With the Rangers down 3-2 and on the brink of elimination after losing in game five, Evan says there will need to be true shades of 1994, with New York needing to win the next two games to advance to the Cup Final.
In 1994, Messier famously guaranteed a win in game six against the rival Devils, logged an unforgettable hat trick, and the Blueshirts went on the win the Cup. If New York wants to win its first Cup since that season, someone needs to step up and be the role of Messier, but Evan isn’t sure if anyone on this roster will be able to follow that lead from 30 years ago.
“Who’s Mark Messier? Who the heck is Mark Messier?” Evan said. “Is anyone in that room gonna do that?”
Evan didn’t hear anything in the postgame to believe that anyone currently has the confidence to make a Messier-like assertion, and the Ranger that he believes is most capable, based on talent, is Artemi Panarin, but nothing he has done in this postseason gives him hope that he can step up and be the hero.
“Not only did Mark Messier do it, but he backed it up,” Evan said. “Does anybody in their right mind think Artemi Panarin is gonna do that?”