Rangers want another New York championship
The Rangers watched the NFL's Giants bring another championship to New York this week. But despite owner James Dolan's contention in January that the Blueshirts are "pretty close" to winning the Stanley Cup, John Tortorella is not allowing his first-place team to start envisioning any victory parades just yet.
"I think our guys are so focused on what we're trying to do today," Tortorella said Monday, one day after the Giants' 21-17 win over New England in the Super Bowl. "I am sure (the Rangers players) are thrilled for the athletes. Everybody is happy for a team in a city you are playing in winning a championship, and you need to respect them for that."
Henrik Lundqvist, who did nothing to damage his Hart Trophy candidacy with 21 saves in a 1-0 loss Tuesday to New Jersey, is known simply as The King in New York. But the All-Star goalie said he's more than willing to share that moniker now with Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who won the second Super Bowl MVP award of his career.
"Absolutely ... he deserves it," Lundqvist told the New York Daily News. "All year I have moments when I think about it, what it would be like to go all the way, win a championship. It's my ultimate goal -- to win. It's exciting to see the Giants achieve it, especially being in New York. That's definitely the biggest thing for me -- to finish strong, get into the playoffs and make a run at it."
Not all of the Rangers were thrilled with the Giants' victory. Center Brian Boyle is a native of Hingham, Mass., and a diehard Patriots fan. After losing a bet to a few teammates, Boyle must wear a Giants' championship hat and t-shirt off the ice until Friday. He had a photograph of himself wearing a Giants jacket hanging in his locker Monday at the team's practice facility.
"I'm a passionate fan. I enjoy football and the Patriots," Boyle said. "These people (his teammates) don't even care about football. They're just giving me crap about the Pats."
The Rangers next face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
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