This loss extra painful for close Rangers’ team: ‘like a family’
NY Post
SUNRISE, Fla. — The team that ended every practice with a hug finished its season by watching the opposition embrace.
These Rangers, most of the core having been here before this season, were particularly close. Every team is, but this one drew from it like a well.
It seeped into their mentality and into everything they did on the ice.
The 2-1 loss to the Panthers on Saturday night that ended the season in Game 6 of the conference finals — one round short of their goal — was even more crushing for that fact.
“It feels like a family in here,” Mika Zibanejad said, speaking in a low voice inside the dressing room after it ended. “I think we’ve been working since training camp started. A lot of guys have been here from before and the new guys that came in have been unbelievable. It’s just everyone wants to see the next guy do well and everyone’s been fighting for the same thing, towards the same goal. I love this team and I love the guys on this team.
“This obviously makes it a lot harder to lose.”
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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.
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