The Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes are battling it out in one of the best Stanley Cup Finals in recent history. One of the two teams will get to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup, a fitting reward for an incredible postseason. The Golden Knights had to knock off the mighty Colorado Avalanche, while the Carolina Hurricanes breezed their way through the Eastern bracket. You can argue many things about the Golden Knights and the Hurricanes, but one thing you cannot argue against is that the two teams have identities.
While the Golden Knights started their existence as a gritty group of misfits, over the years they’ve become a cutthroat organization that will do anything (and I mean anything) to reach the ultimate goal. Regardless how you feel about Vegas’ approach, it’s been a smashing success for the Golden Knights.
Vegas demonstrated this identity yet again just before the regular season ended, firing Bruce Cassidy and hiring John Tortorella as Head Coach. All Tortorella has done since taking over is brought the team to the precipice of their second Stanley Cup win.
The Golden Knights build the best team possible regardless of outside noise. It may not be the preferred model for many, but it’s worked for Vegas.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes have been on a challenging path to reach the finals, struggling to get over the hump while attempting to lure franchise changers to Raleigh. When the Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen last season, it appeared they had finally caught their big fish. Instead, Rantanen wanted out, and the Hurricanes didn’t try to force things.
Carolina is a defense-first team that relies on its system more than any other team. For Carolina, it works. For others, it wouldn’t. It’s not perfect, and neither is Vegas’ approach, but it works for both teams and gives them both an identity.
The Rangers are missing an identity
Chris Drury seems obsessed with New York adopting an identity of a gritty, rough and tumble franchise. If that’s what he wants to create, that’s fine. I don’t think it’s the best identity to win a championship, but it’s one approach. However, if Drury thinks the Rangers are close to truly having this identity, he is sorely mistaken.
Whereas the Golden Knights and Hurricanes have gone through years of molding their identities, Drury seemingly woke up one day and determined his. Drury shipped players in and out to make it happen, with little regard for what was happening on the ice.
Maybe this will work eventually for Drury, but confidence is quite low. Drury has not shown the ability to recognize how a winning team is made, rather he has a vision of the shortcuts he can take to get to that point.
That doesn’t really create an identity, now does it? The Rangers are missing an identity, and Drury’s approach hasn’t worked.
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