NY Post: LUNDQVIST SECURES RANGERS‘ PLAYOFF BERTH

This was the sound of the Garden crowd on its feet, roaring and cheering, giving the Rangers a standing ovation as they pressured the puck, pressured the Flyers, pressured their way into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The days of misery are history. They are history of a kind created last night by the Blueshirts, who have now joined the Devils as the only two teams in the East to qualify for the playoffs in each of the four seasons since the lockout.

“I’m excited and I’m also proud,” Henrik Lundqvist said after his 37-save performance led the Blueshirts to a 2-1 triumph that both clinched a berth and nudged the team into seventh place by a victory tiebreaker over Montreal. “It was a different experience for us this year, it was more of a roller-coaster ride with the coaching change, but I think we’re feeling confident about our game.”

Journal News: Rangers forecheck their way to playoffs

With a minute left, the fans in Madison Square Garden were on their feet, a sea of red and blue screaming for their resurgent Rangers. The visiting Flyers were playing well, but the Rangers surpassed that intensity, forechecking and sweeping the puck as though the third period had been their strength all season.

When the horn finally sounded, the Rangers had a 2-1 win over the Flyers and a playoff berth secured.
Advertisement

“I think we got more and more intense and better as the period went along,” team captain Chris Drury said. “I think our last five (minutes) was probably our best forechecking five of the game.”

The Record: Rangers roll into playoffs

Naslund, taking several whacks at the puck, finally lit the red lamp because Biron, with the puck under his glove, was pushed back into the net.

“The last two or three games … he’s fought harder for pucks,” coach John Tortorella said of Naslund.

Newsday: Rangers earn playoff berth with win over Flyers

“I think relief is probably the right word,” Naslund said. “It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster ride, starting off great, then a couple slumps and the coaching change. There’s been a lot of different stages. But we’re here now . . . If you look at the teams that are in, we don’t feel there’s a team we can’t beat. There’s been tight games against all of them.”

The Rangers are in seventh place, ahead of eighth-place Montreal on the basis of wins, but each team has a game remaining, so the spots could switch. Montreal hosts Pittsburgh Saturday and the Rangers visit the Flyers on Sunday. Florida and Buffalo were eliminated from the race last night.

NY Times: Rangers Hold Off Flyers to Clinch a Playoff Berth

“Congratulations to the players,” said Coach John Tortorella, who took over the team after the dismissal of Tom Renney on Feb. 22. “They fought through it the last couple of months here, the ups and downs. But they set it up so they had a chance to make the playoffs in the final home game of the season. They got it accomplished.”

NY Daily News: Rangers clinch playoff berth with 2-1 victory over Flyers at Garden

A lot of that had to do with the goaltender. The Rangers have long considered Lundqvist the ace in their hand come springtime, that with the sturdy Swede manning their nets there is no limit to their playoff potential. Lundqvist’s performance Thursday night was a statement to that effect. He made 37 saves for victory No. 37, matching his career high – which he should not have a chance to add to on Sunday in Philly – and helped the Rangers fight off a Flyer attack that barely let up through the final 40 minutes.