Day one of the New York Rangers’ “Summer Camp” was filled with excitement, energy, and of course, headline grabbing quotes. While not every player spoke to the media, the ones that did, as well as coach David Quinn, all echoed the same sentiment. The common theme was that the Rangers weren’t just there to be there, they were there to win the whole thing. There was no player, coach, or member of the organization that pushed this message more than Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad, the Rangers superstar centerman, had quite a few headline worthy quotes. He talked about his love for New York City. He talked about how much the city, and the fans, mean to the team during the playoffs. But, more than anything else, Zibanejad talked about winning the whole thing. His best quote of the day came when he said, “We’re not here just to participate and be another team. We want to win. We’re here to win, and we will do everything in our power to do so.”
Something that has become all too common among media outlets, is the idea that the Rangers just making it this far is a win. While there is a small amount of truth to this, you don’t get a parade through the Canyon of Heroes for making it to the play-in round of the playoffs, you get it for winning the whole thing.
Based off of day one, it could not be more obvious that the Rangers aren’t just here to be here. They aren’t just here to beat the Hurricanes and go home. They are here to win the Stanley Cup. Why not? The Rangers were arguably the best team in hockey in the two months before the shutdown. They have a goalie in Igor Shesterkin that was playing as good, or better, than anyone else. They have more than enough offense, with Panarin, Zibanejad, and a now healthy Chris Kreider. They have one of the best young defensive pairings in the league, with Fox and Lindgren. They have veterans, they have youngsters, they have depth, they have a good coach, they have a good mindset. The New York Rangers are playing for a Stanley Cup, and there is no reason that they can’t win it.
