Going into the 2013 NHL season, the New York Rangers were considered to be the top favorite to win the Stanley Cup. It's tough to remember just four months later, but experts were picking the Rangers more often than even the Penguins and Blackhawks.
It's tough to blame them.
The Rangers finished as the East's top seed in 2012 and got all the way to the Eastern Conference Final before being upset by the hated New Jersey Devils. Then, the Rangers went out and traded for Columbus Blue Jackets' star forward Rick Nash in the offseason.
New York was poised for a run at its first Stanley Cup since 1994. The team had a terrific shot-blocking defense, promising youngsters like Ryan McDonagh and Chris Kreider, the world's best goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist, and an improved offense with the addition of Nash.
But, to the surprise of many, something seemed wrong right off the bat. While Lundqvist was stellar as always, the offense could never get it going. The powerplay was absolutely brutal and it never recovered throughout the entire season. Star forward Marian Gaborik was unhappy playing for the team.
The Rangers eventually came around, putting together some big wins and putting themselves in a position to make the playoffs. At the trade deadline, they pulled off a shocking move that sent Gaborik to the Blue Jackets.
Their first round matchup with the Washington Capitals seemed extremely unfavorable. It would be the fourth time in five years the teams met in the playoffs, and the Caps were the hottest team going into the postseason. The Rangers fell behind after losing the first two games of the series, but rebounded at home to tie things up. After losing Game Five, Henrik Lundqvist did not allow a goal for the rest of the series, winning 1-0 at home in Game Six and shocking the world with a 5-0 blowout in Washington to end the Caps' season.
The Blueshirts looked to be back on track heading into the second round, but the Boston Bruins proved to be too talented. New York had trouble all series scoring on Tuukka Rask, and the powerplay once again was dismal. The Bruins finished off New York in five games, abruptly ending the Rangers' season and leaving fans full of questions.
This was yet another example that in sports, teams filled with superstars are not always successful. We have seen it many, many times in recent years, such as the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Lakers.
It takes more than just names to win championships. It takes chemistry. The Rangers just did not have any.
Head coach John Tortorella took most of the blame after the disappointing Game Five loss, but the fault falls on the shoulders of just about every single New York Ranger.
In the end, the New York Rangers will likely go down as the biggest disappointment of the 2013 NHL season, and will look to rebound from their disappointment in 2014.