ShareThisCouldn't have been many NHL teams more opposed to a salary cap than the New York Rangers.
Can't be many who have benefited more from the league adopting one, either.
Not because it leveled the league's financial playing field -- that's precisely what New York didn't care much for -- but because it forced the Rangers to rethink their approach to putting together teams.
Which is to say, tossing bloated contracts at every big-name player who became available wasn't possible anymore, even if management could cover the cost of those deals out of petty cash. Instead, the Rangers had to focus on constructing teams in a conventional way: By drafting players well and developing those prospects, then plugging holes with trades and free agents.
The result: Lower payrolls, higher productivity.
The Rangers beat Florida in overtime Thursday, and lead the Eastern Conference and overall standings with 54 points.
And there is nothing fluky about what New York has been able to accomplish in the first half of this season.
It has been getting nice paybacks on some big-money deals with free agents over the past couple of years -- right winger Marian Gaborik entered the Florida game with 22 goals, tying him for second-most in the league, and center Brad Richard had eight winning goals, more than anyone else in the NHL except Detroit's Johan Franzen -- but also have been grinding out victories with grit and hard work.
"They're bringing in more guys who are playing their roles, doing their jobs more effectively," Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Paul Martin said. "Some more hard-nosed, hardworking players.
"In the past, I think they've had two or three highly paid guys that they tried to (build) the team around. Now, they all -- even their top-end guys -- are working hard and trying to do things to help them win, and that's a big difference."
Of course, having a defense corps that has exceeded most reasonable expectations and a goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, who has surpassed the lofty ones he faces every season, has not hurt.
Lundqvist ranks among the league leaders in goals-against average and save percentage, reinforcing his status as one of hockey's premier goaltenders.
He rarely gives up a soft goal, and there are comets that come around more often than he has a bad game.
"He seems to be able to make that first (and) second stop," Penguins left winger Chris Kunitz said. "He doesn't get beat on breakaways or things like that very often, and there aren't many soft goals, so he makes you work for everything you're going to get."
Neutralizing Gaborik might be almost as challenging as beating Lundqvist. He has been hobbled by groin problems throughout his career, but it is starting to look as if those are the only thing that can stop Gaborik, whose offensive game is a cocktail of speed, shiftiness and soft hands.
"It's hard to stop him, because he's so fast and quick," Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek said. "There aren't many defensemen who can keep up with him when he gets going."
This is Gaborik's third season with the Rangers; Richards is in his first.
And even though Richards is not putting up points at quite his customary pace, his winners and intangibles have had a positive impact on New York.
Richards was the headliner of the 2011 free-agent class; winger Mike Rupp's profile was not nearly as high, but his blue-collar game fits nicely with the Rangers, even though he missed 22 games because of a knee injury.
The Rangers seem to be following the lead of their captain, Ryan Callahan, who plays a fearless and physical game.
Having a leader with such a selfless style be contagious can only be a good thing for any team and helps to explain why New York doesn't look out of place alongside the NHL's elite clubs.
"They're a tough team," Michalek said. "They're a balanced team. And a dangerous team."
(Contact Dave Molinari at dmolinari (at)post-gazette.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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