The Rangers heard the noise about the Lightning’s success in playoff games following a loss, just like they heard the noise before the season about how they weren’t going to be a contender.
They paid no mind to either, and both narratives have now been squashed after handing the two-time defending champs their first back-to-back postseason losses since 2019 and moving to within two games of a Stanley Cup berth.
“We heard all year we weren’t really gonna have playoff success,” Adam Fox said. “We’ve said it all year, the belief in the room is high, and the outside opinions doesn’t really affect anyone.
“Being down 3-1 and 2-0, and this team obviously had a good playoff streak of not losing back-to-back games, but that’s not really in our minds when we’re coming to games. We’re not thinking about what streaks teams have or how they’ve done earlier. It’s right now.”
In the here and now, the Blueshirts are a true contender to win it all, having rallied from down 3-1 to beat Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, then ended another narrative by winning the first and only game of the playoffs as a visiting team in PNC Arena in a game seven blowout over the Hurricanes in the conference semifinals.
The narratives will now likely shift to how tough it will be to beat Tampa on its home ice as the series shifts away from MSG, but the Rangers have been suffocating narratives all season, so what’s one more?
“We’re just trying to bring it day in and day out,” Fox said. “These guys believe in each other.
“I don't think the outside noise or any perceptions of our team really affects our mindset going into the games.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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