The NHL regular season concluded on May 8, and New York hockey fans hoped for their teams to have a fitting finish. Both the New York Islanders and New York Rangers faced off against the Boston Bruins in their final games of the season. The New York Rangers cracked the game open in the third period to win the match 5-4. The winning goal was scored by Rangers’ center Mika Zibanejad, who experienced a slow start to the season after contracting Covid-19. It came down to the final minutes of overtime for the Islanders, but Bruins’ left-wing Taylor Hall managed to sneak one by Islanders’ goalie Ilya Sorokin to win the game for Boston. 

     This Rangers’ victory, however, was not enough to power the team to the playoffs. There were several moments during the season where the team seemed to be skating on thin ice: The Rangers’ team president and general managers— John Davidson and Jeff Gorton, respectively— were both fired suddenly a week before the end of the season. As of late, Rangers’ owner James Dolan remains silent on the matter. 

     Ironically, this unexpected change of position occurred just a day after a brutal clash between the Rangers and the Washington Capitals at their final home game in Madison Square Garden. The team was frustrated by the NHL Player Safety Department’s decision to not suspend Capitals’ forward Tom Wilson and instead issue a $5,000 fine, after a vicious hit on Artemi Panerin. The season began with no sign of Panarin, one of the Ranger’s leading scorers, after the denial of an assault allegation that occurred a decade ago in Russia. Panarin decided to take a leave of absence before returning in early March. 

     Fortunately, the Rangers managed to pull off an incredible 9-0 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers, one of their most monumental wins since 1998. Featured in these highlights was Mika Zibanejad, who scored three goals in one period; winger Pavel Buchnevich, scoring two and having two assists, and goalie Alexander Georgiev getting his second shutout of the season. 

     According to a report on the game from Fansided’s website, the Rangers allowed only 16 shots on net in the first two periods and are the eighth team to score nine goals in one game in the last twenty-five years. In an interview with the New York Times, Zibanejad later commented, “It’s been a crazy year, definitely a season you won’t forget. I’m just really proud of the guys in the locker room. Everything that we’ve been going through together; I think it just brought us closer.” 

     The Islanders finished off the season by securing fourth place in the NHL East. Despite being a shorter season than normal, the team picked up thirty-two wins and scored over seventy points. According to the official NHL website, some of the season’s star players included center Brock Nelson, who led the team with 18 goals; defenseman Nick Leddy, who had 29 assists on the season; and their lead scorer, Mathew Barzal, who recorded an impressive 45 points. They advanced to a first-round matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 16, where right wing Kyle Palmieri managed to “put the biscuit in the basket” in OT to win the game for the Isles 4-3. 

     After watching the game, junior Patrick LaBarbera was very pleased to see the Islanders win but wants to keep his focus on short-term wins instead of the championship: “I don’t want to think too soon, but we just have to focus on the next game and coming back to MSG 2-0.” 

     Islander defenseman Ryan Pulock was certainly enthusiastic to transition into playoff mode: “It’s good to know who we’re playing now. We’ll have a couple of days to start preparing and get our minds into it,” according to the Islanders’ website. This is not the first time the Isles have met the Penguins in a postseason matchup; according to the NHL’s website, the Islanders swept the Penguins in 2019 and have a record of 2-4-2 against them this season. Leddy admitted on the Islanders’ website, “Every matchup was going to be hard in this division,” but agreed to the fact that “they’ve [Pittsburg] been playing excellent, especially in the back half of the year.” Despite the big undertaking the team will have to endure, Leddy maintains a positive outlook: “I think it will be an awesome challenge. It’s the best time of the year.”

     With the postseason underway, fans have started to predict who will win it all for 2021. Sophomore James O’Hara has his eyes on the Isles for the Stanley Cup Champions: “I think they’re going all the way; I’m very confident. The way they were playing last night, and they also won in OT— I think they’re gonna go all the way.” This year marks the Islanders’ third consecutive postseason appearance, and they hope to bring the Stanley Cup back to Nassau Coliseum one last time. 

     Although the Rangers do not have a postseason to look forward to this year, the team remains hopeful about its future in the hands of several new players. Varsity boys’ lacrosse coach, teacher, and Rangers’ enthusiast Bill Leighley explained his opinion on the season and future predictions for his team: “I think this season was very exciting to see because of all the young players, and as a coach, that’s exciting to see because you know you have a lot of good guys returning.” Leighley added, “I did get nervous at the end of the season, but I think it came down to poor management, and I think things became more turbulent than they needed to be. Overall, I’m optimistic for the future season.” 

     Despite each team having a different outcome, this season will be one to remember for New York hockey fans.