himself. Now all you need are tickets to Madison Square Garden to watch the New York Rangers go all the way to the playoffs in the 2007-2008 season!

Reaching both the 2005-06 and the 2006-07 NHL Playoffs, the New York Rangers could hearken back to a storied history of postseason playoffs. The franchise had previously made it into the tournament 48 times, dating back to 1926. They had won possession of the Stanley Cup four times, although the most recent year for that was 1993-94. This was not be the year for that, however, as the Rangers were swept out of the playoffs in the first four games by the New Jersey Devils.

Over the years, the Rangers have entertained fans with some of the most memorable moments in New York sporting history. One of the NHL's original six franchises, the Rangers entered the league during the 1926-27 season and quickly received top billing on Broadway. The Blueshirts captured their first Stanley Cup in only their second season (1927-28) and quickly became known as the "classiest team in hockey."

Dubbed Broadway's longest running hit, the Rangers have been selling out Madison Square Garden for over 75 years. Though the Rangers went 54 years between drinks from the Stanley Cup, their early success (missing the playoffs only once in 16 years) created a rabid fan base. The Rangers are known for their die-hard fans found in the upper levels of the Garden's blue seats.

Madison Square Garden is one of the world's greatest sporting venues. The building literally shakes whenever the rival New Jersey Devils or New York Islanders are in town. Even though they no longer share the same division with the Bruins, Canadiens, and Maple Leafs the long histories the Rangers share with each team makes for memorable games.

New York is not only one of the greatest sports cities in the world, but also one of the greatest all-around cities. One could spend weeks there and still not see every cultural landmark. One would need to spend a year there to see each of their professional sports teams. In the Summer, the Yankees (Yankee Stadium) and Mets (Shea Stadium) vie for the baseball loyalty of New Yorkers. The fall and winter means the Jets and Giants will be playing football in the Meadowlands while the Knicks (Madison Square Garden) and the Nets (Continental Airlines Arena) shoot hoops.