
Rangers stars rue another season ending too early: ‘We deserved to be there’
NY Post
Artemi Panarin stood in front of his locker in Tarrytown on Tuesday afternoon for the Rangers’ breakup day, after falling two wins short in the Eastern Conference Final a few days prior, describing how high his team was flying less than a month ago when it improved to 7-0 in the playoffs.
The confidence was palpable.
The power play was unstoppable.
The Blueshirts were peaking.
“Especially when we led Carolina 3-0, we felt so much confidence in our room,” Panarin said. “And it kind of turned in the Florida series.”
Then the reality of how hard it is to reach the Stanley Cup Final set in as the Hurricanes picked up their game to force Games 5 and 6.

Suddenly, someone had hit a rewind button and everyone had been transported back seven months. It was early spring instead of late fall, it was broiling hot outside the arena walls and not freezing cold. Everyone was back at TD Garden. There were 19,156 frenzied fans on their feet begging for blood, poised for the kill.












