Molly Walker
nhl
Published May 18, 2024 at 7:00 am ET
This summary of the post-hurricane series is by Vincent Trocheck.
The Blueshirts’ Bedevil-er was an absolute headache for his former Carolina teammates in every way: on the scoreboard, between whistles and through his forceful but skilled play in all situations.
There were times when it seemed like the players Trocheck once shared a locker room with wanted to rip his head off. He never shut up. And if you can believe it, he made even more noise when he had the puck on his stick.
Vincent Trocheck moves the puck up the ice as Seth Jarvis chases him during a game of the Rangers-Hurricanes series. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The Rangers are now halfway to the Stanley Cup having lost just two games, after an epic third-period comeback led by Chris Kreider in Game 6 on Thursday night in Raleigh, North Carolina, will secure their place in the Eastern Conference final.
There’s no doubt, or surprise, that goalie Igor Shesterkin, who made 33 saves in the series-clinching win, is considered a favorite for Conn Smythe, but Trocheck deserves to be in the conversation as well.
“I mean, he’s been doing it since Day 1,” Kreider said after Thursday’s win with Trocheck sitting next to him, sporting a sharp green and blue plaid suit. “I feel like he’s finally getting the attention he deserves. He is a horse for us. He does everything. I mean, Jordan Staal is not a small guy. He’s pretty good at the point. He’s probably one of the best he’s ever done. He’s amazing, every time he comes in for a faceoff, he jumps in and gives us a chance. Many of them remain clean.
“Then beyond that, I mean the way he carries the puck, the way he performs physical checks. He does everything for us.”
There was no way to gauge the future implications of Trocheck taking off his Canes jersey and donning the Rangers badge 44 days after coming out on the losing end of the 2022 series between the two clubs, but this season and these playoffs have put it into play. perspective.
Vincent Trocheck is separated from Brent Burns by a referee as they exchange words during the Rangers’ series victory over the Hurricanes. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
In his second season with the Rangers, Trocheck has embodied that tough trait the organization had been chasing for years.
He’s a dog in the faceoff circle, ranking fifth in the NHL Playoffs with a 58.3 winning percentage. His puck-handling skills, necessarily on par with his linemates Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, can sometimes be a surprise coming from a guy who plays with so much grunt.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Rangers in the NHL playoffs
He can anger his opponents with a joke, throwing them off their game or causing them to receive a reckless penalty. He’ll give you the thumbs up as he skates towards the box only to swing the knife harder.
Trocheck is simply infuriating.
It’s a talent the Rangers haven’t mastered since a guy named Sean Avery walked the halls of Madison Square Garden 11 years ago. It’s a feature the organization set out to publicly acquire because it was clear that’s what they needed.
Vincent Trocheck shoots Frederik Andersen on goal during a Rangers-Hurricanes series game. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Whether it was his celebration of Alexis Lafreniere’s go-ahead goal in Game 3 by cheering on Sebastian Aho, who crossed the number 16 on his back while passing the puck to Panarin in transition for the secondary assist on the play. . Or the bravery he showed by smiling at 6-foot-5 Brent Burns, who reached over an official’s shoulder to try to criticize Trocheck for whatever he said or did at that moment in Game 4.
From the double overtime winner in Game 2 after leading all skaters in ice time in 35:21 to the plate for Panarin in the overtime winner in Game 3, Trocheck has been in all of these playoffs of the Rangers so far.
Not only did he score a point in eight of 10 playoff games, but Trocheck scored multiple points in six of them. He is one of three players to score at least six goals (with eight assists) in 10 postseason games for the Rangers in the last 20 years, joining Kreider and Michael Nylander.
Aside from perhaps Maple Leafs captain John Tavares and Long Island, no pendulum has swung stronger than North Carolina’s feelings toward Trocheck.
In fact, I was sitting at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, chatting with my dear colleague Larry Brooks about the Trocheck series when suddenly…
“Trocheck is a weasel,” a young redhead next to me spat in disgust.
“I loved it when I played here. “Now he’s just an idiot.”
That’s the Vincent Trocheck effect.
Everyone wants that on their team.
And the Rangers signed him for the next five years.
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