The Rangers finally played a “real” goalie and a “real” team. And they ran them off the ice.
The Stanley Cup feels within reach now. And not just because its keepers are carrying it around town at the moment. Wednesday’s 6-2 romp over the Lightning to open the Eastern Conference finals was a sea change. Yes, the two-time reigning champions were coming off a long layoff. No matter. The Rangers dominated them in a stirring performance. That was no fluke or product of circumstance. A postseason that began as house money and shifted to a magic run is now a full-out quest for a title.