"All this just to choke in the playoffs" - NHL fans react as New York Rangers win nine straight, eye franchise record

The New York Rangers are on fire, igniting the excitement of NHL fans as they clinched their ninth consecutive win, drawing ever closer to a historic franchise record.

With a commanding victory over the New Jersey Devils, the Rangers matched their longest run in eight seasons, harkening back to the memorable campaign of 2015-2016. However, the current streak carries even greater significance as it places them one win close to their franchise history.

The Rangers have achieved a 10-game winning streak twice before, in the illustrious seasons of 1972-1973 and 1939-1940, the latter culminating in the team's third Stanley Cup victory.

Amid the fervor of the Rangers' triumphs, the NHL community erupted with enthusiasm, with the NHL taking to X to celebrate the team's remarkable achievement. The tweet reads:

"NINE. STRAIGHT. WINS. How about those @NYRangers?!"

Some skeptical fans voiced their concerns. One fan cautioned:

"All this just to choke in the playoffs."

Another fan questioned the caliber of the Rangers' opponents during their winning streak, saying:

"They haven't beat anyone good."

Nevertheless, amid the skepticism and cautious optimism, one Rangers fan said:

"They get the flyers and blue jackets twice coming up too"

New York Rangers dominate New Jersey Devils 5-1

The New York Rangers triumphed over the New Jersey Devils with a 5-1 victory.

Center Mika Zibanejad said:

“I think we really never let them get set, and I think just in general, especially after the first five-minute kill, we had confidence in our kill and the way we were pressuring, the way we were taking time and space away....”

New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said:

"Our PK has kind of slipped the last couple games and we’ve talked about that and wanted to do a good job tonight"

Zibanejad's power-play goal, following a successful penalty kill, set the tone for the game. New York Rangers' penalty kill was strong, and Trouba mentioned putting more attention to detail into their penalty-killing strategy. Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere (who scored two goals) contributed to the scoring, with Artemi Panarin providing three assists.

Goaltender Igor Shesterkin excelled with 39 saves and his first assist of the season. The Rangers are now on the verge of tying their franchise's longest winning streak.

Devils captain Nico Hischier said:

"We got to score on so many opportunities in a power play. We weren’t sharp enough in the first power play; It was better but just couldn’t find the back of the net and it is what it is. We’ll work on it, flush it right now and move on.”