TRAIKOS: Goodrow, now Ranger, aims for third consecutive Stanley Cup

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The city of Aurora, Ontario, is small. And his hockey history is even less. So when Aurora native Robert Thomas not only made it to the NHL, but also won a Stanley Cup as a rookie with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, posters were put up under the city’s official logo to celebrate the rare achievement.

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For Thomas, bragging rights lasted exactly one year.

In 2020, after Aurora’s own Barclay Goodrow won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the signs were altered to include his name as well. And then Goodrow won again the following year.

“I told them they needed to put a ‘x2’ on it,” Goodrow said, laughing.

If all goes according to plan, he could end up becoming a three-time champion.

Although Goodrow is no longer in Tampa Bay, his quest for another Cup was the main reason he decided to sign a six-year contract with the New York Rangers this summer. As a free agent coming off back-to-back championships, the 28-year-old forward had his choice of suitors. The reason he said he chose New York, in addition to being an Original Six franchise, was the future of the team.

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The Rangers missed the playoffs in each of the past four years, but few expect the drought to last this season with how talented they are.

Where to start? Adam Fox, who won the Norris Trophy last year at the age of 23, leads a young and mobile defense that includes K’Andre Miller, Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba. Forwards Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad combined for 108 points last season. And goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin finished fifth in the Calder Trophy vote.

With great things to be expected from Alexis Lafreniere (the No. 1 overall pick in 2020) and Kaapo Kakko (No. 2 in 2019), as well as a new head coach in Gerard Gallant, and it is not surprising that Goodrow decided to make a Long-term commitment to a team that many are choosing as the dark horse of the East.

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“I think that with the stage this team is in with all the young players, obviously they are very, very elite players in the team, I think they have prepared to be contenders in the coming years with the way they have. selected and the players they brought in, ”he said. “So I thought it was a pretty easy decision for me. From a hockey perspective, it was a no-brainer. “

For the Rangers, adding Goodrow to a team that is ready to compete was also an easy decision to make.

Goodrow, whom Lightning head coach Jon Cooper once compared to “a good old four-wheel-drive Jeep to cut through the mud,” was the final piece of the Lightning championship puzzle. Together with Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman, he formed what was considered the best third line in hockey. And he did it by scoring three goals and 12 points in 43 games during consecutive Tampa Bay championship races.

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As Cooper said, Goodrow’s value cannot be measured in goals and assists.

The 6-foot-2, 204-pound striker is a grinder. Block shots and finish checks and occasionally fight. You are more likely to win a disc battle than to win a game. He’s the kind you want on ice to protect a 2-1 lead or to take on the defensive zone in the closing minutes of a game.

He’s a coach’s favorite. The kind of player who is happy to play crash-and-bang hockey on the third line, but who is smart and versatile enough to move up to the top line Monday with Panarin and Filip Chytil against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I like to rock it when things get a little stale for us,” Gallant said of Goodrow. “Sometimes we try to be too cute sometimes and he is one of those guys who simplifies things and the other players follow him.”

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When asked how playing with Panarin was different from his usual job in the trenches, Goodrow said it all comes down to preparation.

“Open up and it will find you,” said Goodrow of Panarin. “With a guy like that with elite vision on the ice, I could find you in places where you might not expect a pass if you were playing with someone else.”

Ask him what the secret is to winning a championship and Goodrow gives a similar answer. There is no secret, he said. It’s about being prepared and willing to do what it takes, when it takes.

“Each team has a different recipe for that sauce,” Goodrow said. “I think there are certain things that you realize that you need to do on a daily or game-by-game basis to put yourself in position to be successful in the playoffs. There are little habits you need to do throughout the season to build a winning hockey team and a winning culture among the group.

“I think being an expert for the last two years and realizing what it takes to get to the top takes a lot of work. But you know, it’s definitely worth it when you get there. “

In fact, they erect posters for the players who can pull it off.

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