3 things Knicks can learn from Rangers’ run in NHL playoffs

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrates with teammates after scoring a third period goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on June 03, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrates with teammates after scoring a third period goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on June 03, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
1 of 4

The New York Rangers are everything that the New York Knicks want to be. A thrilling, young team – defying expectations and not only making an incredible run deep into the playoffs but a team that has all but cemented a foundation that they will be contenders for years to come. Sustained success is on the horizon, and it’s what the Knicks so desperately want.

It’s a team that has captured the heart of the city. From fanbases of other sports coming together to root for the Rangers, or actual players from the Jets, Giants, Mets, Yankees, and Knicks all coming out to Madison Square Garden to show their support, this is the kind of team that New Yorkers dream of.

Can the New York Knicks replicate the Rangers’ success?

Comparing teams across different sports is, for the most part, silly. I always find the NBA the most difficult to compare to other professional team sports just because of how centered it is around individual star players — it’s a much smaller roster than most team sports.

You can still, however, compare and analyze the “team-building” aspect of it in broad strokes. Sports cliches may be cliches, but they always seem to ring true at the end of the day.

The Rangers may have not won a Stanley Cup since 1994, but they have had a lot of sustained playoff success in the past 15-20 years. They’re about to enter an entirely new era of success as they’re currently competing for a championship. The Knicks can absolutely learn a thing or two from their Madison Square Garden roommates.