PITTSBURGH — The Rangers made the last two — and three of the last four — springtimes in New York special times, thrice making it to the conference semifinals and once taking it further to play for the Stanley Cup.
They skated through the final weekend of May each of those four years, even in 2013 when kayoed by the Bruins in a five-game second round that marked the end of John Tortorella’s stay behind the Blueshirts’ bench, because that was the season delayed by the lockout, started late, and thus backed up the hockey calendar.