On May 29, 2014, The New York Rangers captivated New York City by defeating the Montreal Canadiens four games to two in the Eastern Conference Finals, clinching a return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years. The Rangers took Game Six that night by a score of 1-0, behind a lone goal from center Dominic Moore and a commanding performance from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The Swede stopped all 18 shots he faced, the Rangers played 60 minutes of near flawless hockey, and Madison Square Garden history was made in front of more than 18,000 fans.
This Monday, Sept. 29, The World’s Most Famous Arena honored the New York Rangers by adding that fabled 1-0 Cup Final-clinching victory over Montreal to the “Garden 366 presented by SAP” exhibit, located on the SAP Madison Concourse inside the arena. The display is a variable montage of the rich backstory that has formed the identity of MSG during the building’s 135-year history, with a different memory for each day of the year proudly showcased. Moments include everything from Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and will continue to be updated with future moments of greatness.
Returning Rangers from last year’s Stanley Cup run, Dominic Moore, scorer of the Game Six winning goal, and Carl Hagelin were both on hand to unveil the newest piece of Garden lore, and we sat down afterwards to talk about coming back from the brink of elimination, what it means to become a part New York City history, and how to do it all again this season.
Interview by Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103)
What does it mean to be a part of the history of a legendary arena like Madison Square Garden?
Rangers Center Dominic Moore: Being able to see this commemorated, a moment that we were all a part of, reminds us of the special opportunity we have to put on the Ranger jersey every day, be a part of the storied tradition. It's something that’s not lost on any of us. And these are the kind of moments that remind you of that.
Describe the emotion of going from 3-1 down against Pittsburgh, to having a chance to lift the Stanley Cup.
Rangers Left Wing Carl Hagelin: A lot of people, especially media, we’re basically saying it was over, that we didn’t have a chance. But we really rallied around that and we played solid there for three games to win the series. It was just such a good feeling in the locker room. And that’s kind of why you play the game, to be a part of a team that really cares about each other and really cares about winning.
DM: Everyone was kind of counting us out against Pittsburgh, and we hadn’t played our best in that series. Obviously what happened with Marty [St. Louis] and his family was something that we rallied around. I think that coming together process is something that taught us a lot, and it takes a lot of things to come together to have success. Team chemistry is a part of it. We learned a lot last year, and hopefully we can continue to build this year.
What does it mean to capture a city and return Ranger hockey to a level that hadn’t been reached in quite a while?
CH: Everyone’s been saying that there’s no better place to win than New York City, and we could really see that in the playoffs last year. The whole city was behind us, and we couldn’t even move on the streets because there was always someone who was going to recognize you. Usually, you kind of blend in with the rest of the tourists, or the rest of the people walking around, but now we get a lot of love and support from our fans, and that’s one of the reasons you want to play for this organization.
How do you keep up this level of play, and make sure the Rangers make a habit of going deep in the postseason?
DM: We all set the bar ourselves, we all have high standards. Our bar is basically a daily thing, to get better every day and see where that takes us.
CH: I think when you’ve been there, you just want to be back. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had playing hockey, and I think it comes down to the type of players you have on the team. We have a lot of winners now on the team, guys that are ready to do whatever it takes to win games, and that’s what it’s going to take. Once you’ve been to the playoffs, you don’t want your season to end in early April.
