When the Rangers return to the Garden ice Saturday afternoon for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay, the ecstasy of their seven-game series win over Washington will have long evaporated, with nostalgia now dangerously nearby.
They will see Ryan Callahan, Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman, their former teammates and longtime friends, and a big reason for three losses to the Lightning this season, according to former Ranger Ron Duguay.
If the results are going to change, Duguay said the Rangers’ approach must as well, needing to save all handshakes for the line at the end of the series, turning any instinctive smiles into sneers.