The New York Rangers’ window for the Stanley Cup is slowly closing and forward Vincent Trocheck believes it’s time for his teammates and him to put on the pants.
The Rangers have some of the best forwards in the National Hockey League (NHL) in Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman (Adam Fox) and a Vezina-winning goaltender (Igor Shesterkin). But the final victory still eludes them.
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After one season in the Big Apple, Trocheck realized the Blueshirts had all the pieces of the puzzle in their hands. In the most recent playoffs, however, they lost to the New Jersey Devils in seven games right from the start.
“We can’t settle for a playoff spot. We know how heartbreaking it was to lose in the first round last year. So we’re coming back and we’re serious. We’re tired of losing,” said the 30-year-old veteran, who didn’t hold back in his interview with NHL.com on Sunday.
“This team has long been considered a team that can take a step forward. The future is now. We don’t have that much time to waste. At that point it’s take it or leave it,” Trocheck argued.
The former Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes knows full well that he was both part of the solution and the problem in 2022-2023. His 64 points in the regular season were overshadowed by a single goal during the playoffs.