As we get closer to the start of the 2024-25 NHL season, now is the time to look back on some of the best moments from the 2023-24 season. For the New York Rangers, it was an incredible season with a Presidents’ Trophy and another Eastern Conference Final appearance. While it didn’t end with a Stanley Cup, there were plenty of great moments that will last for years to come. Here are the top five moments from the Rangers’ 2023-24 season.
#5: The Debut and Rise of Matt Rempe
It was mid-February when the Rangers called up 2020 sixth-round pick Matt Rempe from the Hartford Wolf Pack. He had only eight goals and 12 points in 43 games played in the American Hockey League (AHL), but with him being 6-foot-7 and 241 pounds, he brought size and physicality to a lineup that was lacking it. He made his NHL debut in the coolest way possible, by doing it in front of 79,690 people at MetLife Stadium against the New York Islanders. His first shift saw him get into a fight with Matt Martin and he held his own. From that day on, the rise of Rempe began and he would be talked about around the league.
He got into more fights with some of the NHL’s toughest combatants in Ryan Reaves and Nic Deslauriers. His first NHL goal was a game-winning goal that extended the Rangers’ winning streak to 10 games. He also scored the first goal of the playoffs for the Rangers and got the crowd at Madison Square Garden excited every time he took the ice. Chants of “Rempe Rempe” filled the arena. He was exciting to watch and it will be exciting to see what the future is for him as we get closer to the beginning of the season.
#4: Artemi Panarin’s Historic Regular Season
Coming off the 2023 Playoffs where he had just two assists in a seven game first round loss to the New Jersey Devils, Artemi Panarin vowed to come back and be a more assertive and dominant player. He shaved off his signature hair and came into last season ready to go. While many expected him to have a good regular season once again, nobody could’ve expected the season that he had as he shattered his previous career highs in many categories. He scored 49 goals and 120 points in 82 games played. His previous highs were 32 goals and 96 points. He looked like a completely different player and was very exciting to watch as the season went along.
He tied Mike Gartner for fifth in goals scored in a single season by a Ranger and had the second most points, just three behind Jaromir Jagr. Four of the top 16 spots on the franchise’s all-time single-season points leaders list belong to Panarin. He has proven to be one of the best Rangers in franchise history and last season’s performance proved it even more. It will be interesting to see if he can follow it up with a similar performance this season.
#3: Alex Wennberg’s OT Winner Against the Florida Panthers
Prior to the trade deadline, the Rangers traded for Alex Wennberg so he could be the third-line center to replace the injured Filip Chytil. He did not provide much offense during his time with the Rangers, scoring just two goals combined between the regular season and the playoffs. However, his one playoff goal turned out to be very important and memorable. In what would be the Rangers’ final win of the season, Wennberg scored the overtime winner in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final to put the Rangers up 2-1 in the series.
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In what was a very back-and-forth game that saw the Rangers get dominated for the majority of it, they were somehow able to squeak out the OT win and Wennberg’s defection gave the fans hope they would end up winning the series and move on to the Stanley Cup Final. This did not turn out to be the case, as the team lost the next three games to lose the series, but Wennberg’s goal was magical and will be remembered for years to come.
#2: Vincent Trocheck’s Double OT Goal Against the Carolina Hurricanes
After winning Game 1 of their second round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Game 2 was more of a back-and-forth affair between the two teams. They traded goals and eventually, the Rangers scored a third-period power-play goal to tie the game and the two teams went to overtime. However, one overtime was not enough and a second was needed inside MSG. Former Ranger Brady Skjei took a penalty and sent the Rangers to the man advantage. The rest, as they say, is history.
After Mika Zibanejad sent a shot to the net that bounced around, former Hurricane Vincent Trocheck found the rebound and put it past Frederik Andersen to send MSG into a frenzy. He gave the Rangers a 2-0 series lead and once again, this was a moment where fans felt that this was the year for the Rangers. They had taken a massive lead in the series and had all the momentum on their side. This was an amazing feel-good moment, but it wasn’t the best moment of the season or even this series.
#1: Chris Kreider’s Third Period Hat Trick in Game 6 vs. Hurricanes
The Rangers had a 3-0 series lead over the Hurricanes and seemed to be on the verge of sweeping them and moving on to the Eastern Conference Final. However, the Canes would end up winning the next two games and had a 3-1 lead going into the third period of Game 6. It looked as if there was going to be a Game 7 at MSG, however, one player decided to put the team on his back and his name is Chris Kreider. He scored a natural hat trick to put the Rangers up 4-3 late in the third and one empty-net goal later and the Rangers somehow pulled out the win. Kreider had his Mark Messier moment in this game and he carried the Rangers to victory.
Kreider cemented himself as an all-time Rangers legend with his performance in this game. He already is close to reaching the top of many franchise lists in many different categories. By the time his career is over, he will likely go down as one of the best players in franchise history and will likely have his No. 20 retired when that time comes.
The 2023-24 season will ultimately be seen as a failure because the Rangers did not win the Stanley Cup. However, there were still some amazing moments throughout the season that should not be forgotten about. It was an electric season and although they fell short, they have a great foundation to build off of and will look to win it all this season.
