The Rangers became the sixth Presidents’ Trophy winner (first awarded in the 1985-86 season) to sweep their opening-round playoff series.
Three of the previous five — including the 1993-94 Rangers — went on to win the Stanley Cup.
The Post’s Dave Blezow takes a look:
2020-21 Avalanche
First round: Beat Blues, 4-0
Second round: Lost to Golden Knights, 4-2
What happened? After claiming the Presidents’ Trophy in the COVID-shortened season, the Avalanche boat-raced the Blues, outscoring them 20-7 behind six goals by Nathan MacKinnon.
The Avs won the first two games against Vegas and looked invincible, but then lost the next four.
2000-01 Avalanche
First round: Beat Canucks, 4-0
Second round: Beat Kings, 4-3
Conference finals: Beat Blues, 4-1
Stanley Cup Finals: Beat Devils, 4-3
What happened? This Colorado team featured current Islanders head coach Patrick Roy in net and Rangers GM Chris Drury, and both led the way in the first-round rout of the Canucks. The Avs won Game 7 of the second round after the Kings took back-to-back games 1-0 — the second one in double OT. And down three games to two to the Devils in the Cup Finals, Roy would allow just one more goal in two victories.
1998-99 Stars
First round: Beat Oilers, 4-0
Second round: Beat Blues, 4-2
Conference finals: Beat Avalanche, 4-3
Stanley Cup Finals: Beat Sabres, 4-2
What happened? A Dallas team with five Hall of Famers (Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk, Brett Hull, Sergei Zubov and Guy Carbonneau) had a fairly tough ride in the final three rounds in 1999.
The Stars famously (or infamously, if you live in Buffalo) won the Cup on a goal in triple overtime by Hull that was allowed despite his skate being in the crease, an infraction that was called fanatically that one postseason.
1993-94 Rangers
First round: Beat Islanders, 4-0
Second round: Beat Capitals, 4-1
Conference finals: Beat Devils, 4-3
Stanley Cup Finals: Beat Canucks, 4-3
What happened? The Rangers cruised through the first two rounds in nine games, losing only Game 4 in Washington.
The energy savings were much needed as the Rangers played 14 games the rest of the way.
It’s all legend by now.
Stephane Matteau’s double-OT goal vs. the Devils in Game 3, Mark Messier’s “We’ll Win Tonight” guarantee and hat trick in Game 6, “Matteau! Matteau!” again in double OT in Game 7, Mike Richter’s penalty-shot save on Pavel Bure in Vancouver, a couple of tantalizing icings in Game 7, and finally, “The Waiting is Over!”
1986-87 Oilers
First round: Beat Canucks, 3-0
Second round: Lost to Flames, 4-3
What happened? This was the hole in what could have been a five-peat for the Wayne Gretzky Oilers, who won the Cup in 1984, ’85, ’87 and ’88.
This time, despite No. 99 collecting five goals and eight assists in the second round, Edmonton lost to archrival Calgary. Perry Berezan, who scored all of four career playoff goals, notched the series winner in the third period of Game 7 for the Flames.
