The first round of the NHL playoffs goes through Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers made sure of that on Thursday night, dominating the Islanders and finally getting the best of goalie Semyon Varlamov in a 6-3 win at UBS Arena. With the victory, New York clinched home ice advantage for what will be its first postseason series in five years.
“I feel like we want to play in front of our fans,” Ryan Strome said. “We're more comfortable at home with the energy the crowd can provide. I think we’ve done a great job on the road this year, but any time you get to play at home at MSG, it’s pretty special.
“It’s a great accomplishment and one of the team accolades that’s important. It’s something that we’re proud of.”
The win, New York’s fourth in a row, keeps the team tied with the Hurricanes atop the Metropolitan Division with four games to go. The Rangers’ first-round opponent is yet to be determined, but whether it’s the Penguins, Capitals, or Bruins, games one and two will be held at The World’s Most Famous Arena, which hasn’t seen playoff hockey since a 34-year-old Henrik Lundqvist stood between the posts.
That achievement was the focus of the night for Strome and the Rangers, even after Strome logged his 20th goal of the season for the first time in his nine-year career.
“Good little achievement, but…our team would give back all these things personally for the way our team is playing and where we're at as a team,” Strome said. “Gotta keep rolling before the playoffs.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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