One of the great mysteries of life is figuring out oneself. In the professional sports world successful teams have a style of play or mentality that make them identifiable. At various points in recent history, the New York Rangers have had different identities which have enabled different degrees of success.
As the team emerged as a serious contender at the start of the decade under John Tortorella, there was a clear culture. The team was going going to make the opposition fight for every single inch of space on the ice and contest every shot. In addition, the team was going to attempt to grind away at the defense in the offensive zone.